Veg-orizo tortellini | Broccolini | Tomato Broth

One of my favorite recipes I make is Chorizo and ricotta stuffed tortellini with a goat cheese tomato sauce.  Since I am experimenting with vegetarian dishes,  I decided to try and “imitate” the flavors of chorizo.  And, as you can probably guess, I managed to successfully create a recipe that will make you second guess that it’s vegetarian.  Check it out below:

Directions:

For the filling

In a medium sized pan on medium high heat, add olive oil and shallots.  Cook for two minutes then reduce heat to medium. Add minced garlic, cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper, harissa paste, salt and pepper to the pan.  Cook for an additional 10 minutes until well incorporated.  Take off heat and allow to cool.

Once cool, add 3/4 of the container of ricotta and mix well. Now you are ready to fill!

For the pasta

Make fresh pasta dough with my recipe here . Wrap in saran wrap and place in fridge to rest.

Once rested (no less than half a hour) make the tortellini by rolling out dough super thin (thin enough to clearly see your hand on the other side. Cut into desired sized circles and place a small amount of filing in the middle of the circle.  Dab half the circle with water (to allow it to stick) and fold in half. Grab both tips of the pasta and join together. Press tightly to seal, toss with flour and set aside on a well floured baking sheet. Cover.

Once ready to cook, boil water in a  large pot with salt. Once boiling, add tortellini and cook for less than 2 minutes (you should see them float to the surface).  Strain and toss in olive oil to prevent from sticking.

For the Tomato Broth

In a large pot, add tomatoes, tomato paste, onions, garlic salt and pepper. Fill the pot with vegetable stock (or water) until tomatoes are covered.  Once boiling, put lid on and reduce heat to medium. (small rolling boil) and allow to cook for 30 minutes. * Keep an eye on the broth while is boiling. It can reduce quickly and burn (ahemm… learned from experience).  If it reduces to much, add more vegetable stock.  Once cooked, strain through a fine sieve and discard the chucks. Pour the liquid back into the pot and keep warm until ready to serve.

For the broccolini

Cut each broccolini stem in half and place in medium sized pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium heat.  Once hot, reduce heat to medium low and add 2 tablespoons of water. Cook until broccolini is tender but not mush! * Depending on the stove top, you may need to keep it on medium to cook.   To finish, toss broccoli in 1/2 tablespoon of butter and season with salt and pepper to taste.

To Serve

Place broccolini in a shallow bowl, add tortellini and pour in broth to cover the bottom of the bowl. Garnish with parmesean cheese, peashoots, drizzle of olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.