Tortelli di Patate Recipe: Tuscan Potato Tortelli with Butter and Sage Sauce | Mama Florence Cooking School

What Are Tortelli di Patate?

Tortelli di Patate are the kind of pasta that make you understand Tuscany one bite at a time: fresh egg pasta wrapped around a soft, savory potato filling, then finished with butter, sage, pasta water, and Parmigiano.

This traditional Tuscan pasta comes from Mugello, the green, mountainous territory north of Florence where potato-filled pasta became one of the region's most recognizable dishes. The filling is wonderfully humble - potatoes, Parmigiano, butter, parsley, garlic, tomato paste, nutmeg, salt, and pepper - but tucked inside fresh pasta, it becomes pure comfort food.

And then there is the butter and sage sauce. Burro e salvia is exactly the kind of Italian pasta sauce we love: a few good ingredients, no unnecessary fuss, and just enough richness to cling to the Tortelli without hiding what is inside. If you want the deeper Mugello story behind Tortelli di Patate, their potato filling, and the traditions that carried them toward Florence, read our Tortelli di Patate article. 

Roll the pasta thin, don't overstuff your Tortelli, pinch out as much air as you can, and be ready to drizzle that butter and sage sauce. This Tortelli di Patate recipe is absolutely a Mama favorite - and once that first parcel hits the plate, you will understand why.

How to Make the Potato Filling

Potato Filling Ingredients:

• 400 gr smashed potatoes • 20 gr Parmesan cheese • 40 gr butter • 1 tuft chopped parsley • 1 clove crushed garlic • 1 teaspoon tomato paste • Salt, to taste • Pepper, to taste • Nutmeg, to taste

1. Make the Filling

• Put the smashed skinless potatoes in a bowl, add Parmesan, parsley, garlic, tomato paste, butter, nutmeg, pepper, and salt.
• Mix well until the blend is firm and well-amalgamated.

How to Shape Tortelli di Patate

1. Take as many disks as possible from your pasta sheet.
2. Fill each disk with your filling and be careful not to overstuff them. Pass a wet finger onto the disc edge and fold it into a taco shape.
3. Pinch your 'taco' edges together by gently pressing down around the filling, eliminating as much air as possible.
4. Flip your 'taco' so you have a smile shape, holding up the corners with your fingers. Join and pinch corners to make them stick together.
5. Place your tortello onto a tray, sprinkled with flour.

How to Make Butter and Sage Sauce

Butter and Sage Sauce Ingredients:

• 80 gr of butter • 12 sage leaves • grated Parmigiano • Salt, to taste • Pepper, to taste

1. Complete the Dish

• Cook the Tortelli in salted water for 2-3 minutes.
• Drain the Tortelli and toss them in the pan with the chosen sauce for a minute, adding a tablespoon of grated Parmesan cheese and a tablespoon of cooking water.
• Serve piping hot.

The Perfect Bite

The pasta should be thin and tender around a filling that is soft, savory, and unmistakably potato. Then comes the butter: glossy and rich, carrying the perfume of fresh sage into every fold. Parmigiano brings the salty finish, while the garlic, parsley, tomato paste, and nutmeg stay tucked quietly inside. It is warm, comforting, and exactly the kind of plate that disappears faster than anyone intended.

More Tuscan Pasta to Make

If making Tortelli has you ready to keep rolling, explore Mama Florence's guide to 5 Tuscan Pasta Dishes You Must Try, or practice the same fresh egg pasta foundation with our Fresh Egg Tagliatelle recipe.

Learn How to Make Filled Pasta with Mama Florence

Want to make fresh pasta with one of our chefs in Florence? Join our Pasta Making Cooking Class to roll fresh egg pasta, work with fillings and sauces, and learn the techniques behind traditional Italian filled pasta. You can also exploreTortelli di Patate in the wider world of Tuscan cooking through our Traditional Tuscan Cooking Class.

 

Tortelli di Patate FAQ

Q: What are Tortelli di Patate? A: Tortelli di Patate are a traditional Tuscan filled pasta associated with Mugello - a potato filling seasoned with Parmigiano, butter, parsley, garlic, tomato paste, nutmeg, salt, and pepper inside fresh egg pasta.

Q: What is Tortelli pasta dough made of? A: This Tortelli di Patate recipe uses 400 g flour - 200 g all-purpose flour and 200 g semola flour - with 4 eggs.

Q: How thin should I roll Tortelli pasta? A: Roll the pasta sheet to an ideal thickness of 1 mm. You can use a rolling pin or a pasta machine, flouring the dough if it becomes too sticky.

Q: How long should Tortelli di Patate cook? A: Cook the Tortelli in salted water for 2-3 minutes before finishing them with the sauce.

Q: Where can I learn more about Tortelli di Patate? A: Read Mama Florence's Tortelli di Patate article for the Mugello history behind this traditional Tuscan pasta, or explore our guide to the history of pasta in Florence and Tuscany.

 

Disclaimer

Please note that our chefs may adapt recipes according to seasonal ingredient availability and participants’ dietary or allergy requirements. As a result, the ingredients, preparation, or presentation shown in this recipe may vary from what you prepared during your Mama Florence class. In some cases, elements of a dish may also appear as separate recipes — for example, the fresh pasta you prepared may be paired here with a different sauce, while the sauce from your class may appear in another recipe. Please reach out to our team if any confusion arises. Thank you — the Mama Florence Family.

Reviews

4.9 10 reviews

1. Second time lucky. The first attempt tore because I rushed the resting; the note about covering it properly is not optional, it turns out.

   Julia K.

   Hamburg, Germany · March 2026

2. We are four adults with four different diets in this house and finding one dish is usually a negotiation. This was the compromise everybody was actually happy with rather than merely tolerating. It is going on the regular list.

   Stefan B.

   Munich, Germany · March 2026

3. I was sceptical about how few ingredients there are and nearly went looking for a more complicated version. Turns out that is the point. Everything depends on the quality of what goes in and on not rushing it.

   Amelia J.

   Adelaide, Australia · June 2025

4. Cheap ingredients, so a failure would not have hurt. That is what made me brave enough to try.

   Nina H.

   Zurich, Switzerland · June 2025

Show all 10 reviews