Ricotta Tortellini with Heirloom Tomato Sauce
Plus: Peach Pie 2.0, More Tomato Sandwiches, and Andrea Nguyen Talks The Cookbook Biz.
Hey everyone,
This Saturday I found myself prepping for a dinner party with only a carton of ricotta in the refrigerator and some heirloom tomatoes on the table. My instinct would normally be to break out a box of dried pasta, cook that and make some kind of sauce with the tomatoes, topping everything with the ricotta. But this time I entered Italian Grandma Mode, and got to work making tortellini from scratch.
Sure, it may look intimidating, but it’s actually super easy to do. Don’t believe me? Watch this video:
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The key steps: making the pasta dough (which I did this time using the well method, though the food processor makes it even easier); making the sauce (while the pasta dough rests); rolling out the dough, making the filling, cutting three-inch circles, filling them, folding them, tossing them with semolina flour so they don’t stick….
Okay, it’s not NOT a lot of work. But it’s relaxing, rewarding work and my dinner guests were so floored, they didn’t want to leave! Especially when I served this peach pie for dessert:
You may recall that in my previous newsletter “Imperfect Peach Pie,” I really struggled to make a peach pie by pinching things together with my fingers. This time, I made things so much easier on myself; the night before I made this, I whipped out my food processor, dumped in the flour, salt, and sugar, added cold cubes of butter, pulsed, and added enough cold water so that it was like “wet clay” when it finally came together (that was Kate McDermott’s follow-up advice!). And this one rolled out like a dream and tasted even better.
Forgive the cheesy sentiment, but if at first you don’t succeed: pie, pie again.
I know I’m already repeating myself with the peach pie, but here’s another repeat: my tomato sandwich with basil mayonnaise (see here), this time for Craig who demanded I make him one to see what all the hype was about.
I’ve gotta say, my technique is pretty genius! A reminder: you grind garlic and basil leaves in a mortar and pestle as if you’re making pesto, but instead of drizzling in oil, you stir in store-bought mayo. And the pounding of the basil releases so much more basil aroma and flavor… it’s a dream of a sandwich. Make it now while tomatoes are perfect.
Hey: check out my new apron, purchased in Wellfleet, Massachusetts at a souvenir shop.
It’s my new favorite apron (some day I’ll rank all my aprons).
Another purchase that tickled my fancy recently? This find at the used bookstore in my neighborhood:
I’ve already read it cover-to-cover, though not sure I’ll be making anything from it. (The recipes are real! Though homemade blood sausage doesn’t really appeal to me, for some reason.)
On the podcast this week, prolific cookbook author Andrea Nguyen drops by to talk about the cookbook biz. But first, she shares her biggest pho pet peeve:
You can listen to the whole episode here or wherever else you listen to podcasts:
Now for some links to tickle your fancy:
Any fans of The Rehearsal on HBO Max will enjoy this review of the pizza at The Alligator in NY (Eater NY);
Bill Addison reviews n/soto, the hot new restaurant from the chefs of n/naka (LA Times);
Summer cocktails to keep you cool (I’m into the watermelon one) (NYT).
That’s all for today folks!
If you missed Thursday’s paid subscribers only newsletter, here’s what you didn’t see: Jessie Sheehan’s blueberry galette with the world’s easiest crust, Jasper White’s corn chowder (my all-time favorite summer soup), and my tomato peach panzanella.
Don’t miss this Thursday’s! Sign up here:
Until next time….
Your friend,
Adam
whenever i make dumplings, i bring a big sheet pan and my bowl of filling out to the coffee table along with my wrappers and fill and fold while sitting on the couch watching something trashy on tv. the time goes by much quicker that way and it doesn't seem like as much work. that part takes the longest but it's satisfying and meditative in a way. that's all to say that the tortellini look amazing and i bet they tasted great too, and your friends appreciated all the time you spent.
also, glad your second go at the peach pie was a glorious success! i always make my pie dough in the food processor and it never fails me. so easy.