Rotolo Al Forno

Rotolo Bake

Whilst I enjoy a traditional ‘rotolo’, I have simplified it in this recipe titled “Rotolo Bake” using fresh pasta sheets filled with a mixture of silverbeet & ricotta, (essentially, a silverbeet & ricotta cannelloni), cut in half, sat upright in a large saucepan, filled with a thick bath of sugo. Then it’s a sprinkle of mozzarella over the top and bake. It’s was a hit with the whole famiglia!!! (scroll to bottom for full recipe)

Rotolo literally translates to ‘scroll’ or ‘coil’. Traditionally, the Italian Tuscan dish called ‘Rotolo’ involves a very large fresh sheet of pasta (usually rolled out with a mattarello – a long rolling pin) that is spread with a filling (usually of leafy greens such as spinach, silverbeet, stinging nettles, borage, mixed with ricotta, parmesan and porcini) & then rolled up to form a long log. You then wrap the log in a tea towel and poach it in hot water till cooked. It’s typically served sliced with a sugo (tomato) sauce.

The sensational ‘Rotolo’ dish was the catalyst that saw chef Jamie Oliver rise to celebrity chef stardom! He states in an interview titled, “Jamie Oliver: the recipe that changed my life” by The Guardian (Friday, 22 June 2018)….”It’s the only reason I got discovered & ended up on TV. It’s how I got to where I am today.” The chef talks about the woman who inspired him – cook, restaurateur, and cookbook author, Rose Gray of the River Cafe – and the dish that she shared with Jamie, and that gave him his big break – The Rotolo!

The traditional Rotolo is definitely one of the more unusual pasta dishes you’ll see from Italy, and not widely known here. It is true – it is time consuming to prepare, however, transformed into this bake, I am certain that it’s tantalising visual appeal & simpler method will see this meal become a part of people’s weekly meals repertoire.

I love to make fresh pasta dough from scratch & roll sheets out using my pasta machine, but shop-bought fresh pasta sheets will work just as well! If you use purchased pasta sheets, just blanch them in a pot of boiling water for 20 seconds and cool a little before using.

The filling I make, wrapped in the blanket of pasta, (similar to that of making cannelloni), includes finely sliced silverbeet (I have an abundance growing in my kitchen garden), parsley (also in excess), ricotta, grated pecorino cheese, an egg, nutmeg and seasoning of sea salt & black pepper. As is always the case, you can substitute these ingredients to suit what you have available! Just ensure the filling is not too moist – otherwise the result is very soggy pasta, which in turn, will make it near impossible to roll and place upright in your saucepan or casserole dish.

The best part I love about this dish – when you retrieve if from the oven and you see toasty brown pasta edges, cooked from the hot oven!  Additionally, the layer of melted stringy mozzarella! Heaven.

 

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