Venus' Navel

"What are you writing about, Sarah?"  A fair question.  One obviously laboriously, patiently, eagerly,easily and carefully pondered by said blogger.  Except that exactly what I will write about isn't  terribly obvious to be.  Nevertheless, I am hoping ideas will unfold over the course of...many courses.  What is certain is that this blog will be food inspired.  Food inspired by cooking, by art, by music, by eating, by recipes, by seasons, by me and by you.

Speaking of art, I love most Venus inspired paintings.  Botticelli's, Giorgione's, Titian's - they are all exquisite.  I think this is partly because Venus is usually portrayed as beautifully rounded, looking so...sated.

Venus inspired an innkeeper to create tortellini (see "Belly Lore") and me to create this recipe.  In making it I hope you'll find, or attract, or create, your Venus. 

Venus's Navel times about 4 dozen
Squash and Spinach Filling:
small butternut squash
2 t olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic
4 oz. fresh spinach
1 1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Cut squash in half lengthwise and bake, flesh down, on a cookie sheet at 350 degrees for about 30 min. or until tender.  Saute onion and garlic in oil.  Add spinach and  stir until wilted.  Give that a spin in the food processor.  Scoop out 2 cups of cooked squash flesh and mix into spinach mixture with Parmesan.  Add salt and pepper if needed.  Set aside.

Sauce:
3 T butter
2 T olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2-15oz cans diced tomatoes
1 C cream
salt and pepper to taste
Heat oil and butter in saucepan.  Add onion carrot and celery and saute until onion is tender.  Add tomatoes and simmer 15 min.  Set aside for now and when tortellinis are ready to serve, add cream and stir until warm and the color of rosy flesh.

Tortellini dough:
3 C flour
4 eggs
1/2 t salt
3 T cold water
2 t olive oil
Put flour and salt in food processor and pulse twice.  Mix eggs, water and olive oil in liquid measuring cup.  Pulse processor while pouring in liquid.  Continue to pulse until dough begins to form a ball (this can also be done by hand).  Dump dough onto lightly floured surface and knead for 10 min.  Full 10.  No faking.  Lose yourself in some Luciano while you knead.  Divide dough in half and using a rolling pin (we've already used one electric appliance so let's do this step old school - O.K. so the truth is I don't have a pasta rolling machine), roll into two very thin sheets.  Very thin.  Pretend you'll have to look through that sheet of dough to see Venus.  Better yet, Jupiter.  Using a biscuit cutter or glass, cut into 3 inch circles.  Cover the dough you aren't handling, with a damp towel.  To form tortellini put 1/2 teaspoon filling in middle of dough circle. fold in half and pinch edge tightly.  fold straight, unpinched edge of dough about 2/3 of the way up.  Place pinkie finger in middle of soon to be navel, fold sides together around your finger and press ends to seal.  Remove finger and admire.  Finish the rest.  Bring a large pot of water to boil and working in batches, add tortellini and boil for 8 minutes, stirring so they don't stick. Toss with warmed sauce.

All of this kneading and pinching, this talk of navels, rosy flesh, and gods has made me extremely...well...affamato!  Remember; A tavola non s'invecchia!