Tortelli with Pecorino cheese and green asparagus

Featuring our friends Filippo & Ombretta of Florence restaurant La Leggenda dei Frati

Ingredients for 6 people For the pasta:

• 5 eggs

• 2.5 cups (300g) all-purpose flour

• 1.6 cups (200g) durum wheat semolina For the filling:

• 2 cups (250g) aged Pecorino cheese (you can use Romano or another aged sheep’s milk cheese)

• 2 tbsp (20g) cornstarch

• 2 cups (500ml) fresh cream For the cream:

• 2 pounds (1kg) of green asparagus

• 2 shallots

• Extra virgin olive oil to taste

1. Combine all the ingredients and knead by hand until you get a smooth dough. Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a bowl and let it rest for a couple of hours.

2. For the filling, start by boiling the cream in a pan. Stir in the cornstarch followed by the Pecorino cheese. As soon as the cheese has melted, allow the mixture to cool.

3. Roll out the dough as fine as you can and cut it into circles. Place the filling in the center of each circle and fold them into the typical tortelli shape. They will keep for around an hour, so if you don’t use them quickly you can freeze them.

4. Set aside 4 of the largest asparagus. Blanch the remaining asparagus in salted water and then cool them in an ice bath. Reserve the nicest tips. In a pot, sauté the shallots, then add the finely cut asparagus and cook, gradually adding hot water. Once cooked, blend everything into a cream adding extra virgin olive oil.

5. To finish, cook the tortelli a few minutes in boiling salted water - bear in mind that the exact time depends on the thickness of your pasta.

6. Plate the dish by spreading the asparagus cream on a plate, arranging the pasta neatly on top, and garnishing it with the reserved asparagus tips and the previously peeled raw asparagus dressed with fresh extra virgin olive oil.