Home made stuffed pasta

What this is is a combination of two different styles of stuffed pasta, Cappelletti and Tortelli. Both are amazing on their own in shape and size but I just love how the combination has come together, don't you?? These are stuffed with a four cheese bechamel sauce. The cheeses are Mascapone, Asiago, mozzarella, and Pecorino.

I'm sorry to say that when I made this dish I didn't write down the the measurements of all the ingredients that i used, but i can give you the guide lines and hope it help you out.

In a pot melt about 1/3 a cup of butter and toss in some garlic and thyme and cook until the garlic gets soft, then start to cook in flour until you have a nice thick roux, cook the roux until golden brown and then mix in your milk and cook until thick and you cant taste the flour, then use a hand blender to just blitz it all up. Now your ready to start mixing in your cheese. You can make a choice in how much you want to put in, whether it's a little or alot it should be fine. Once the bechamel has cooled down fill your pastry bag and tie off then place in fridge to chill and so it will become a little thicker. It's ready when it keeps it's form when you speeze it out onto a flat surface.

The pasta dough is much simpler.

6 egg yolks

2 cups of white flour

1 teaspoon of kosher salt

Place the flour on your pastry board and sprinkle the salt over it, use your fingers to create a well in the and place the egg yolks in. Now whisk them up without spilling them everywhere and start to mix them into the flour slowly. Once mixed in start to knead the dough, and keep kneading until it's nice and smooth.

Now what you need to do is set up you pasta machine to roll it all out. and remember to roll it out one chunk at a time on a heavily floured machine or the dough might stick. Once it's all been rolled out take your filling out of the fridge and cut all the pasta sheets into the right size with a scalloped pasta cutter. Now place a large dollop of the filling in the middle of each sheet and brush the pasta with an egg wash so it will "glue" together and fold it over and press down. not that you have your "Tortelli" done it's time for that last fold. Sorry I didn't get a picture of it for you guys, but it's fairly simple, just take the two corners at the folded side and squeeze down on them hard to press them together. Now all you need to do is cook them for 6-8 minutes in a pot of salted boiling water.

The sauce is simple a delicious.

In a pot, tomatoes, basil, oregano, peppercorns. Cook until the tomatoes become soft, add some chicken stock and then take your hand blender to blitz it all up, then leave to simmer on the stove stirring every 5-6 minutes until you reach your preferred flavour.

The basil oil is easy, just put basil and olive oil in a blender and put it on high. the oil will be ready when there's steam coming off of it. Tape a coffee filter into a bowl and strain it that way.

now all you need to do is plate !!! and don't forget you reggiano to top everything !!!! 

You know, all this typing has made me hungry...so have a great day every one and have a great meal!!! I hope you have as much fun making this as I did, let me know how it turns out for you. This is your Chef De Cuisine say see ya.