This dish might not be one of Italy’s oldest, but sure is one of Italy’s favorites. It was born in 1968 in a restaurant in Bologna: Cantunzein.
Originally the crunchy dough was made of the same egg noodle dough and filled with Tagliatelle, then topped with Tortellini which are said to be exactly the same size and shape of Venus’s belly button. Eventually, like all recipes, it evolved. Now it is more popular with a Tortellini filling that Tagliatelle (Fettuccine). Back then, Evio Battellani, the owner of the restaurant used to shave Truffle on top of his creations, however, now, this dish has evolved in a myriad more of interpretations.
Mine is simple: Store bought Tortellini in Vodka sauce. Olive oil dough.
Definitely takes the fuss out of an Iconic dish, while remaining a show stopper. I also tried to keep it true with its original single serve portions. If you have ceramic dishes go ahead. I used a mold to help form it, then cooked in a baking sheet.
Enjoy!!!
SCRIGNO DI VENERE: MAKES 4 SERVINGS
Level: EASY
Time 1 hour plus baking time
FOR THE FILLING: sauce adapted from Rachael Ray.
300 g Dry Tortellini (i used Barilla, shelf stable kind, because ….it’s hurricane season in Hawaii)
2 T butter
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 onion diced
100g ~4oz of Pancetta , diced
500 g tomato sauce (any kind, I used Pomi)
125 ml ~1/2 C of Vodka
125 ml!~1/2 C of Beef broth
125ml ~1/2 C heavy cream
100g ~2/3 C Grated dry cheeses (any)
Directions:
Place a large pot of salted water on the stove, bring it to boil and cook the Tortellini about 2/3 of the time indicated. They will be al dente and they will also keep cooking in the oven.
To make the sauce, sautee’ the onion and the garlic in butter. When fragrant, and the garlic starts to brown, add the pancetta. Cook until the pancetta is a bit crisp. Don’t burn the garlic!
Add the Vodka and let it reduce to half. Keep cooking. Add the broth and repeat.
Add the tomato sauce and taste for salt and pepper. I added some chili paste but I like a little kick…
When the tomato sauce has evaporated, about 5 minutes, add the cream and the cheese.
Toss the tortellini in the sauce. There needs to be PLENTY of sauce, or the finished result will be too dry.
NOTE: if the tortellini is cooked before the sauce is ready, don’t panic. Just coat them with a bit of olive oil and set them aside.
NOW THE CRUST: I am enclosing 2 recipes. The first one is more flakey, the second one is vegan, in case you need it. Both equally delicious.
For the flakey crust you will need:
250 g of flour (high gluten)
60 g Butter~ unsalted
50 g Lard
1 t salt
100 g water
DIRECTIONS
Place the flour in a large bowl. In a small saucepan, over low heat melt the lard, the butter and the salt.
The fats should be melted by the time the water boils. When it does, pour it over the flour and start mixing.At this stage the dough will be really warm, uneven looking, and quite..gooey. Before you even attempt to work with this beauty, you have to let it come at room temperature. So, shape it in a ball, flatten it, cover it and let it rest. After the hour has passed, lightly dust a board with flour. Divide the dough in half and reserve one half for the pie “lid”. Now the dough is ready to be rolled out to be filled with your favorite recipe. Here is what I did. Flour a wooden board, lightly. Roll out the dough into a circle of about 6 inches larger than the base of the pie pan/container you need. The extra dough will go to cover the sides of the pan. Fold the dough upon itself to reduce its diameter so that it can be lifted to be placed in the pan. Since the dough is so rich in fat, no need to grease the pan !With your fingers make sure the dough adheres to the surface gently. Fill the crust with what you want. Shape it like you want. You can brush the top with cream or egg wash. Bake at 375 static for about 1 hour or until golden brown. Internal temperature 165F minimum.
Ingredients for the vegan dough:
250 g of AP flour
4 T olive oil
100 ml of water (or as needed)
a pinch of salt
Directions:
In a large bowl mix the flour and salt. Make a small well in the center and add the olive oil (do not use a cheap oil….you will taste it!!!).
Now, while mixing with a fork, add the water a little bit at a time…knead the dough on a flat surface until all the flour is incorporated. If it is too sticky add a bit of flour, but keep kneading it for 5 minutes until smooth. Let it rest under the bowl until the pasta is cooled down to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
ASSEMBLING the SCRIGNI:
Divide the Olive Oil dough into 4 . While keeping the other covered. roll out a circle with one piece. Don’t worry, it’s VERY elastic and won’t break!!
Make it really thin, or the folds will remain raw when baked. (not good)
Then, using a ceramic or metal mold, arrange the circle of dough inside it. Fill it with the Pasta and sauce. Cover it with the dough and brush it with an egg yolk if you like.
With the same dough, I wrapped a Tortellino and made it look like a bigger and fancier Tortellino….You can color the Olive oil dough any way you like it.
Bake at 350F convection for about 30 minutes for small pies or 60 minutes for a large one, making sure that the “treasure chests) don’t ooze the sauce.
Serve lightly warm, not hot “in Purezza” which means just a bit of olive oil , parsley or basil and a dusting of Parmigiano cheese.
If you have leftover pasta that did not fit into the parcel , just eat it. It has no calories since it’s the “quality control” kind.
Let me know how you like it!!
Enjoy!
