Romantic Italian dinner: Ricotta and spinach rotolo recipe

Italian cuisine cannot do without a variety of pastas. And it is precisely pasta dough that serves as the base for this recipe. Inside the pasta roses, there is a delicious and simple filling with ricotta and spinach. It's perfect for a romantic dinner for two when you want to impress your partner with an exceptional dish.

Rotolo is a close cousin of the much more popular lasagna. However, it's worth paying attention to because the presentation is beautiful. The pasta roses combine a passion for cooking with creativity. Everyone will be delighted if you serve them to your partner, family, or even your mother-in-law.

Each pasta roll is unique, filled with delicate ricotta and juicy spinach. The combination of flavours and aromas instantly transports you to culinary heaven or simply to an Italian trattoria.

Hand-formed pasta roses filled with delicate spinach and ricotta filling are a true feast for the eyes and palate. However, don't worry that the recipe is complicated. Even a novice who has only ordered Italian pasta for delivery or cooked it from a package can handle the preparation.

Ingredients:

Pasta:

    
• 3 cups of wheat flour
• 4 eggs
• 1/5 cup of water

Filling:

          
• 7 ounces of spinach
• 7 ounces of ricotta
• 1 onion
• 1 clove of garlic
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Vegetable oil

Directions:

Step 1. Heat the oil in a pan and sauté the finely chopped onion. Add spinach, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. When the spinach leaves lose their volume, add ricotta cheese and mix.

Step 2. Make a mound of flour on a countertop or pastry board. Create a well in the centre and crack the eggs into it. Start kneading the dough, gradually adding water. When the dough is smooth and uniform, divide it into three parts.

Step 3. Roll each piece into a long rectangle and cut out circles. Arrange them so that the edges overlap, place the filling, and seal them by folding them in half.

Step 4. Then roll the dough to form a rose shape. From the given proportions of dough, you will get about 6 roses. If you are concerned that the dough may be raw, you can pre-cook it. Carefully, dip the rotolo into boiling water using a ladle and cook for a few minutes. After cooking, transfer to a heatproof dish.

Step 5. Place the roses in a heatproof dish and sprinkle with cheese. Put them in an oven preheated to 350°F for 30 minutes. You can also bake them with tomato sauce. Enjoy!