Spring Fever! -Tortelli del TriColore!

Its, nearly two weeks until the first day of spring!

And I’ll have to admit,I tend to suffer from debilitating bouts of Spring Fever, – it only takes about one sunny day to put me in an amorous mood!

So, flushed with inspiration, I wanted to put a little color on the palate(palette),

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I had an idea to make a better version of

Tortelli del Tricolore -

-which usually consists of individual red, white and green tortellini, all co-mingling and served together.

-But what I wanted was tortellini that were red, green and white

ALL IN ONE! 

So I set to work in the kitchen,

-Nettle puree and tomato paste lent their colors to the mix…..

and then I laminated them into sheets of linen that would make seamstresses jealous!

-Dotted them with my favorite ricotta alternative,

Mt. Townsend Fromage Blanc

(these pastels are as close as I get to Easter decoration)

finally, folding and pinching them into beautiful

Tortelli Del Tricolore!

like the heads of spring wild flowers, popping up to meet the sunshine.  That, is exactly what I had in mind! 

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Tossed simple with fresh herbs and cured lemon oil, It’s starting to feel like Spring in Seattle!

Also today:

Yukon Gold Gnocchi, with Salsa Pomadori and Ricotta Salata

Farro Spaghetti, with Wild Nettle Pesto