Tortelli di Patate Recipe: Tuscan Potato Tortelli | Mama Florence Cooking School

What Are Tortelli di Patate?

Tortelli di Patate - also called Tortelli Mugellani - are a traditional Tuscan filled pasta from Mugello. Fresh egg pasta is wrapped around a seasoned potato filling, then served with sauces ranging from meat ragù to the simple butter and sage dressing we are making here.

How to Make Tortelli Pasta Dough

Pasta Dough Ingredients:

• 400 g flour (200 g all-purpose flour and 200 g semola flour) • 4 eggs

Mama's Secret: Keep the flour close. This dough should finish smooth and homogeneous, but the recipe gives you room to respond to what is in front of you: add more flour if it feels too soft or sticky, or a few drops of warm water if it feels too stiff.

1. Make the Pasta Dough

Put flour into a bowl or out onto a flat surface.
Make a hole in the center of the mound, and break one egg at a time into the center.
Beat eggs using a fork, slowly draw flour into the center of the mound, where the beaten egg is.
Keep adding flour to the egg until possible, then knead with your hands until it's smooth and homogeneous.
If the dough is too soft or sticky, add more flour. Alternatively, if the dough is too stiff, add a few drops of warm water.
Form into a ball and sprinkle with flour. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Spread the dough out onto your surface, which should be lightly floured to avoid sticking.

2. Roll the Pasta

Using a rolling pin, begin rolling pasta out from the center, until you reach the ideal thickness of 1 mm.
You can also use a pasta machine, remembering to flour the dough if it is too sticky.

Shop Mama Florence's Pantry

Marcato Atlas 150 Classic Pasta Machin: the recipe works beautifully with a rolling pin, but if you prefer a pasta machine, Mama Florence's Marcato Atlas 150 helps roll fresh egg pasta into the thin, even sheet you need for filled Tortelli. The recipe calls for a final thickness of 1 mm, so keep working gradually and flour the dough if it begins to stick.

How to Make the Potato Filling

Potato Filling Ingredients:

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

3. 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

Take as many disks as possible from your pasta sheet.
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.
Pinch your 'taco' edges together by gently pressing down around the filling, eliminating as much air as possible.
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.
Place your tortello onto a tray, sprinkled with flour.

How to Make Butter and Sage Sauce

Butter and Sage Sauce Ingredients:

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

4. 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.