SPINACH & RICOTTA ROTOLO

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Spinach & ricotta rotolo image

Theo Randall shares his recipe for a classic Italian dish that transforms homemade pasta into something special - our step-by-step instructions make it easy to follow

Provided by Theo Randall

Categories     Dinner, Lunch, Main course, Pasta, Supper

Time 2h15m

Number Of Ingredients 12

1kg spinach
1 garlic clove , finely sliced
50g butter
2 tsp chopped marjoram or oregano
500g ricotta
50g parmesan (or vegetarian alternative), grated, plus a little extra to serve
½ quantity Theo's pasta dough (see tip below)
good-quality olive oil , for drizzling
2 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove , finely sliced
1 x 400g can chopped tomatoes
a pasta machine

Steps:

  • Begin by making the Simple tomato sauce, heat the olive oil in a saucepan, add the garlic clove and cook until just softened. Add the chopped tomatoes and season. Cook slowly for 25 mins, stirring now and then, until very thick. Do this a day or two ahead of assembling the rotolo, or freeze it for up to 2 months.
  • Wilt the spinach in a pan over a medium heat, then leave to cool. Squeeze well to remove the excess water, then roughly chop the spinach. Season and leave to cool completely.
  • Gently fry the garlic in the butter until softened, then remove from the heat and add the marjoram. Tip into a bowl and add the spinach, ricotta and Parmesan.
  • Roll out the pasta (see step-by-step images). Cut the sheets into 3 or 4 pieces, each roughly 40cm long, and place them on a white tea towel. Using a little water and a pastry brush, stick the sheets together, allowing a 1cm overlap.
  • Using a spatula, spread the filling over the pasta as evenly as possible, leaving a 1cm border around the edge.
  • Fold over the edge of the pasta nearest to you and, using the tea towel and the weight of the pasta, roll it away from you like you would a Swiss roll.
  • Brush the open edge of the pasta with a little water and press together to seal.
  • Wrap the pasta roll tightly in the tea towel and tie a piece of string round it every 10cm or so (or use a butcher's knot - see step-by-step images). Tie the ends with string to secure them, leaving a long piece of string at each end to act as a handle.
  • Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil (a fish kettle is ideal, but a deep roasting tin filled with water works well too) and cook the rotolo for 20 mins. Remove from the water and leave to cool. Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5.
  • Gently unwrap the rotolo and cut it into 3cm slices. Arrange the slices in a baking dish. Spoon over the Simple tomato sauce, sprinkle with Parmesan and drizzle with a little olive oil. Bake for 15 mins until the pasta is hot and crisping around the edges.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 493 calories, Fat 30 grams fat, SaturatedFat 14 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 31 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 6 grams sugar, Fiber 7 grams fiber, Protein 22 grams protein, Sodium 1.2 milligram of sodium

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