Smoked Mozzarella Mezzelune with Braised Onion Sauce
Mezzelune(这意味着“半月”在意大利)a crescent-shaped stuffed pasta similar to ravioli. They're a relatively simple shape to try that requires little equipment to make at home. Meryl Feinstein of Pasta Social Club fills hers with rosemary and smoked mozzarella. A little semolina flour will give the pasta dough more structure and bite, but feel free to omit it and use the same weight of "00" flour or all-purpose flour. If you can't find smoked mozzarella, another smoked cheese like gouda will work in a pinch. The accompanying thick, rich slow-cooked tomato-and-onion sauce is loosely inspired by a Bolognese classic called il friggione. You'll often find il friggione served with meat, as a side dish, and as an antipasto—but of course it works well with pasta, too.
Toasted St. Louis-Style Ravioli
Pick your favorite store-bought refrigerated ravioli for this iconic Italian-American recipe, which transforms the stuffed pasta into a crunchy and super-satisfying appetizer. Breading the ravioli with panko and Parmesan helps them form a crispy shell when fried, and a gently garlicky marinara sauce is the perfect partner for dipping. To add an extra layer of flavor and texture, use the same oil to fry up rosemary and sage leaves, too.
Butternut Squash Tortelli
Butternut squash, roasted until tender and golden brown, offers a sweet and earthy balance to the creamy butter sauce draping the pasta. Crushed amaretti cookies add a welcome almond flavor and a lightly crunchy texture to the creamy filling. This generous recipe is easily halved. For a shortcut, substitute wonton wrappers for the fresh pasta and reduce cook time as needed for al dente results.
Ricotta-Filled Handkerchief Pasta with Pesto and Marinara
Known in Italian as mandilli, this delicious dish, from Tim Cushman at Manhattan’s Covina, consists of sheets of pasta coated with pesto sauce, stuffed with ricotta and topped with tomato sauce. It’s great with a berry-rich Piedmont red, like the 2014 Piazzo Barbera, Cushman says. To save time, you can use store-bought pasta sheets.Slideshow:Ravioli Recipes
7 Grown-Up Recipes for Pasta Shells
Get sophisticated with your pasta shells.
Spinach-and-Prosciutto Ravioli
As a stuffing for her supple ravioli, Missy Robbins, chef at Lilia in Brooklyn, mixes spinach and prosciutto with two cheeses. Her ravioli can be made a month ahead of time—freeze them in a single layer; when they are solid, they can be combined in a large resealable plastic bag. The bright acidity and bubbles of a Franciacorta like Ronco Calino Brut amplify the nutty brown butter notes in the pasta.Slideshow:How to Make Raviolo
