Tortelloni are the larger cousin of tortellini — roughly twice the size — and represent a different branch of the Emilian filled pasta tradition. Where tortellini are a meat preparation served in broth, tortelloni are typically filled with ricotta and spinach (or, in autumn, ricotta and pumpkin in the Ferrarese tradition) and served with sauce. The distinction matters technically: the larger format means more filling relative to pasta, so the sfoglia can be slightly thicker than for tortellini without becoming doughy. The ricotta-spinach filling requires careful moisture management — the spinach must be cooked, squeezed thoroughly dry, and chopped fine before mixing with well-drained ricotta, egg, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and nutmeg. Excess moisture is the enemy: wet filling produces soggy tortelloni that burst during cooking. The forming technique uses larger squares (5-6cm), and the folding creates a plump half-moon or triangle shape, sometimes with the corners joined like oversized tortellini. The canonical sauce is burro e salvia — melted butter infused with sage leaves until the butter foams and the sage crisps — finished with Parmigiano. In Ferrara, tortelli di zucca (pumpkin tortelli) follow the same format but with a sweet-savoury filling of roasted pumpkin, Parmigiano, nutmeg, and crushed amaretti biscuits — a combination that is quintessentially Emilian in its embrace of sweet-savoury interplay.
Squeeze cooked spinach absolutely dry — wrap in cloth and twist until no more water emerges|Drain ricotta in a fine sieve for several hours or overnight — wet ricotta ruins the filling|Combine spinach, ricotta, egg, grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, and nutmeg — season assertively|Cut sfoglia into 5-6cm squares, place a generous tablespoon of filling off-centre|Fold and seal, pressing to expel air — air pockets cause tortelloni to burst|Cook in generously salted boiling water for 3-4 minutes — they float when nearly done|Sauce with burro e salvia: melt butter until foaming, add sage leaves, cook until butter is nutty and sage is crisp|Toss tortelloni gently in the butter — they are fragile
For the Ferrarese pumpkin version, roast the pumpkin until deeply caramelised and let cool completely before mixing with amaretti, Parmigiano, and nutmeg — the filling should be thick enough to hold its shape on a spoon. The quality of the ricotta matters immensely: use fresh cow's milk ricotta from a good source, not the mass-produced tub variety which is grainy and watery. When making burro e salvia, start with cold butter in a cold pan — this gives you more control over the browning. The sage should be fresh, not dried. In Emilia-Romagna, some families add a splash of the pasta cooking water to the butter to create a silky emulsion — this is a professional technique that produces a better coat.
Failing to dry the spinach and ricotta sufficiently — the single most common cause of failed tortelloni. Making the filling bland — it must be seasoned boldly because the pasta wrapper dilutes flavour. Sealing carelessly — any air trapped inside expands during cooking and bursts the pasta. Cooking in a rolling boil that tumbles the tortelloni violently — use a gentle simmer. Burning the butter — burro e salvia should be golden-brown (nocciola/hazelnut stage), not black.
Ada Boni, Il Talismano della Felicità (1927); Anna Gosetti della Salda, Le Ricette Regionali Italiane (1967); Marcella Hazan, Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking (1992)