Name: Balanzoni
Prep time: 1 h 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 2 h 15 min
Cuisine: Italian, Emilia-Romagna
Ingredients: 300 g 00 flour; 3 large eggs; 60 g cooked spinach, squeezed extremely dry and puréed; 300 g whole-milk ricotta, well drained; 180 g Mortadella Bologna, finely chopped; 150 g Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated; 100 g cooked spinach, squeezed dry and finely chopped; 1 large egg; 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg; black pepper to taste; 90 g unsalted butter; 10 sage leaves; 50 g Parmigiano Reggiano, for serving

Balanzoni: wide hero view of the finished traditional dish

Prep1 h 20 min

Cook25 minutes

Total2 h 15 min

Yield6 servings

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The dish

About Balanzoni

Bologna’s De.Co. tradition and the Mortadella Bologna Consortium identify balanzoni as green filled pasta tied to Bologna, with spinach in the sfoglia and a filling built around ricotta, mortadella and Parmigiano.

The spinach must be squeezed very dry before it enters either dough or filling; otherwise the sfoglia becomes sticky and the filling loosens.

A short dough rest improves extensibility and allows the green pasta to roll thin without tearing.

Butter and sage provide a restrained finish that supports rather than masks the mortadella-ricotta centre.

Technique

Three things that matter

Dry the spinach thoroughly. Residual water changes both dough hydration and filling firmness.
Keep the filling cold. Chilled filling is easier to portion and less likely to smear into the seams.
Boil gently. A rolling boil can batter large filled parcels and open their folds.

Cook the dish

Ingredients

Everything needed to prepare the dish, arranged for fast scanning before cooking.

Green pasta

300 g00 flour
3 largeeggs
60 gcooked spinachsqueezed extremely dry and puréed

Filling

300 gwhole-milk ricottawell drained
180 gMortadella Bolognafinely chopped
150 gParmigiano Reggianofinely grated
100 gcooked spinachsqueezed dry and finely chopped
1 largeegg
1/4 tspfreshly grated nutmeg
black pepperto taste

Finish

90 gunsalted butter
10sage leaves
50 gParmigiano Reggianofor serving

Step by step

Method

Prepare green pasta and filling

Dry the spinach. Squeeze cooked spinach until no water runs from it, then purée the portion for the dough.
The spinach should feel almost dry and compact.
Knead the green dough. Mix flour, eggs and 60 g spinach; knead 8–10 minutes until smooth, then wrap and rest 30 minutes.
The dough should be elastic, uniformly green and only faintly tacky.
Mix the filling. Combine drained ricotta, mortadella, Parmigiano, chopped spinach, egg, nutmeg and pepper; chill while rolling.
The filling should be spoonable but hold a mound.

Roll and shape

Roll thin sfoglia. Work in sections, rolling to about 1 mm while keeping unused dough covered.
The sheet should bend easily without cracking.
Cut and portion. Cut 8–9 cm squares and place a modest teaspoonful of filling in the centre of each.
A clean border must remain around every mound.
Fold the balanzoni. Fold to triangles, press out air, then bring the two lower corners together in a tortellone-like form.
The parcel should stay plump at the centre with tightly sealed seams.

Boil and finish

Make sage butter. Melt butter with sage over medium-low heat until foaming and aromatic.
Sage should crisp lightly while the butter remains nutty, not burnt.
Cook in batches. Boil balanzoni in salted, gently simmering water for 3–4 minutes.
The thickest folded seam should be tender and the parcels intact.
Coat carefully. Transfer to the sage butter with a spoonful of pasta water, toss gently and finish with Parmigiano.
The sauce should cling in a thin glossy film rather than pool.

Practical guidance

Make-ahead

Shape balanzoni several hours ahead and refrigerate on a floured tray, or freeze in one layer and cook from frozen.

Mortadella

Use a high-quality mortadella with a clean savoury profile; its seasoning contributes significantly to the filling.

Ricotta

Drain wet ricotta before weighing it into the filling. Excess whey is a common cause of burst parcels.

Troubleshooting

Dough is sticky. Spinach was too wet. Dust minimally while rolling and squeeze future batches more aggressively.
Filling escapes. Too much filling or contaminated seams prevented a tight seal.
Pasta is chewy at folds. Roll the sfoglia thinner or cook another minute at a gentle simmer.

Nutrition per serving

Serving size: about 7–8 balanzoni
Calories: approximately 730 kcal
Carbohydrates: 58 g
Protein: 34 g
Fat: 41 g
Fibre: 4 g
Sodium: 1080 mg

Mortadella and Parmigiano are the main sodium sources.

Allergens and food safety

Contains gluten, egg and milk; check mortadella labels for possible pistachio/tree-nut exposure.

Keep ricotta, mortadella and shaped raw filled pasta refrigerated.

Cook egg-pasta parcels thoroughly and reheat leftovers to 74°C.

FAQ

Are balanzoni always green?

The Bolognese identity is strongly associated with spinach-coloured green sfoglia.

What is inside them?

A common Bolognese formulation uses ricotta, mortadella and Parmigiano, often with spinach and nutmeg.

What sauce works best?

Butter and sage is a classic restrained finish that lets the filling remain prominent.

Final note

What matters most

Result: Tender green pasta parcels with a savoury mortadella-ricotta centre and a light sage-butter gloss.
Key: Remove water from spinach and ricotta, keep the sfoglia thin and boil gently.