39At the end of the day,
Florentines head to
neighborhood enote-
cas, like Alla Sosta dei
Papi (above), for wine
and conversation.bowl, combine the
flour and salt. Form a
well in the center and
add the oil, eggs, and
yolks. Using a fork,
stir the eggs and yolks
into the flour mixture,
starting with smaller
circles and growing
the circles wider. Con-
tinue mixing until a
shaggy dough forms.
- Turn out the dough
onto a clean work sur-
face; knead until a
smooth and elastic ball
forms, about 5 min-
utes. Wrap tightly in
plastic wrap and chill
for at least 30 minutes
or up to overnight. - Meanwhile, make
the filling: In a medium
bowl, stir the ricotta,
Grana Padano, and a
generous pinch each
salt and pepper. - Remove the dough
from the plastic wrap
and cut off a 1-inch-
thick slice (about
one-fifth of the total);
place the remainder
back in the plastic
wrap. Using a pasta
machine set to its wid-
est setting, roll out the
dough into a long,
3- to 4-inch-thick strip.
Continue passing the
dough through the
machine, tightening
the setting each time,
until it’s on the seventh
setting (the third fin-
est) and the dough is
thin but still opaque. - Lay out the rolled
dough on a clean work
surface and set a small
bowl of water nearby.
Using a round cookie
or biscuit cutter, cut
the dough strip into
2-inch rounds (you
should get about
12 rounds per piece
of dough). Keep the
rounds under a damp
paper towel while
you work. Working
one round at a time,
place a scant ¼ tea-
spoon of the filling at
the center. Add a small
piece of prosciutto,
then wet one half of
the perimeter of the
dough round lightly
with water. Fold the
ends over the filling to
meet and form a half-
moon; press firmly
to seal. Lightly wet
one of the corners of
the half-moon, then
fold the two corners
together to meet and
form a ring. If desired,
fold the top curved
edge of each tortellino
down over the ricotta-
filled bump. Set on a
lightly floured baking
sheet and cover with
a damp paper towel.
Repeat with the
remaining rounds and
pieces of dough.- Stir the tomato
sauce into the broth
and bring the broth
back up to heat. Mean-
while, in a medium
pot of boiling, salted
water, add the tor-
tellini. Let cook until
the pasta floats to the
top and tastes ten-
der, 4–5 minutes.
Remove using a slot-
ted spoon and transfer
to 4 individual soup
bowls. Ladle the broth
into the bowls and
sprinkle each with a
pinch of salt. Serve
immediately.
butter), and eggy tortino di carciofi (arti-
choke tart), a custardy scramble of sorts,
cooked into a creamy mass over a pile of
glowing embers.
Equally satisfying and cozy is Sostanza’s
tortellini en brodo (tortellini in broth), pock-
ets of pasta filled with ricotta, Parmigiano,
and prosciutto, served in a simple chicken
broth and tomato purée. It’s a testament to
the simple pleasures of Florentine cuisine.from dessert-for-breakfast to wine-
braised steak, Florence is the hungry trav-
eler’s haven at any time of day.10 A.M. Start the day at Il Cantuccio
di San Lorenzo where the cantucci, soft,
biscotti-like cookies, come in a variety of
f lavors, including lightly sweet almond
delicately spiced with aniseseed. At the
owner’s insistence, wash it down with a
glass of complimentary local vin santo.
Order an extra dozen to snack on while
strolling from piazza to piazza.1 P.M. For lunch near the Duomo, go
for classic Tuscan ragù with homemade
pappardelle—or, even better, tortelli
mu gel lani (stuffed pasta in Tuscan ragù)—7
Good food
and wine
can be found morning,
noon, and night