Liquid Parmigiano-Reggiano Tortelli with...Liquid Parmigiano-Reggiano Tortelli with Clarified Tomato Consommé

An avant-garde Italian masterpiece featuring delicate handmade egg pasta filled with a warm, liquid core of aged Parmigiano-Reggiano, suspended in a crystal-clear, intensely aromatic heirloom tomato consommé and finished with vibrant basil oil.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   Prepare the liquid Parmigiano filling: In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream with a pinch of nutmeg to a simmer. Stir in the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano until completely melted and smooth. Remove from heat, whisk in the bloomed gelatin sheet until completely dissolved. Pour into a shallow dish, cover with plastic wrap touching the surface, and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours until set into a firm gel.

2. 02

   Make the pasta dough: Mound the 00 flour on a clean work surface and make a well in the center. Add the egg yolks and the whole egg. Gently whisk the eggs with a fork, gradually incorporating the flour until a dough forms. Knead vigorously for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Wrap in plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

3. 03

   Prepare the tomato consommé base: Blend the chopped heirloom tomatoes, basil, and salt in a high-powered blender until completely pureed. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth to extract the clear tomato juice.

4. 04

   Clarify the consommé: Whisk the egg whites until slightly frothy, then mix them into the cold tomato juice in a clean pot. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat without stirring. As the egg white 'raft' forms on top, trapping impurities, let it simmer gently for 20 minutes. Carefully ladle the crystal-clear liquid from beneath the raft through a coffee filter. Keep warm.

5. 05

   Assemble the Tortelli: Roll out the pasta dough using a pasta machine to the thinnest setting (about 1mm). Cut the set Parmigiano gel into 1cm cubes. Place cubes of the gel 4cm apart on the pasta sheet. Fold the dough over, press out any air pockets around the filling to prevent bursting, and seal. Cut into round tortelli using a circular stamp. Dust with semolina.

6. 06

   Cook and Serve: Cook the tortelli in a large pot of gently simmering, salted water for 2 minutes. The heat will melt the gelatin, turning the filling back into a rich liquid. Gently lift them out. Divide the warm tomato consommé among 4 shallow bowls. Place 3 to 4 tortelli in each bowl. Garnish with drops of basil oil and micro-basil. Serve immediately.