Cooking instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400˚F and place beet in a small loaf pan or wrap in foil. Season with olive oil, salt, pepper, a splash of red wine vinegar, and a tablespoon of water. Roast until fork tender, about 25-35 minutes. 
2. While Beats are roasting, prepare filling: Whisk together goat cheese, crème fraîche, ricotta, and Parmigiano Reggiano until well combined. Season with herbs, meyer lemon zest, salt, pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil. Place in a piping bag or  for easy filling and set aside.  
3. Remove from oven and cool enough to handle, peeling away skin and discarding. Puree beet on high adding just enough of the roasting liquid (or red wine vinegar) to blend until smooth. Set aside 84 grams (3 ounces) for pasta and reserve. 
4. Make the pasta dough: Place both flours onto a flat counter or wooden cutting board and use a fork to form a well in center. Season the center of the well with salt and add the olive oil. Crack eggs into the center along with beet puree. Using a fork, whisk together eggs and puree until smooth, continue whisking pulling in the flour from the interior of the circle. You can guide the circle to keep its shape by coaxing with your hand. Continue to whisk until almost all of the flour has been incorporated. If dough feels too dry add a touch of water (or olive oil for a bit more shine), alternatively if dough too wet sprinkle lightly with flour, as needed.  
5. Using a bench scraper, bring the rest of the dough together with hands. Dust surface with more “00” flour and knead for about 10 minutes until dough is smooth and springy to the touch. Wrap tightly in plastic and rest for 30 minutes to an hour*
6. While pasta rests - make Beet Green Pesto: In a food processor pulse together garlic, toasted pistachios, beet greens, parsley, basil and half the parmesan until finely chopped. With motor running, stream in olive oil until pesto is loosely blended. Season with meyer lemon zest, salt, pepper, and big squeeze of lemon juice. 
7. When ready to roll: Unwrap your pasta dough and place it on a clean, cool, dry working surface, like marble. For easier pasta shaping, let filling come to room temperature at this time.
8. Divide dough into quarters, and working with one piece at a time, roll the dough with a small dowel or rolling pin to about 3x3” square. Beginning with the machine on its highest setting, feed the rolled out pasta dough into the machine. When it’s halfway through, pull it out. When you’ve run it all the way through the machine, pull it out and aerate the dough. Repeat 2 or 3 times on the first setting. Lightly flour your hands each time.Using the back of your hand, fold the dough. Then change the setting on your pasta machine to 1.Crank the dough through the machine. After 10 turns of the machine, catch the dough and stretch and fold the dough. Change the setting on your machine to 2 and repeat. Repeat 10 times, flouring your hands and increasing the setting each time, until your pasta is smooth and as thin as tracing paper - this is about a 5 on any pasta roller. 
9. Next cut and shape the cappelletti: Dust a baking sheet with semolina and lay out rolled pasta dough on a lightly floured surface (a pastry brush and a pinch bowl of flour is very handy here). Using a 3-inch pastry cutter (or rim of a glass) cut circles out of the pasta dough. Pipe or spoon 1 heaping teaspoon of goat cheese filling into each circle and shape into cappelletti by folding in half to form a “half moon” pressing to adhere edges. To complete the shape (with arc facing up) bring the two ends together with your index finger and thumb to create the cappelletti shape or “little hat” and set aside onto prepared baking sheet and repeat with remaining pasta* 
10. Prepare wine butter sauce: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Combine wine, shallot, and thyme and cook until reduced by half. Remove thyme and shallots and discard. Whisk in butter and season with salt and pepper, keep warm over low heat while cooking pasta.  
11. To cook pasta: Heat a large pot of water to a gentle rolling boil and generously season with salt. Working in batches place cappelletti into pot and “spin” into water, carefully give the pot a gentle turn as well to prevent pasta from sticking to each other (or sinking to bottom). Cook for 2 - 2½ minutes until pasta is al dente.
12. Using a skimmer remove al dente pasta, shaking off excess water, and toss in white wine butter sauce to coat, spooning sauce over cappelletti to coat. To serve - divide amongst bowls and garnish with a drizzle of sauce, pesto, a sprinkling of herbs and grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

 

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT

• Pasta Attachment, Dowel or Rolling Pin for rolling pasta 

• 3” Round or Fluted Pastry Cutters 

• Pastry Brush, Bowl Scraper, and Bench Scraper are great pasta making tools

 

RECIPE NOTES: 

• You’ll need 3 ounces or (84g) of beet puree for this recipe. Pre-roasted packaged beets will work just as well for this dough - simply puree in a blender, adding a touch of red wine vinegar to thin just enough to blend until smooth. 

• Rolling out your pasta dough like a pro - Lightly flour everything—your hands, the surface, the board, the pasta dough. This protects the pasta and helps you stretch it very thin. But be careful. Too much flour will ruin your dough. Remember: You can always add flour, but you can’t take it away. 

 

TIPS: 

• Weighing your ingredients for this recipe will give you precisely the amounts needed and guarantee a perfectly elastic dough that’s easy to roll out, shape, flavorful as well as perfectly tender and al dente. 

• Make the dough and filling ahead of time for easy assembly and quick cooking. Rest dough in the refrigerator overnight for up to 3 days, 

• The cappelletti can also be frozen for even easier ahead of time preparation, freeze flat on a baking sheet with a silpat or floured parchment paper - transfer to an airtight container and store for up to one month.