I’ve had an affinity for noodles of all kinds since childhood and when I find a new recipe, I’m eager to experiment.* This Pasta Rotolo with Sausage, Spinach and Mushrooms is another variation on that theme.
I’ve made pasta by hand for years. My trusty 35-year old Atlas 150 pasta machine has produced fettucine, linguine, pappardelle and lasagne from various plain and pigmented flours. I also have hand-formed picci, cavatelli, ravioli and capunti. But now I wanted to experiment with another pasta version and found inspiration in a podcast interview with Jamie Oliver who recalled a serendipitous event early in his career when he was learning to prepare a pasta rotolo that changed his life.
Jamie explained that 23 or so years ago, when he was a fledgling chef at London’s River Café, Rose Gray, a Café co-owner was teaching him how to make Rotolo di pasta con spinaci e ricotta (pasta roll with spinach and ricotta) on the same day that a camera crew was filming the Café. That fortuitous filming led to discovery of Jamie’s TV charisma, altering the course of his career. Jamie later enthusiastically described rotolo as “…really pretty and you get the gnarly, crisp bits of pasta on the top complemented by the softer pasta hiding underneath the sauce.”
With such an enthusiastic endorsement, I could not resist learning more about rotolo di pasta and to try my hand at making it.
Rotolo di pasta, meaning “scroll’ or ‘coil” of pasta in Italian, is a Tuscan pasta preparation not widely known outside of Italy. It is also called rotolo di pasta ripieno, which means stuffed pasta roll. Unlike other stuffed pasta dishes like tortellini or cannelloni or ravioli in which small strips of pasta dough are filled with mixtures of meat or vegetables or cheese, rotolo is made from a large pasta sheet that is spread with a savory filling of the cook’s choosing, then rolled up to form a roulade which then is wrapped in a tea towel and poached. Once cooled, the poached roulade is cut into thick medallions that are later nestled and baked in a variety of sauces, depending on the filling (browned butter or bechamel or ragu or simple tomato sauce). Essentially, rotolo is a deconstructed lasagne or cannelloni, definitely a dish for company.
What intrigued me most as I was reviewing stuffed pasta recipes was the fact that the savory filling, incorporating different vegetables or meat or cheese or fish, is adaptable to seasonal changes. Although the classic ricotta and spinach filling that Jamie Oliver learned how to make is delicious, I was eager to try a sausage filling instead.
As I embarked on preparing this Pasta Rotolo with Sausage, Spinach and Mushrooms, I turned to Tuscan recipes and quickly realized that while the final dish looked complicated, in fact it was quite easy. Each element of this rotolo was made with simple, readily available ingredients and can be prepared a day or so in advance, leaving final assembly and cooking for the day of serving.
I made the large pasta sheet using a Tuscan recipe from Giuliano Bugialli, my Italian cooking teacher and a Florentine.** Giuliano’s cookbook states: Tuscan fresh pasta varies from that of Bologna. Oil and salt are used in Tuscany and the pasta is generally rolled finer. A little oil makes the pasta more flexible so it can be rolled a little finer and is lighter when cooked.
Giuliano extolled the virtue of taking time to prepare Italian dishes by hand in the traditional manner whenever possible. In his opinion, handmade pasta dough was superior to factory made and I followed his method for this post, using finely milled Italian Tipo ‘00’ flour for good texture, bite and tenderness. Giuliano’s recipe makes enough pasta for the rotolo with some leftovers which I hand-cut into pappardelle and dried for another meal. But making dough by hand is not required if time is short; the food processor quickens the process and produces an equally supple, silky dough. In my opinion, the difference between handmade and processor made dough is imperceptible. Pasta dough can be prepared several days in advance and kept wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature.
A combination of Italian filling or stuffing recipes provides inspiration for the sausage filling which incorporates mild Italian sausage, spinach and both fresh and dried mushrooms, bound together by parmesan and egg. The two-mushroom combination adds a woodsy, umami taste that enhances the filling’s meatiness. This filling can be prepared up to 1 day in advance and refrigerated.
Guiliano’s recipe for pommarola makes a light summer tomato sauce. In this sauce, unlike in heartier tomato sauces, standard Italian aromatic vegetables (the odori — carrots, celery, onions, garlic, parsley and basil) are simmered together with the tomatoes rather than sautéed first which results in a fresher, lighter taste. Essentially, pommorola, cooked without oil, is a light vegetable stew that Giuliano advises should be pureed with a food mill. I found pulsing the vegetables with a stick blender to be more efficient and produces a toothsome not overly puréed sauce that can be prepared several days ahead as well.
The resulting Pasta Rotolo with Sausage, Spinach and Mushrooms satisfies multiple senses. Visually, it is stunning. The crispy-edged spiral of tender pasta, encompassing meaty swirls of spinach-flaked sausage and tan mushroom bits and capped with parmesan nestled in a simple tomato sauce looks beautiful. As it cooks, the sauce’s rich tomatoey aroma permeates the kitchen. The flavor of the subtle spiciness of the sausage filling encased in silky pasta is amplified by the fresh tomato sauce. This flavor combination is sublime.
A perfect primo piatto – first course to a classic Italian dinner.
