Difficulty Level: Moderate
Total Time: 2.5 hours
Serving Size: 2-4 servings
Ingredients:
Pasta Dough:
1 cup ‘00’ wheat flour
1/2 cup semolina flour
2 eggs, 2 yolks
Filling:
1 cup Mascarpone
6 tbsp. basil pesto
1/3 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated
1/4 tsp. salt
Pesto Caramelle with Slow Roasted Tomatoes & Balsamic:
2 dozen (roughly) pesto caramelle
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tsp. sea salt
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
Balsamic glaze
3 tbsp. Parmigiano Reggiano, shaved
Directions:
In a bowl, mix together the two types of flour and create a well. Add in the eggs and yolks. Using a fork, whisk the eggs, slowly bringing in the flour to form the dough. Once the dough has formed, knead for about 10 minutes. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and let rest for a minimum of 30 minutes. The dough can also be made ahead of time and rest overnight.
Preheat oven to 275°F. Add the tomato halves to a baking dish and drizzle with olive oil and sea salt. Slow roast in the oven for 2 hours. The longer you roast the tomatoes, the more concentrated the flavor will be.
For the filling, add the basil pesto, Mascarpone, Parmigiano and salt to a bowl and mix until combined. Add more of each ingredient to taste.
After the dough has rested, divide into four even pieces and roll out into long, thin sheets. (7 or 8 on the Marcato Atlas Pasta Machine or KitchenAid pasta roller attachment).
Cut the pasta sheets into 2.5 x 2.5 inch squares. Place about 1 tbsp. of the basil pesto filling onto each square and shape the caramelle.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add plenty of salt. Cook the caramelle until they float to the top, about 2-3 minutes.
In a large sauté pan over low heat, melt the butter. Strain the caramelle and add to the pan with the melted butter. Toss until combined.
Plate and top with the slow roasted tomatoes, balsamic glaze and shaved Parmigiano.