Chestnuts Tortelli, typical tuscan recipe of Mugello and Lunigiana

Last saturday Giorgio and I  prepared a recipe typical of Mugello and, in general, of mountain tuscan areas: Chestnuts Tortelli

The recipe for tortelli with chestnut filling is typical of the Mugello and Lunigiana valleys in Tuscany, two mountain areas where chestnuts have been for centuries the staple of the local peasants’ diet. In fact, for centuries, when Italy and Tuscany were really very poor, chestnuts were an indispensable means of survival for people living in the mountains and the tuscan hills.They were very rich in nutrients and energy and you could find them in the woods, so you could have them for free.

We founded this typical recipe from Mugello (Tuscany area, north from Florence):

Ingredients:
• 1 kg of chestnuts
· 800 grams of flour type 00
• 4 eggs
• 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
· Grated Parmesan cheese
· Butter
· Salt and nutmeg

Preparation:
The dough - Boil the chestnuts in plenty of water with a pinch of salt (around 40 minutes), then peel and pass them through a sieve. Then add the oil, nutmeg, salt and Parmesan cheese, mix well until you get a smooth mixture.
The pasta - Mix well the flour, the eggs, a pinch of salt and a little bit of water; then roll out the pastry and cut into wide strips. At the center of each strip put the dough in small heaps at a distance of 3-4 cm from each other; close the strips in lungitudinale sense: you will get something similar to long snakes; press with your fingers on the edges of the dough, making sure that there is no air between each tortello; then cut with cut-paste each tortello and seal with the aid of a fork. Cook for a few minutes in salted water (first of all, let the water boil, then put the tortelli in hot water and wait a few minutes). Season with butter and Parmesan.
Preparation time: about 3 hours

Direct link to website www.terredimugello.it (there is also the English site version, but unfortunately the recipes are not yet explained in English)