Shrimp-Filled Casconcelli

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

Pasta

  • 15 oz all-purpose flour
  • 7 oz semolina flour
  • pinch of salt
  • 6 whole eggs + 6 additional egg yolks
  • 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

Shrimp Filling

  • 2 cups finely-chopped shrimp
  • 1 tbsp finely-minced shallots
  • 1-½ tbsp chopped chives
  • 1 egg yolk
  • lemon zest
  • salt & pepper to taste

Sauce

  • 3 oz (6 tbsp) butter
  • small handful of sage leaves
  • fresh lemon juice to taste
  • freshly-grated Parmesan cheese

How-to

Make the Pasta

  1. Put the 2 flours and the salt in a large bowl
  2. Form a well in the flour and pour in eggs
  3. Get in there with your hands and work the flour into the eggs. Knead the ingredients together until they form a smooth dough
  4. Remove dough from the bowl and knead on the counter for about 5 minutes. If the dough sticks to the counter-top, add more flour
  5. Cut the finished dough into 2 pieces, put in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about ½ hour

While dough is chilling - Make the Shrimp Filling

  1. In a large bowl, combine the shrimp, shallots, chives, egg yolk, salt and pepper
  2. Mix it all together and add lemon zest to taste

Back to the Dough

  1. Flour the counter (mix of all-purpose and semolina)
  2. Roll 1 of the 2 pieces of dough into a width that will fit in your pasta machine
  3. Put dough through the machine (electric or hand crank is fine). Start at the largest setting and move down 2 settings each time you put the pasta dough through the machine. Add more flour as needed to prevent sticking but don't overdo it as pasta will become tough
  4. Cut your pasta sheets horizontally and vertically
  5. Spray the pasta with a little water so it will adhere to itself once you fold it over

Fill the Pasta

  1. Put the shrimp filling into a pastry back or a zip-top bag with the corner cut off. This makes it easier to place the filling onto the pasta
  2. Squeeze the filling in nickel size dollops on the pasta about 1" away from each other
  3. Fold the pasta in half to cover the filling. Smooth out the pasta around the filling to remove any air pockets
  4. Use a round ring mold or cookie cutter and cut out your filled pasta
  5. You could stop there but you may want to try Chris' awesome technique for forming the ravioli into cool wing-nut shapes which have 2 benefits: 1) it adds a little indentation at the top which is ideal for holding the sauce; 2) it makes them easy to pick up with your hands which makes it a great party appetizer

Cook the Pasta

  1. Drop casconcelli into salted boiling water and cook or about 3½ minutes; pasta is done when it floats to the top of the pot
  2. Remove delicately with a spider strainer or slotted spoon

Make the Sauce (any cream sauce or light red sauce would work well)

  1. Put butter in a cool pan and place over a medium-high flame
  2. Add 3 oz of butter (6 tbsp), salt and pepper to taste
  3. Melt butter until it's frothy and then add the sage leaves
  4. Sauté until sauce is light brown. It should have a nutty buttery flavor

Plate the Dish

  1. Line up casconcelli on a plate and top with sauce
  2. Finish with a squeeze of lemon juice and freshly-grated Parmesan cheese