Sorpresine (Homemade Little Surprises)
A recipe for Sorpresine (Homemade Little Surprises). Little squares of pasta dough are folded twice to resemble tortellini without the filling.
Servings 4 -6 Servings
Ingredients
- 2 cups (250 grams) 00 pasta flour or all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (160 grams) fine semolina plus more for dusting
- 4 large eggs
- 1/4 cup (60 milliliters) water or just enough for bringing together the dough
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a large bowl, add the flour and semolina.
- Make a well in the center. Add the eggs and mix until well-combined.
- Slowly add just enough water to create a soft dough. If too wet, add a little more flour. If too dry, add a little more water.
- On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough until smooth and elastic. Wrap in plastic and allow to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.
- Divide the dough into four equal pieces. Place one on a floured work surface and cover the remainder. Dust a large, rimmed baking sheet with fine semolina.
- Roll the dough into a thin sheet using a pasta machine or rolling pin, starting with the widest setting and continuing to press and dusting with flour as needed to the second to last setting, about 1/16th-1/8th inch (1.5-3 millimeters) thick.
- Cut the sheet of pasta into 1 1/2 inch (4 centimeter) wide strips. Cut the pasta again on the perpendicular 1 1/2 inches (4 centimeters) apart to create little squares of dough.
- Remove any irregular pieces around the edges and set aside/cover (you can either cook these as is or reroll/cut).
- Cover most of the squares with a cloth or plastic liner to prevent them from drying out as you work.
- Place one square in your hand just under your index finger. Bring together two opposite corners up around your index finger and press the corners together to make a triangle with a hollow center.
- Remove the triangle from around your finger and pull the two remaining corners away from the sealed edge in the opposite direction and press together to make a shape similar to tortellini.
- Place the formed Sorpresine on the semolina-dusted baking sheet and repeat with remaining squares and remaining dough, keeping the shaped pasta from touching one another.
- Allow to dry uncovered on the baking sheet for at least 15 minutes and up an hour.
- To cook, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta in batches, careful not to overcrowd, and boil until they rise to the surface and are just tender, about 2-3 minutes if fresh. If serving in broth, you can add them straight to the broth during the last couple of minutes of cooking.
- Uncooked pasta can be frozen in a single layer, then transferred to a freezer-safe bag. They can be boiled straight from the freezer, though a minute or two may need to be added to the cooking time.