Pasta Rotolo with Sausage, spinach and mushrooms
Pasta ingredients
3 cups (381 g) Tipo ’00 flour or all-purpose flour, unbleached
3“extra-large” eggs or 4 “large” eggs
3 teaspoons olive oil
Pinch salt
Sauce ingredients
2½ pounds (1.134 K) fresh tomatoes or 1 can San Marzano tomatoes
1 large carrot, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 cup (150 g) red onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic
1 bay leaf
4-5 sprigs Italian parsley
2-3 leaves fresh basil
Filling ingredients
8 ounces (227 g) fresh spinach
OR 6 ounces (170 g) frozen spinach, thawed and drained
2 tablespoons olive oil
10 ounces (340 g) fresh cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
16 ounces (450 g) Italian sausage ***
1 ounce (30 g) dried porcini mushrooms
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
1 cup (80 g) Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
1 large egg
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Garnish: chopped Italian parsley
Preparing pasta by hand: Mound flour in the center of a work surface and form a well in the middle. Pour in eggs, olive oil and salt and with a fork, mix the wet ingredients together. Continuing with a fork, incorporate flour from the inner rim of the well into the liquid, eventually expanding until ½ of the flour is moistened. Then knead, incorporating remaining flour. After about 3 minutes, the dough should be slightly sticky and elastic. Add a couple of teaspoons of flour if the dough is still too sticky, kneading until dough becomes satin and elastic. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and let it relax at room temperature, at least 30 minutes or overnight. Dough can be kept a room temperature for several days.
OR preparing pasta in a food processor: Place cold eggs and other pasta ingredients in bowl of food processor and pulse repeatedly (about 10 times) until a ball of dough forms on the blade. (The dough texture should be smooth, firm but slightly sticky.) If it appears wet, add an extra 1-2 tsp of flour and pulse a few times more to incorporate. Immediately wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes or overnight.
Preparing sauce: Cut tomatoes in half or crush canned tomatoes if using. Chop onion, carrot and celery.
Place all ingredients in a stockpot; do not add water or oil. Simmer covered for 1½ to 2 hours, checking level of liquid and stirring periodically so it does not burn. If the mixture seems dry, remove from heat. Cool and pass sauce through a food mill or purée with a stick blender. (If sauce will be stored, do not add anything else at this point.) Store in refrigerator if using on another day.
When ready to use, reheat sauce over low heat, adding salt to taste. Makes 3½ cups.
Preparing filling: Place washed but still wet spinach into a pot and wilt over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and scatter a handful of ice cubes on the spinach to cool. If using frozen spinach, proceed to next step. Place spinach in clean kitchen towel, squeeze out water and coarsely chop. Set aside.
Place dried porcini into a bowl and cover with boiling water. Let soak until cool. Squeeze out and reserve soaking water for later use. Finely chop porcini. Set aside.
Heat a sauté pan on medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil and sauté sliced mushrooms. Remove when soft and set aside. Add sausage to the same sauté pan, breaking up clumps with a wooden spoon. Fry until browned. With a spoon, remove visible fat from sauté pan and add spinach, mushrooms and soaked porcini. Fry for a few minutes to evaporate remaining moisture. Stir in red pepper flakes, tomato paste, oregano, half of the Parmigiano and egg.
Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Set aside to cool at room temperature or store overnight in refrigerator.
Assembling pasta roll: Lightly flour a large work surface. Roll out pasta dough into a large sheet about ⅛ inch (0.3 cm) thickness. Using a ruler, measure a 12 inch x 18 inch (13.5 cm x 46 cm) rectangle. Save dough scraps in a plastic bag for another use.**** Roll rectangle to even out thickness. Move dough to a rectangular tea towel, lining up short edge of dough with short edge of the tea towel.
Using a spatula, spread sausage-mushroom mixture over the dough as evenly as possible, leaving a ½ inch border at the edges. Fold over the edge of the pasta nearest you and, using the tea towel and the weight of the pasta, roll it away from you until all filling is rolled up.
Trim excess dough to ½ inch (1.27 cm). Brush the open edge of rotolo with a few drops of water and press to seal. Wrap pasta roll tightly in the tea towel and tie with cotton string around each end.
Bring a roaster pan of salted water to boil (a flat 2- 4 inch (5-10 cm) deep pan large enough to fit the rotolo flat is ideal). Place rotolo in the water, reducing heat to simmer; cook for 40 minutes. You may need to turn rotolo over midway if it is not completely submerged in water. Remove from water and cool.
Gently unwrap rotolo and cut into serving slices from 1 -1.5 inches (2.54- 4 cm) thick. Cover slices with tea towel if using in a few hours. Otherwise, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate.
An hour before serving: Heat oven to 350°F (176°C). Pour sauce into baking dish, adding as much of the reserved porcini soaking liquid as needed to thin the sauce (avoiding the last few tablespoons at the bottom which may contain sand). Arrange rotolo slices in sauce.
Top each slice with remaining Parmigiano and drizzle with a little olive oil.
Bake for 30 minutes until rotolo is bubbling and crisping around the edges. Garnish with chopped parsley. Serve immediately.
Serves 6-8
* http://www.kitchenepiphanies.com/spaetzle-the-ubiquitous-noodle/
**Giuliano Bugialli, The Fine Art of Italian Cooking, NY Times Books, 1979.
***If Italian sausage is unavailable, substitute with 16 ounces (450 g) ground pork seasoned with 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper, ½ teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon dried parsley, ½ tablespoon minced garlic, ½ teaspoon minced onion, 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.
****
Leftover dough pappardelle.
One year ago: http://www.kitchenepiphanies.com/malaysian-chicken-curry-kapitan-roti-jala/
Two years ago: http://www.kitchenepiphanies.com/peach-blueberry-almond-crust-galette/
Three years ago: http://www.kitchenepiphanies.com/gazpacho/
Four years ago: http://www.kitchenepiphanies.com/glazed-lemon-blueberry-bread/