When making fillings for stuffed pasta, it is important to ensure that the filling is no too wet or runny. Many ingredients such as ricotta or blanched spinach, will require a little bit of effort to drain them of excess moisture. If you do end up with too much liquid in your filling, you have some options to fix it:
- Add in an ingredient to pick up some of the moisture like a hard grated cheese like pecorino romano, parmigiano-reggiano, or grana padano.
- Drain the filling by letting it sit on a fine-mesh sieve or colander lined with paper towels. Cover the filling with plastic wrap or a dishtowel and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight. For ricotta or a ricotta-heavy filling, spread the cheese on a paper towel–lined plate to absorb some of the excess moisture.
- Chill the filling in the fridge for a few hours. Sometimes the cold is enough to firm up the filling enough to work with
- Add an egg to help the filling bind together. While it won’t thicken the filling itself, it will hold the filling together as the pasta cooks and will prevent it from leaking out
Also, you don’t want a filling to be too dry and crumbly either. Having an adequate texture will make it easier to fold and form the stuffed pasta around the filling. If your filling is too dry, your have some options to fix it:
- Add an egg to give the filling more moisture
- Add some moisture back to the filling by adding ricotta or a little bit of heavy cream.
Storage
Once made, a filling will only last up to 3 days. Store your fillings in the fridge in an airtight container