Sfoja Lorda Recipe | How to Make Italian Stuffed Pasta in Broth

This unusual stuffed pasta was devised as a way to use up small quantities of leftover stuffing for more famous dumplings, such as ravioli or tortellini. It’s traditionally served in Emilia-Romagna in broth, just like tortellini, but we think you may find that you like it more than its famous cousin!

This is a great recipe for stuffed pasta beginners as it’s a lot less fiddly than other variants. You simply roll out pasta dough, fold in a thin layer of stuffing, and cut with a ravioli cutter.

Watch the Pasta Grammar Video

Sfoja Lorda Recipe

Makes: 3 to 4 servings

Cook Time: 1 ½ hours

For this recipe, you will need:

• 1 ⅔ cups (200 grams) all-purpose or 00 flour, plus extra for dusting
• 3 large eggs, divided
• ⅔ cup (150 grams) ricotta
• ½ cup (40 grams) grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, or as needed
• Salt
• Fresh black pepper
• Grated nutmeg
• Vegetable or beef broth (enough to fill a pasta pot, at least 4 quarts or 3.75 liters)

On a large work surface, pour the flour into a pile and use your fingers to hollow out the center so that it resembles a volcano. Crack 2 eggs into the hollow. Using a fork, begin whisking the eggs and gradually incorporate the surrounding flour. When the mixture has thickened into a paste, you can begin folding in more of the flour and kneading by hand.

As you knead the dough, gradually continue to incorporate the remaining flour. You don’t need to add it all, though: eggs aren’t all the same size so you might need less. Simply leave some flour aside if you achieve the right dough texture before it’s all kneaded in. The pasta dough should be fairly firm and springy, but soft enough to knead smooth. It definitely shouldn’t be sticky. If it does become sticky, simply dust it with more flour as needed.

Knead the pasta dough until it is smooth and even. Wrap it in plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. In the meantime, you can prepare the stuffing.

Crack the remaining egg into a bowl and whisk it with a fork. In a large bowl, thoroughly mix the ricotta, about ⅓ of the whisked egg (the rest can be used elsewhere), and the grated cheese with a pinch of salt, pepper, and ground nutmeg. The filling should be soft and spreadable but not too wet. If it seems wet, add more grated cheese as necessary to soak up some moisture (you can never have too much Parmigiano Reggiano). Keep refrigerated for later.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the pasta dough into a large circular sheet. Take care to try and keep the thickness consistent. The dough should be rolled quite thin, until you can just barely see your fingers through it—the sheet should be about 18 inches (46 centimeters) in diameter.

Spread the stuffing mixture in a thin layer over half of the circle with a spatula. Fold the other half of the dough on top to close the stuffing in and gently press it down. Using a ravioli cutter, slice the stuffed dough into 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) parallel strips. Now make parallel cuts in the opposite direction (about 1 ½ inches or 3.8 centimeters apart) so that you end up with small rectangles of stuffed pasta. Don’t worry if a little ricotta peeks out of the sides of the cut pieces.

Bring the broth to a boil in a pot. Carefully add the pasta into the broth and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Serve into bowls with plenty of broth.

Buon appetito!