Mezzaluna Pasta Recipe
The Mezzaluna is a type of Italian pasta that gets its name from its half-moon shape. It's made with durum wheat flour and semolina, which gives it a firm texture that can stand up to heartier sauces.
Ingredients
For the pasta dough:
- ¾ cup (100 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 large egg
For the filling:
- ½ cup whole milk basket-strained ricotta cheese
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- ¼ cup mascarpone
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ½ cup assorted herbs, like parsley, dill, thyme, or tarragon, finely chopped
For the eggplant sauce and assembly:
- ¼ cup olive oil, plus more if needed
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 large eggplant, stem removed and diced
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon capers, roughly chopped
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
Make the pasta dough:
- Turn the flour mixture onto a clean surface after mixing it with salt in a large bowl.
- In the center of the flour mixture, create a well with your knuckles. Fill the well with flour and leave a thin layer at the bottom.
- In the well, crack the egg. Whisk the egg with a fork until it becomes frothy. Adding flour to the mixture with the other hand will make it easier to handle.
- Using a bench scraper, cut in the remaining flour when the egg flour mixture is no longer runny.
- Make a smooth ball of dough by kneading it with your hands for 5–10 minutes Whenever you press the dough with your finger, it should lightly spring back but otherwise should hold its shape.
- Place the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes after wrapping it in plastic wrap.
Make the pasta filling:
- Mix the ricotta, Parmesan, mascarpone, and olive oil in a medium bowl, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Combine the cheese mixture with the herbs and set it aside.
Make the eggplant sauce and assemble the mezzaluna:
- Warm the oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Toss the eggplant with the oil mixture and coat well.
- Add salt and pepper to the eggplant, and cook until golden brown and very tender, 10-12 minutes. As the cooking process progresses, add more oil as necessary.
- Season with salt and pepper and add the minced garlic, tomato paste, capers, and red pepper flakes.
- The eggplant mixture needs to become uniform and loose, with some large chunks of eggplant still visible, and the flavors must have melded together (for another 5 minutes).
- Take a taste of the eggplant mixture and set it aside.
- Flour the work surface lightly before rolling out the dough.
- It is best to roll the dough into a single layer using a rolling pin, a tabletop pasta roller, or a stand mixer attachment for making pasta.
- Cut circles out of the dough with a 3- to 4-inch cookie cutter.
- Portion out the filling across the top half of each circle with a piping bag or teaspoon. Keep it to a heaping teaspoon or so and avoid overfilling.
- Wet the edges of each circle with a very thin swipe of water using a pastry brush or finger.
- Use your fingers to seal the pasta into a half-moon shape by folding the bottom half of the round over the filling. If desired, use a pasta crimper or fork to lightly pattern the edges.
- Boil a large pot of salted water.
- Boil the mezzaluna for 2 to 3 minutes until tender and cooked through.
- Transfer the cooked pasta to plates with a slotted spoon.
- Over the pasta, spoon the warm eggplant mixture and serve immediately.