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Tuscan pasta tordellata
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5 from 38 votes

Tuscan pasta tordellata with ragu, Swiss chard and ricotta

This delicious double sauce pasta recipe from Tuscany is an unusual and tasty way to use up leftover ragu. 
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time1 hour 50 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Central Italy, Italian, Tuscany
Keyword: authentic Italian pasta recipe, chard, ragu, ricotta, tordellata, Tuscan cuisine
Servings: 4
Calories: 1062kcal
Author: Jacqui

Ingredients

  • 400 g gigli or campanelle pasta (14oz) You can also use other types of pasta such as pappardelle or penne

For the Ragu

  • 200 g minced/ground beef (7oz)
  • 200 g minced/ground pork (7oz)
  • 1-2 Italian pork sausages skin removed and chopped
  • 1-2 onions peeled and finely chopped
  • 2-3 carrots washed and finely chopped
  • 1-2 celery stalks washed and finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves peeled and finely chopped
  • 1 glass red wine
  • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary washed and chopped
  • 400 g fresh sauce tomatoes or tomato passata (14oz) Fresh tomatoes need to be peeled. blanch them in hot water then peel.
  • 2-3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • salt to taste
  • black pepper to taste

For ricotta sauce

  • 400 g fresh Swiss chard (14oz) washed and stalks removed
  • 250 g fresh ricotta (9oz)
  • 1 knob butter
  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg freshly grated

To complete the dish

  • 50 g Parmigiano Reggiano (2oz) grated
  • salt for pasta

Instructions

Make the ragu

  • Heat the olive oil in a frying pan or skillet. Add the chopped onion, carrot, garlic and celery; cook and stir until the onion becomes translucent. 
  • Add the rosemary, sausage meat, ground beef and pork and cook and stir until browned.
  • Add the red wine, stir, and let it evaporate. When the alcohol has evaporated, add peeled tomatoes or passata, stir and season with coarse salt and black pepper.
  • Cover and let the ragu simmer at a low heat for at least an hour or more.

While the ragu is cooking make the ricotta and swiss chard sauce

  • Prepare the chard by washing the leaves and cutting off the hard white stalk. Chop or tear the leaves into large pieces.
  • Cook the chard in a pan with only the liquid that has stuck to the leaves when washed. Like cooking spinach. But if it dries out too much you can add a little more water. It takes about 10-15 minutes on a low heat.
  • When the chard is ready, drain it and chop as finely as possible. Return it to the pan and cook for a couple of minutes more with a knob of butter. 
  • Let the chopped chard cool and then combine it with the ricotta in a bowl. Generously grate some fresh nutmeg over the mixture and blend with a wooden spoon.

Cook the pasta

  • Bring a pot of water to boil for the pasta. Add salt once it starts to boil and bring to the boil again. Cook the pasta al dente according to the instructions on the packet. 

Finish the dish

  • Save a cup of the pasta cooking water then drain the pasta and mix it with the ricotta and chard. If the sauce seems dry add a little of the pasta cooking water.
  • Mix the pasta and ricotta well together and plate. Serve with a generous helping of ragu. You can do this as one layer or make 2. First pasta with ricotta and chard, then ragu and then more pasta with chard and finally some more ragu.
    Serve with grated cheese.

Notes

Cooking times include making the ragu from scratch. If you have leftover ragu, this dish is much quicker to make. 
I used gigli/campanelle pasta but pappardelle are also traditional and short pasta like penne work well too.

Nutrition

Calories: 1062kcal | Carbohydrates: 85g | Protein: 46g | Fat: 54g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 23g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 144mg | Sodium: 584mg | Potassium: 874mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 5614IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 346mg | Iron: 4mg