I know some of you are probably wondering what I found out from Nina as to how she made the delicious looking
Tribute to Ignazio Tortello!
She very kindly replied that it is a “cappiddruzzo of ricotta.” The word cappiddruzzo, is a word in Sicilian jargon (thank you, Daniela) that means “hat.” This probably refers to the form of the tortello she shows in her photo above. With this to go on, I researched and found a recipe I will hope is similar to hers. No one could EVER totally replicate hers as only SHE can fill it with the amount of sibling love that permeates from her to her brother. But, we, as Flight Crew members and Il Volo lovers, can come close to it by adding OUR own special ingredient of LOVE FOR HIM/THEM!
One ball of pizza dough (can use pre-made pizza dough or pastry dough.)
Flour, for dusting
1/4 c sugar
3/4 c mini semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 tsp. vanilla
pinch of cinnamon
1 c ricotta
5 heaping cups of Ignazio/Il Volo Love and Admiration
Powdered sugar for dusting
~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Place dough on lightly floured surface.
Press down and form into a circle.
Using a floured rolling pin, roll the dough into approx. 12 inch circle about 2-3 cm thick. Trim off tiny piece of outer edge with crinkle edged cutter if you want a fancy edge at the end.
Sprinkle with a pinch of sugar and press into the dough.
Cut circle in half. Trim straight edge with crinkle cutter if desired.
Mix remaining sugar, choc. chips, vanilla, cinnamon and ricotta with your love and admiration right here!
Place half the mixture on each dough piece. Fold the dough over the filling.
Seal the edges well with tines of a fork or your fingers.
Fold approx. 1/4 inch of the edge back over itself. Seal again with fork or your fingers to be sure you have a good seal.
Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet and bake until golden brown, approx. 8-10 minutes.
After removing from oven can cool slightly and dust with sifted powdered sugar or drizzle with chocolate syrup!! (Warm up a little Nutella for this!)
Goda della vostra creazione!!
Thank you Jane for your research, must taste teriffic. LOVE that handsome picture of Ignazio. He looks stunning as only he can.
Wouldn’t it be nice if we all lived closer together & had our precious sweethearts popping in & out of our lives daily. That would mean we would be living in Italy. I’m game. NO I am not senile yet just in love with the handsomest man alive.
Loretta, that is a good dream in that all of us would live in Italy. I’ll go with you!!
Jane, thanks for the research. Please pass on a grazie to Nina for us.
I sure will, Rose Marie!
Looks absolutely delicious! Not too difficult to make! I don’t cook at all but will pass this receipe on to my Son & Grandson! They love to cook & when my husband’s Italian cousin visited in 2016 They had a fine time cooking Italian food!
Anne, I love to surprise my family with new recipes. They never know what I will do next…and this is it!!
Grazie mille Jane and Nina. I am going to have to try this recipe. Have a wonderful week.
Thank you, Frank. You will have to let us know how yours turns out. 🙂
I wonder if my Italian bakery here has it. Joanie G
They just might. We have a wonderful Italian cafe/market where I get my ingredients. They have something similar to this there. Yum! I just bought some tiramisu from them for a dinner party we had last week. It is to die for. They actually have it flown in from Milan!!
Thanks, Jane. Hope to find time to try this before Christmas. I’m sure mine will never looks as good as Nina’s! – Allene
Allene, I’m sure yours will be wonderful!! Let me know how it turns out.
Jane, if this tortello is as good as our Ignazio in the picture, I think it will be really great. Thanks for the recipe !!
Daniela…this photo of him is awesome, isn’t it? Quite the handsome man!! 🙂
I think 2-3 centimeters is a bit thick–that’s around an inch. Would be hard to fold over so thick. I do a lot of baking and I wold say to make the dough only one centimeter. And if the circle is therefore too large, split the dough into two equal pieces and do it twice–making four instead of two.
Thank you all for your nice comments.
