Is there anything better than a fresh batch of homemade tortellini? Get ready to up your culinary game with this badass Sausage and Kale Tortellini made from scratch. Forget the store-bought stuff – this is the real deal. I’m talking handmade tortellini packed with a killer filling of Italian sausage and fresh kale. You’ll learn to whip up the dough, stuff it like a pro, and bring these flavor bombs to life. Top it off with a sauce that packs a punch, and you’ve got a dish that’s perfect for showing off your kitchen skills. Whether it’s a cozy night in or an epic dinner party, this homemade tortellini is gonna blow your taste buds away.
Why you’ll love this recipe
Alright, I’ll admit this recipe does take a little extra love and attention, but it’s totally worth it for so many reasons:
- It only has 487 calories per serving and fits into my weight-loss and weight maintenance meals plans.
- You can freeze the extras for easy weeknight meals on the go.
- It only takes a few simple ingredients.
- It so satisfying when you know you did it yourself
- Making things from scratch ensures that you have the best quality, healthy ingredients.
- It’s delicious and so filling!!
- This recipe will make you look like a bad-ass in the kitchen.
Ingredients you’ll need
- Freshly made egg dough (affiliate)
- Mild Italian sausage (option for spicy sausage)
- Olive oil
- Kale
- Garlic
- Yellow onion
- Egg
- Parmigiano-Reggiano or good quality Parmesan cheese
- Freshly ground pepper
- Semolina flour
Tools you’ll need
- Pasta sheeter (affiliate)/roller
- Food processor (affiliate) (optional)
- Pasta cutter/wheel
- Piping bag (affiliate) (optional, but definitely makes life easier)
- Ruler
- Spray bottle or brush
- Large pot
- Slotted spoon
- Large sauté pan
Instructions
Make the dough. Start by making a fresh batch of egg dough, then continue on to make the filling while the egg dough (affiliate) is resting.
Make the filling. While the dough is resting you can make the filling for the tortellini. On a frying pan heat 1 tbsp of olive oil and cook the onions for about 5 minutes, or until translucent. Add the garlic and kale and cook until the kale is slightly wilted. In a food processor (affiliate) mix together the sausage, removed from its casing, egg, sautéed vegetables and grated Parmesan cheese. You can also just use your hands to mix everything together if you do not have a food processor and it works just as well. It should look like a well-blended paste. Place the mixture in the fridge until you are ready to use it again.
Roll the pasta. Before you start, make sure you have a large clean surface to lay the pasta layers on. Dust the surface with flour. When the dough is finished resting, cut it into 6 equal-sized wedges. Take one of the wedges and smash it as flat and rectangular as you can with your hands. Then start to roll it though the largest setting in your pasta roller. Turn down the dial one number at a time and pass the dough through until it is at the desired thickness. I like really delicate tortellini so I go all the way down to the 2nd lowest setting on my machine. Place the sheet of dough on a dusted surface and dust the top side with some more semolina flour. Cover the dough with a tea towel so it does not dry out while you repeat this process for each wedge of dough. Make sure you are not layering the dough on top of each other, otherwise it will stick together.
TIP: The dough can dry out quite quickly through this process, so you can choose to pass half the dough through the sheeter and follow all the remaining steps and then repeat with the remainder of the dough. This will help keep the dough tacky enough to stick together when you get to the shaping step.
Create pasta squares. If you like things to look perfect you will want to get your ruler out for this step. I just love the way tortellini look all lined up and identical, which some people think is crazy. But it truly is important to get them all roughly the same size so that they cook evenly. Using your ruler and pasta wheel (affiliate), cut out 2 x 2 inch squares of dough. It seems a little small, but trust me it will be the perfect sized tortellini.
Fill the tortellini. Take the filling out of the fridge and place it in the piping bag (affiliate). Pipe a small amount of filling, about an inch wide into the center of each square.
Shape the tortellini. Take one corner of the pasta and fold it over to meet the opposite corner creating a triangle.
Then take the other two points and bring them together. It should form something that resembles a pointy hat. Repeat that until all your squares are finished.
TIP: If your dough is a little dry and not sticking together use a spray bottle with water to lightly spritz the dough before you shape the tortellini. This should help the tortellini hold together. If you don’t have a spray bottle you can dip your fingers in a bowl of water and run them along the edges of the square or you could use a brush to do the same thing, however these methods will take a little longer than the spray bottle.
Cook the tortellini. Bring a large pot of salted water to a soft boil. Tortellini are very delicate so a soft boil will keep them from falling apart in the water. Add the tortellini and cook until they float to the top, about 3-4 minutes. If you taste the tortellini it should be cooked “al dente”, which means tender, but firm and chewy (not mushy). While the tortellini are boiling, heat a large sauté pan with your sauce of choice. Add the tortellini to the pan when it is ready, along with about ½ cup of the pasta water. Allow the sauce and pasta to cook for another 2-3 minutes. Serve immediately and enjoy!
