Recipe: Chef Igor Macchia's fresh buffalo mozzarella homemade tortellini with vegetables, tomato sauce and basil

As promised, here is the first recipe from 1-Michelin star Chef Igor Macchia's cooking class in Mandarin Oriental KL. Chef Igor's restaurant is  La Credenza in Torino, Italy.

Fresh buffalo mozzarella homemade tortellini with vegetables, tomato sauce and basil

This was my first time making pasta, but with clear instructions from Chef Igor, I managed to make a decent looking tortellini which he used in his demo dish.

To make pasta at home, you need a pasta machine to roll out the dough.

Here's a recap of some useful tips that Chef Igor shared with us during the cooking class:
Tip #1 - when working with your dough, put the dough into the pasta machine gradually to form a thin sheet. This will give a nice texture to your pasta.

Tip #2 - always work in a cool environment or else the dough will dry easily.

Tip #3 - when cooking pasta, always use boiling water and salt.

Tip #4 - how do you know when fresh pasta is cooked? They will float to the top of the water. If you choose to freeze your pasta, you do not need to defrost them before cooking. Just place the frozen pasta into the boiling water and cook.

Tip #5 - To make your own sundried tomatoes, just place quartered tomatoes with olive oil in a preheated oven at 70C for approx. 3 hours.


Fresh buffalo mozzarella homemade tortellini with vegetables, tomato sauce and basil
Serves 4

Ingredients
For the fresh pasta dough
230g flour
100g egg yolk
5g water
4g salt
10g olive oil

For the filling
50g buffalo mozzarella
5g salt
3g pepper

For the sauce
200g tomato sauce
40g black kalamata olive

For the garnish
10g fresh basil

For the vegetables
40g green beans
40g cherry tomato
20g butter
Salt and pepper
Fresh parsley and basil

1. Mix the ingredients for the fresh pasta dough until you have a nice firm dough. Put through the pasta machine gradually to form a thin sheet. When required thickness is achieved, cut out a circle (approx 8cm diameter) using a cutter. Brush some egg white onto one side of the circle.

2. To prepare the filling, cut mozzarella into cubes. Blend it with fresh basil and season with salt and pepper. It should have a liquid consistency, place into piping bag.

3. Place a small amount of filling onto the pasta "circle" (in the centre). Fold the circle into half. Fold again from the circlular end to the straight end. Bring the tips together, and there you have it, a tortellini.

4. Blanch the vegetables in boiling salt water until cooked. Cool the vegetable quickly in ice water to stop the cooking process. Heat butter in a pan, add vegetables, season with salt and pepper and add fresh parsley and chopped basil leaves.Remove from heat.

5. In boiling salted water, cook the tortellini until al dente (you will know they are cooked when they float to the top). Finish with extra virgin olive oil and salt (if needed).

6. To plate, place tomato sauce on plate, then top with ravioli and vegetables. Garnish with fresh basil and micro greens.

Full set of photos from cooking class can be viewed here.