Wild Mushroom and Cashew Ricotta Tortellini in a Sage Beurre Monté

Equipment

• mixing bowls 

• Sheet pan

• round cookie cutter

• Pasta roller machine

• sauté pans

• Small pot

• Large stock pot

• Grater

• Food processor

• Strainer

• Whisk

• Tongs

• Cutting board

• Knife

Fresh Pasta Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 1 tsp (or 2 large pinches) Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt 

• 1 egg

• 2 egg yolks

Cashew Ricotta Ingredients

• 1 tbsp water

• 1/2 tsp olive oil 

• 1/2 cup raw cashew nuts soaked for 2 hours ((Allergic to nuts? Try sunflower seeds.) )

• 2 tsp nutritional yeast

• 1/4 garlic clove - grated into the food processor

• Squeeze of lemon juice

• Salt and pepper to taste

Pasta Filling Ingredients

• 1/4 garlic clove - minced

• 1 egg or water

• 1/2 shallot - minced

• 1 cup cashew ricotta (or regular ricotta cheese)

• 1 sage leaf chopped (for filling)

• 10 10 sage leaves (for garnishing the dish)

• 1/2 cup wild mushrooms (Maitake, Morels, or Chanterelles, etc) 

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• Salt and pepper to taste

The Main Dish Ingredients

• 1/2 garlic clove - sliced thin

• 1/2 shallot - sliced thin

• 1 sprig of sage leaves

• 1/2 cup chicken broth or stock ((homemade or store bought)  )

• 3 tbsp butter chopped in cubes or easy to melt pieces 

• 1/4 cup water

• Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt 

• Black pepper

• Optional garnishes: Grated parmesan cheese (or nutritional yeast); chives

Fresh Pasta

1. Mix the flour and salt together in a bowl and make a well. Add one egg. Crack the other two eggs in a separate bowl. Separate the egg yolks and add to the bowl of flour. Save egg whites for another dish another time. 

2. Stir the eggs together and gently add the flour into the mixture. Once the flour comes together, start to knead the dough. Add more flour if needed. Continue to knead until you have a nice semi-hard dough ball, about 3-5 minutes. It doesn’t have to be perfect as you will continue to knead the dough in the pasta roller. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature for 15-30 minutes. If you have time, rest for 1 hour.  

3. Cut the dough in half. Wrap the other half while you work on the first half. Sprinkle with flour and make it into a disc shape. Set your pasta machine to setting #1. Roll it out. Fold one side of the dough two-thirds of the way. Fold the opposite side over the first third. Roll it out. Repeat 2-3 more times until your dough is smooth. Sprinkle flour when necessary.  

4. Set your pasta machine to #2, roll the dough through. Continue through each setting until you reach #8 or 9 or the thickness you prefer. I like thin pasta.  

5. Lay your pasta out. Using a round cookie cutter, cut out as many circles as you can. Repeat with the rest of the quartered dough. 

6. In each round, put a small amount of filling in the middle. Mix the egg in a bowl. Put one dough circle with filling in your hand. Dip your finger in the egg and line half of the edge of the pasta. Close the pasta so you end up with a half moon. Wet one side of the half moon and pull the two ends together to create your tortellini. Repeat with the rest of your pasta and lay on a floured surface or sheet pan.

Cashew Ricotta

1. Strain the soaked cashews. Add to the food processor with 1 Tbsp of water, nutritional yeast, squeeze of lemon, grated garlic clove and season with salt and pepper. Add more water and lemon if needed to create the desired texture and flavor.

Pasta Filling

1. Chop up mushrooms, garlic and shallots so they are small enough to mix with the ricotta and fill a small tortellini.  

2. In a sauté pan, put 2 Tbsp of oil on medium heat. Fry up 10 sage leaves, enough for garnish. Cook for about 1 minute, flipping in between to fry up both sides. Remove and set aside on a towel. Add a bit more olive oil if needed. Add mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 3-5 minutes. Be sure any water from the mushrooms has evaporated. Add the shallots. Cook for 2 minutes. Add the garlic. Cook for another 2 minutes. Add chopped sage. Cook for 2 minutes. Set aside on a plate to cool down.  

3. Once the mushrooms cool down, mix in a bowl with the ricotta. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

The Main Dish

1. On high heat, fill the stock pot ¾ of the way and start boiling the water. Once it starts boiling, add salt. It should taste like the sea. 

2. Heat up a sauté pan and add 1 Tbsp of olive oil. Add the shallot to the sauté pan, season with salt and pepper. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the rest of your garlic, 1 minute and then add sage leaves. Toss together for 1-2 minutes and add vegetable broth. Bring to a boil and simmer to reduce for 5-7 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

3. In a small pot, bring your ¼ cup of water to a boil. Slowly add small cubes of butter and whisk as you add and melt the butter. Once it is emulsified, turn the heat off and continue to whisk for another 1-2 minutes. Season with salt if needed. Congratulations! You made beurre monté!

4. In your stockpot, add the tortellini and put at medium heat. Cook for 3-5 minutes. Strain the tortellini and add to your broth. Simmer on medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Pour enough beurre monté to the pan so the sauce starts to thicken. Cook for another minute. Scoop onto plates and garnish with fried sage leaves and grated parmesan or nutritional yeast.  

Notes

Fresh Pasta Notes: If you want to make this vegan, use ½ cup of plant-based egg. You can also freeze the tortellini to cook later that week. Be sure to freeze your tortellini on a flat tray for 15 minutes before putting in an airtight container in the freezer. I wouldn’t keep it in there for more than a week as it may start to get freezer burn. Plus, it’s delicious! Egg whites can be used for an egg white scramble or a lemon meringue.

Cashew Ricotta Notes: Can be put in the freezer to eat another day!

Pasta Dish Notes: If you want to make this dairy free, use vegan butter in place of the dairy butter. If needed, add a tablespoon of the pasta water to step 4 at the end to thicken the sauce more.