Spoja lorda (sfoglia lorda), which literally means dirty pasta sheet, is a fresh stuffed pasta typical of Romagna.
The recipe is traditionally served in broth. From hence its second name: minestra imbottita (stuffed minestra). It is born as a dish to use leftover filling from other preparations. Here is the reason for the adjective dirty (lorda): there was little filling, enough only to dirty the pasta sheet.
Since I started making pasta dough one or more times a week, I often make spoja lorda.
It is the easiest and quickest to make among the different types of filled pasta.
After rolling out the pasta sheet and spreading the filling on one half, I fold it over on itself and make small squares that the same pasta cutter seals as it cuts.
What the sfoglia means to me
The clock on the wall stopped for at least a year at the same hour, which seems to tell me it is late. For a moment, I think to desist.
The thought of how I will feel later, certainly better than now, observes me silent and not encouraging at the other end of the large wooden table.
I understand that it has no intention of encouraging me, and with a sigh, I prepare the cutting board, a wooden board that weighs little and is cheap, and the rolling pin that belonged to other women in my family before me. This wood is my magic wand.
I open the bag of flour before looking at how many eggs I have. After the check, I discover I have just a few eggs. In the fridge I found a leftover of stracchino cheese and, surprisingly, some prosciutto cotto.
So I opt for two eggs spoja lorda. It is the perfect stuffed pasta for when you are in a harry and a few amount for the filling.
Spoja lorda
Along with garganelli, macaroni made on the comb, passatelli, strozzapreti and cappelletti it is part of the traditional fresh pastas of Romagna.
Nonna Sara often would dirty the pasta sheet with what remained of the tortellini filling.
Sometimes she would present the spoja lorda without broth, seasoned with butter and sage and, if there was any, a couple of finely chopped shallots. The filling was always related to recycling some ingredients.
If you want to make a traditional version, use soft stracchino-type cheese for the filling, mixed with ricotta and Parmesan. Otherwise, use your imagination or what have you!
The important thing is to spread a thin layer of filling so that after folding the pastry over itself, the pastry cutter wheel can seal the edges of the squares by cutting them off.
Let the spoja lorda rest before cooking or putting it in the freezer.
Buona cucina, Monica
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Butter and sage spoja lorda recipe
serves 4
List of the Ingredients
pasta dough
200g all purpose flour
2 eggs
filling
150 g smoked cooked ham
130 g soft cheese
to season: butter to taste, 10 cleaned and dried sage leaves
Method
Filling
Coarsely chop prosciutto with a knife and chop finely in a blender.
Mix stracchino cheese and chopped prosciutto. Add a tablespoon of milk or water to soften the stracchino if you need it to make it smoother.
Place the filling in the refrigerator.
Pasta dough
Place the flour on the cutting board, and create a space in the center where you put chopped parsley and eggs.
Break eggs with a fork, slowly incorporate flour from the sides and mix with eggs.
When the dough is too solid for your fork, continue kneading with your hands until the dough is smooth, not too hard or soft.
Let the dough rest covered, out of the refrigerator, for about 30 minutes.
Roll out a thin sheet using the rolling pin or the pasta machine.
Spoja lorda
Spread the filling on half the pastry sheet and fold it over itself.
With a pasta cutter wheel, cut out strips equal in width, vertically and horizontally, making many squares about the same size.
As you cut, the pasta cutter wheel seals the squares.
Place the fresh pasta squares on a lightly floured cloth or tray and allow them to dry before cooking or storing them in the freezer.
Cook the spoja lorda in boiling salted water. Meanwhile, melt the butter with a dozen or so sage leaves in a large pan.
Drain the pasta with a slotted spoon and season directly into the pan.
