Ingredients for Spoja Lorda (for 4 people)

For the pasta dough
300 grams of 00 flour
3 whole eggs (medium size)

For the filling
200 grams of ricotta (possibly whole milk… or even sheep ricotta!)
150 grams of grated Parmigiana Reggiano cheese
1 whole egg
unrefined sea salt
add some tablespoons of milk (to your taste)
nutmeg (to taste)

Ingredients for the dressing and composition of the dish

200 grams of San Daniele ham (a couple of thick slices)
80 grams of high-quality butter
15/20 leaves of fresh basil
80 grams of pine nuts
freshly grinded pepper

Preparation of the Spoja Lorda

Prepare the dough as usual for fresh pasta and roll it out thinly (on the cutting board) with the rolling pin. Mix the ingredients of the filling and place the mixture on half of the dough. Fold the other half over it obtaining a rectangular shape. Stick the edges together and cut with the appropriate pastry cutter in squares (about 2 cm. side).

Cut the prosciutto in thin slices.

Melt the butter in a saucepan and, when it starts to foam slightly add the prosciutto. Toast the pine nuts separately.

Boil the pasta (strictly in a good-quality broth: if it’s a meat broth the dish will be more savory, if it’s a vegetable broth the pasta will be more delicate).

Now add the boiled (al dente) and drained pasta to the browned prosciutto and add in the toasted pine nuts.

Conclude by adding some freshly ground pepper, plate garnish it with a sprig of basil and serve hot.

NOTE: Best to buy a digital scale (lb. & kg) measurements (and use the European metric system to make your dishes). It is best to cook by weight! This is a good inexpensive accurate Digital Scale. Online conversions at: http://allrecipes.com/howto/cup-to-gram-conversions/