Seen in the UK as a quick, cheap and easy meal, the authenticity, quality and simplicity of pasta has been overlooked. We tend to follow the method of ‘guess boiling’ our pasta and drowning it with any sauce to hand, while the Italians care more for their iconic dish, focusing on the simplicity of fresh, locally sourced ingredients such as olive oil, cheese and wine.

In this video master pasta maker, Giovanni Rana, tells the story of his artisan pasta making and shows us how to make and serve the perfect spinach and ricotta tortelloni, while Antonella Rana recalls the legendary story of the creation of tortellini.

Giovanni Rana and his family have been making fresh filled pasta for more than 50 years after noticing that home-made, fresh pasta was on the decline since Italian women started to work.  His philosophy is simple: be true to yourself and the things that make you happy.  For him, perfect pasta comes from a passion for food and the joy of sharing that passion with the people you love.

Recipe for the Perfect Ricotta and Spinach Tortelloni

More than 50 years ago, master pasta maker, Mr Giovanni, inspired by the old-world techniques of local women, began making tortelloni in a small shop in San Giovanni Lupatoto.

So he created a unique fresh-filled pasta, using the very best ingredients, and headed out on his scooter, to deliver his handiwork to the homes of families across Verona, The passionate, young pasta maker’s dream began to unfold across Italy and now the very same pasta is available in supermarkets in the UK today.

If you have the luxury of time, why not try Giovanni Rana’s unique recipe for these traditional Italian treasures; Ricotta and Spinach Tortelloni, using his short film.

Preparation: Pasta preparation: 25mins

Cooking: 2-3 minutes

Serves: 2-3

What you will need:

For the Pasta Dough

140g All purpose flour

2 eggs

For the Ricotta & Spinach Filling

85g Ricotta cheese

20ml double cream

15g Parmigiano cheese

30g of spinach, chopped

Pinch of salt and pepper

Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil

For the Seasoning

Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil

40g Ricotta cheese +15g Spinach leaves for serving per portion

Method

1. Put the flour with the salt in a large bowl.
2. Make a well in the middle then crack the eggs into the well, one at a time. Using your fingertips, mix well and begin to knead the fresh mixture into fresh dough.
3. Put the dough on a table and knead well with both hands until the dough is smooth and elastic, rolling it out using a rolling pin if needed.
4. Now for your filling; mix the ricotta and fresh spinach in a large bowl, adding a pinch of salt and pepper.
5. Roll the pasta to as thin as possible and using a pasta cutter or a knife, gently cut into squares.
6. Spoon out a teaspoon of the filling into the centre of each pasta square.
7. Then for the art of tortelloni making; carefully fold each pasta square diagonally and pinch the edges until closed. Then bring the corners together with your fingers and squeeze together.
8. Cook the tortelloni in a large saucepan of lightly salted boiling water and simmer gently for 2-3 minutes, avoiding overcooking.
9. Drain the tortelloni thoroughly and finish by serving on a large bed of warm ricotta, with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and garnish with spinach.

Cook’s tip: If you don’t have all of the fresh ingredients available, why not try Giovanni Rana’s Simply Italian range, available in six delicious varieties including Tender Spinach & Ricotta Tortelloni. Based on homemade Italian family recipes, they are simple and quick to prepare   in less than 5 minutes.  RRP £1.99.