TIP: One of the most important steps in cooking pasta is the final step of marrying the sauce and pasta together. Most Italians chefs will recommend you cook pasta “al dente”, which means “to the tooth” and then finishing the dish in a saute pan by combining the sauce and some of the starchy pasta cooking water along with the pasta. This allows the pasta to absorb the flavours of the sauce and for the sauce to evenly coat the pasta.
Storage
Fresh tortellini can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. You might also have some leftover from this batch of tortellini that you will want to freeze. To do this, spread the tortellini on a baking sheet so that they are not touching. place the baking sheet in the freezer for about 1-2 hours, or until the tortellini is completely frozen. Transfer the tortellini into a freezer bag or airtight container and place back in the freezer. You can keep these in the freezer for up to 3 months.
What sauce should I pair with sausage and kale tortellini?
- Simple tomato sauce. This is my favourite sauce pairing because it’s just so comforting and classic.
- Cream sauce. This sauce sounds like a dreamy combination to me and is a classic pairing for tortellini.
- Brown butter and sage sauce. If you are looking for truly easy sauce this is the one. It’s so simple it will really highlight the flavours of the tortellini.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with sausage and kale tortellini:
Sausage and Kale Tortellini from Scratch
Equipment
- Pasta sheeter (affiliate)/roller
- Food processor (optional)
- Pasta cutter/wheel
- Piping bag (optional, but definitely makes life easier)
- Ruler
- Spray bottle or Brush
- Large pot
- Slotted spoon
- Large saute pan
Ingredients
- 1 lb (450 g) fresh homemade egg dough
- 14 oz (400 g) mild Italian sausage or spicy Italian sausage about 4 sausages
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 cups (50 g) kale finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
- ½ (75 g) yellow onion finely chopped
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup (25 g) Parmigiano-Reggiano or good quality Parmesan cheese
- ½ tsp Freshly ground pepper
- Semolina flour for dusting
Instructions
- Make the dough. Start by making a fresh batch of egg dough.
- Make the filling. While the dough is resting you can make the filling for the tortellini. On a frying pan heat 1 tbsp of olive oil and cook the onions for about 5 minutes, or until translucent. Add the garlic and kale and cook until the kale is slightly wilted. In a food processor mix together the sausage, removed from its casing, egg, sauteed vegetables and grated Parmesan cheese. You can also just use your hands to mix everything together if you do not have a food processor and it works just as well. It should look like a well-blended paste. Place the mixture in the fridge until you are ready to use it again.
- Roll the pasta. Before you start, make sure you have a large clean surface to lay the pasta layers on. Dust the surface with flour. When the dough is finished resting, cut it into 6 equal-sized wedges. Take one of the wedges and smash it as flat and rectangular as you can with your hands. Then start to roll it though the largest setting in your pasta roller. Turn down the dial one number at a time and pass the dough through until it is at the desired thickness. I like really delicate tortellini so I go all the way down to the 2nd lowest setting on my machine. Place the sheet of dough on a dusted surface and dust the top side with some more semolina flour. Cover the dough with a tea towel so it does not dry out while you repeat this process for each wedge of dough. Make sure you are not layering the dough on top of each other, otherwise it will stick together.
- Create pasta squares. Using your ruler and pasta wheel (affiliate), cut out 2 x 2 inch squares of dough. Continue to cover the dough with a towel as you are cutting.
- Fill the tortellini. Take the filling out of the fridge and place it in the piping bag. Pipe a small amount of filling, about an inch wide into the center of each square. You can use a teaspoon if you do not have a piping bag, you will get the same result, although it may take longer.
- Shape the tortellini. Take one corner of the pasta and fold it over to meet the opposite corner creating a triangle. Then take the other two points and bring them together. It should form something that resembles a pointy hat. Repeat that until all your squares are finished.
- Cook the tortellini. Bring a large pot of salted water to a soft boil. Tortellini are very delicate so a soft boil will keep them from falling apart in the water. Add the tortellini and cook until they float to the top, about 3-4 minutes. If you taste the tortellini it should be cooked “al dente”, which means tender, but firm and chewy (not mushy). While the tortellini are boiling, heat a large sauté pan with your sauce of choice. Add the tortellini to the pan when it is ready, along with about ½ cup of the pasta water. Allow the sauce and pasta to cook for another 2-3 minutes. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
- One serving of tortellini is about 1 cup of tortellini.
- This recipe will make about 100 tortellini when you use 2 inch squares. Feel free to make your squares bigger or smaller if you desire a different size. Larger squares, of course, would mean less work when it comes to shaping.
- Disclaimer: The Calories are an estimate and may not be 100% accurate, depending on the ingredients you use and portion sizes.
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