Mezzelune di cipolla

This recipe brings back fine memories. There's something about making pasta by hand that gives me a sense of serenity and tranquillity.

The first time I prepared this recipe, it was out of respect and trust for the chef that taught it to me, but I didn't expect anything from it - just read the ingredients for the filling and you'll see what I mean. Unexpectedly, however, these "mezzelune" - a nice word which means "half moons" - have a rather delicate and balanced flavor.

Mezzelune di cipolla e ricotta

For the pasta dough:
500 g all-purpose flour
5 medium eggs

For the filling:
600 g onions
2 tablespoons butter
40 g cooked beetroot
80 g ricotta
30 g grated Parmigiano Reggiano
1 egg yolk
30 g breadcrumbs
chives, salt, pepper to taste

Prepare the pasta dough as usual and let it rest for at least half an hour – I usually make mine a few hours in advance and leave it in the fridge well wrapped in cling film.

In the mean time, prepare the filling – it’s best if you make it one day in advance, so that all the flavors blend together.
Slice the onions – sweet ones work better – and put them in a pan with the butter on a very low heat until they become transparent. This may take a while, but it’s important that the onions don’t burn or you’ll end up with a bitter taste. Let cool.
In the bowl of your mixer, work together the beetroot, the breadcrumbs and the Parmigiano Reggiano. When you get a well-blended mixture, add the ricotta, the yolk and some finely cut chives and mix with a fork.
Mix together the onions and the beetroot and ricotta mixture and add salt and pepper to taste.
Roll out the dough, either with a rolling pin or with a pasta roller until the desired thickness. I like it rather thin, so that the pasta doesn’t overpower the filling. Cut out 10 cm/4 in circles and put some filling on top of each one – a disposable pastry bag with no tip comes in very handy in these cases. Fold the circles to get the half moon shape making sure that you press the edges well or the filling will come out when you cook them – you might also wet the edges a little to help you seal the pasta.

Fill a large pan with water and bring it to the boil. Add salt. Drop in the mezzelune and cook them for a couple minutes max after they’ve resurfaced – use a skimmer to take them out of the boiling water and put them straight in a pan with some butter and some sage leaves. Sauté them and serve immediately.