Tortelloni al ragù
A rich pasta dish from the Emilia Romagna region

Tortelloni di ricotta al ragù

You might find this dish on the menu as Tortelloni alla Bolognese, tortellone being large tortellini, usually stuffed with ricotta instead of a meat mixture. You might also find tortellini al ragù with a meat-based filling including mortadella.

I like the tortelloni version because the intensity of a long-cooked ragù is then balanced by the delicate flavor of the ricotta inside the tortelloni. Notice that the meat sauce is not a concoction of tomato with tiny bits of meat floating in a sea of red. Tomato is a flavor element and not the main event in a traditional ragù.

The picture was taken at the highly recommended restaurant Trattoria dal Picolo in the village of San Giovanni in Persiceto, north of Bologna.

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Italian Name: Tortelloni al ragù
English Name: Large ricotta stuffed tortellini with a meat sauce
Course: Primo
Where you're most likely to find it: Emilia Romagna region around Bologna