Tracey and Ashley Hughes from Alio

This particular recipe that Ashley has chosen to share with us was actually taught to him by Rose Gray of the River Café. Ashley added his own personal touch of chestnuts to the finish of the dish, and makes this a magnificent vegetarian course. 

The Rotolo originated from the region of Emilia-Romagna, and it is simply a sheet of pasta covered with filling, rolled up to form a roulade, then poached and served in slices alongside some sauce. 

The recipe starts by making the pasta dough and allowing it to rest, then making the rotolo filling and allowing it to cool, followed by rolling the pasta dough. 

1000g flour tipo oo
6 egg yolks 
3 whole eggs 
30g salt 
1tsp oil 

Sieve the flour directly onto the bench. Make a well in the centre, place the eggs, salt and oil into the well. Slowly combine all the ingredients together to make dough. If the dough is to dry add another egg yolk. Once the dough has formed, kneed the pasta on a lightly floured bench for five minutes. 

Cover the dough in cling film and rest for 20minutes. 

Time to make the rotolo filling: 

Spinach filling 
25g butter 
2 garlic cloves peeled and finely chopped 
500g baby spinach leaves washed and dried 
375g ricotta 
1/2 bch marjoram picked from the stem 
1/2 whole nutmeg grated 
75g parmesan grated 
Salt and black pepper to taste 

Mushroom mix 
250g sliced field mushrooms 
25g dried porcini 
20g butter 
1 garlic clove 
Salt and pepper 

Rotolo Filling – Spinach 

Using a frypan on gentle heat melt the butter and fry the garlic until it becomes translucent, ensuring you do not brown the garlic. Add the spinach, cooking until it wilts, as we want the spinach looking vibrant green in colour. 

Remove from heat then stir in marjoram leaves. Empty the mix in a strainer to allow all the moisture to drain. Squeeze excess water out. Set aside to cool. 

Place ricotta in a large bowl and use a fork to break it up, until it becomes crumbly. Add the spinach, parmesan and grated nutmeg. Season generously with salt and pepper, gently mix till combined, then set aside. 

Rotolo Filling – Mushroom Mix 

Soak the porcini in boiling water for 20 minutes then drain reserving the soaking liquid. When drained wash under running water to remove any grit. 

On gentle heat melt butter in a pan and fry garlic as before (again ensure it is cooked only until it becomes translucent). Fry the field mushrooms for five minutes allowing them to colour. Add the porcini and the soaking liquid (take care not to use the end of the liquid as it may have grit from the mushrooms). Cook for a further 20 minutes on a low heat allowing the moisture to cook out. 

Roll the pasta dough through a pasta machine so that you have 2 thin sheets of pasta. Keep dusting with flour so they don’t stick together. The desired thickness should resemble a cotton sheet. 

Lay the sheets on a clean cloth or tea towel so they cover an area 45cm by 30cm. To join the sheets together brush edges with water. 

Spoon the spinach mix on the pasta approximately 1cm thick and spread to cover the entire sheet, leaving a 1cm boarder from the edge. Spread the mushroom mix in a line along one entire side of the sheet (this will become the centre of the roll). 

Brush the edges of the pasta with water (once rolled this will hold it together). 

Starting with the mushroom edge, roll the sheet over and over itself working away from you. Once you pull the towel upwards, the rest should roll automatically. 

When it is rolled into a thick sausage roll it in the tea towel as tight as possible, tie both ends with string (this holds the roll in shape). 

To cook, place the roll into boiling water for 20 minutes (a fish kettle or deep sided covered baking tray will work well). When it is cooked remove the roll by holding either end with tongs. 

250g butter
1 bunch of sage picked
100g cooked chestnuts 

Heat the butter in a pan add the sage and the chestnuts Cook until the sage is crisp and the chestnuts start to colour then remove from heat. 

Untie the tea towel, then unwrap the rotolo from the towel and cut in lengths approximately 3-4 cm, trimming off both ends. 

Dress with sage butter sauce, chestnuts and extra grated parmesan. 

Serve alongside tomato, buffalo mozzarella and basil salad, warm olives and freshly baked foccacia. 

We had the pleasure of enjoying a lovely meal at Alio restaurant after our pasta class with Tracey Hughes (Ashley’s sister), where she shared wonderful stories about their farm and the day to day stories of running a successful restaurant. Happy 10th anniversary! 

There are two types of classes offered at Alio: hands on (4-5 hours) and demonstration (2-3 hours), with lunch concluding the class. If you are interested in attending, visit the Alio website or give Tracey a call for bookings. 

Alio Restaurant
5 Baptist Street, Surry Hills
Sydney, NSW
T 02 8394 9368 

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Thank you to Wasamedia for arranging such a wonderful opportunity.

Like my post? Spread it like butter!