Pear and Cheese Stuffed Fagottini (Stuffed Pasta)

PEAR AND CHEESE STUFFED FAGOTTINI WITH PARMESAN CREAM SAUCE:

Ok, total transparency here, I sometimes dream about food. Actually, OFTEN dream about food. Sometimes I catch myself daydreaming about a dish that I have or more often constantly planning my next meal in my head. After having this dish at a little restaurant near Ponte Vecchio in Florence, this is one of those meals that I constantly dream about. The utter perfection of the pillowy homemade pasta, the sweetness of the pears, the tartness of the mascarpone, and the creaminess of the parmesan cream sauce is unlike any combination I have had.

Obviously, a trip back to that little restaurant is not something that can be done every time I get a craving for this dish, so I know I was going to have to learn how to make it on my own. The scariest part of this is despite my obsession with pasta and Italian food, I had never made homemade pasta in my life, and I knew this recipe wouldn’t come close to the original without conquering that fear. After watching dozens of videos on how pasta is made (yes dozens), I finally mustered up the courage to attempt to make this dish on my own. Thankfully, I asked the waiter what exactly was in these Fagottinis (in Italian translates to small purse), so I had somewhat of a guide to go off of, despite not being able to splurge for the truffles they sprinkled on top of mine.

I’m not going to lie, this is not an easy recipe – I struggled, and it took me almost 4 hours to complete from beginning to end (including resting the dough). If you are making spaghetti, or non-stuffed pasta, 100% it is worth it to make fresh pasta since it really does taste significantly better than the dried pasta you find in the grocery store. However, because of the time it takes to stuff the little “purses”, the next time I make this recipe, I will most likely shortcut by buying fresh pasta sheets from a specialty Italian store or from Whole Foods and then just stuff the pasta myself.

Although it was challenging, I actually had A LOT of fun making the pasta, and think it would be a really fun idea for a pasta night between friends. I have also never felt so proud of myself for achieving something I had been terrified to do for years! The end result was creamy, sweet, savory, and everything you could ever want in a filled pasta and although not exactly the same as the dish I had in Florence, it gave me all the feels I had eating this dish at that little restaurant in Italy. Trust me – take the leap at least once and make this pasta, you won’t regret it!

Ingredients:

For the Fagottini (Stuffed Pasta):

• 2 cups all purpose flour

• 2 eggs

• 6 egg yolks

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 tsp salt

For the Pear and Cheese Filling:

• 1 large or 2 medium sized ripe pears, chopped into small pieces

• 1 cup ricotta cheese

• ½ cup mascarpone

• ¼ cup grated Pecorino cheese (can also substitute for parmesan)

• Pinch of salt and pepper

For the Parmesan Cheese Sauce:

• 2 tbsps butter

• 2 tbsps flour

• 1 cup half and half

• ½ cup 2% or whole milk

• ¼ cup fresh grated parmesan cheese

• Pinch of nutmeg

• Pinch of salt and pepper

• ½ cup reserved pasta water

Directions:

For the Pear and Cheese Stuffed Faggotini:

• On a flat surface or large wood cutting board, mix together your flour and salt.

• In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, and oil.

• Make a well in your flour big enough to hold your egg mixture. Make this bigger/wider than you’d think to avoid spillage!

• Carefully pour the egg mixture into the well.

• With a fork, gradually incorporate the flour into your eggs by beating the eggs and slowly grabbing from the sides of the well.

• Continue until almost all flour is incorporated and a dough starts to form.

• At this point, you’ll want to start kneading the dough with your hands. If the dough gets too sticky, add more flour.

• Knead the dough for 8-9 minutes until the dough is smooth. It should bounce back when you push it with your thumb.

• Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes to an hour at room temperature.

• Cut your dough into 4-6 pieces to make it easier to work with.

• Lightly flour your surface, and roll out each piece of dough into one long piece.

• Set up your pasta machine by attaching it to a table or countertop. Turn the dial to the widest setting (usually setting number 1). (You can also roll this out by hand with a rolling pin, just cut your dough into smaller pieces to make it easier to work with.)

• Flatten one piece of your dough and pass through the pasta machine on the widest setting.

• Fold into thirds to form a square shape.Insert the unsealed edge into the pasta machine on the widest setting again and pass through. Repeat 5 times still on the widest setting.

• Now start passing your dough through, each time on a narrower setting (it should go 1 to 2 to 3 to 4, etc.) You do not need to fold the dough between these stages.

• Keep reducing the settings until you get a super thin dough (you should be able to see your fingers through it). Flour as you go, making sure your dough does not stick with the pasta machine or your work surface.

• Take a wide mouth glass or circle cutter and cut out circles about 5” in diameter from your dough. Continue cutting out circles until done. Set aside on a lightly floured baking sheet.

• To make your filling, mix together the pears, ricotta, mascarpone, Pecorino or parmesan, and a pinch of salt and pepper.

• Take about 1 tbsp of filling and place directly in the middle of the circle.

• Gather together all sides of the dough and gently pull up and together to form a little purse. Pinch the dough tightly to seal. Continue until all dough is filled.

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

• In the meantime, start working on your parmesan cheese sauce.

• In a medium sized skillet, melt the butter over medium-low to medium heat.

• Add the flour and stir for a minute or so to cook out the raw flour taste.

• Whisk in the milk and half and half until thickened, about 3 to 5 minutes.

• Meanwhile, add your faggotini to the boiling water and cook for 2-3 minutes until pasta is al dente.

• Add ½ cup of water from your pot of pasta to your sauce and turn heat to low.

• Stir in parmesan or pecorino and pinch of fresh nutmeg, salt, and pepper.

• Once your faggotini are cooked, add to your sauce to coat.

• Serve with some more parmesan on top and basil for freshness and enjoy!