Penina, thanks for catching that typo on my part…yes 2-3 cm would be way too thick. Should have been one. I got carried away with my numbers! 🙂
I am going to make try this recipe this coming weekend. Sounds good to me!
Please post a picture of your finished tortello. I need some incentive. Oh, wait, Igna is all the incentive I need..
Sounds good to me too! I just wonder if pizza dough is a bit too bread-y for a pastry.
Rose Marie, you keep looking at Igna while I whip up the tortello! I will post a photo!
That’s a deal!
Penina, I wondered about that, too, but the recipe says you can also do this with a pastry dough. I figured I’d try the pizza dough first and if I didn’t like that then try the pastry dough.
What sort of pastry dough? I have some puff paste in my freezer. I was thinking of using that. Then there is phyllo dough–but I think that would be too flaky.
Maybe I’ll try it with the puff paste dough. Gotta buy some mini chocolate chips–I only have regular ones. Not to mention some ricotta!
I was actually thinking of a sugar cookie dough. I’m going to try that one along with the pizza dough version to see which one works and tastes the best. I am thinking that phyllo dough may be too flakey? Puff pastry might be kind of cool, like rising up higher than normal dough.
I don’t know if sugar cookie dough would fold over without cracking.
You can use regular choc chips as well, Penina. I am definitely going to use the melted Nutella on mine!
Usually when I try something new I do what it says first. Then I make my own “improvements!” So I will try with the mini chips first. It might be better with them–When you are folding dough the big ones sometimes get in the way.
You are right about the big chips vs mini. I make the date filled cookies using the sugar dough and it works ok which is what made me think of using that dough for this tortello. We shall see!! Tomorrow is baking day! Let me know how yours turn out. I think I have your email address. I will send you mine and we can compare photos of finished products.
First I have to get the ingredients, so I don’t think I’ll be making mine tomorrow.
Ok Penina and Jane, because i am a nice person I will volunteer to taste test these delicacy’s as soon as you send them to me🙂
I actually contacted some Italian
bakeries, but was unable to find the item in Hawaii. Maybe the Italian bakeries in New York would have it, but a lot of places that ship food will not ship to Hawaii.
I will have to wait until I go to Nina’s Pizzaria in Sicily!
If there is a way to ship it to you–assuming the results are worth it–I’m willing to share!
Jill, I hope you get to Nina’s pizzeria! She is so sweet and charming and her pizza is REALLY good!
Will have to look into shipping tortello’s to Hawaii! 🙂
Penina and Jane you are so sweet, I was actually joking. I don’t think there is a way they could be sent to me, and arrive in one piece.
They would be jostled around too much getting here. I do bake, but I have very little counter space to be working with pastry dough, otherwise I would try to make them myself.
Thanks anyway 😘
I wasn’t worried about them getting there in one piece, I was worried about the cheese spoiling. I used to mail my grandchildren special cookies for their birthdays–most of the time they arrived in one piece (bubble wrap is a great invention!).
Well ladies I don’t cook for myself anymore so I am willing to taste all of everyones tortello. I will gladly pay anyone who will send me a taste of these beautiful tortellos or pizzas. I am getting tired of havng soup. Hope your recipes are successful.
Looks luscious!!! Will get the ingredients next grocery store run and give it a try!!!! Thank you so much for sharing!!!
Jane, please write Nina and tell her that I’m making one for Ignazio the next time he is in the states. Then give her my address. Thank you very much.
~Marie
🙂 🙂 🙂
Marie,
Since he will be in our mutual state, could you give him directions to my house? Or better yet, I’ll just come and pick him up. Thanks for your cooperation.
No. Silly girl. Once I get him he won’t be going anywhere. 😘
Marie, I knew that’s what you would say. First you have to pry him away from from Alessandra and Franz.
I can help you, just call. Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving and the same to all members of The Crew.
Franz can come along. Alessandra? Is she still hanging around? 😉
Really, I think she’s lovely. Darn it!