Sacchetti alla Fiesolana

Difficulty Level: Difficult

Total Time: 2 hours

Serving Size: 2-4 servings

Ingredients:

Sacchetti:

• 1 cup ‘00’ wheat flour

• 1/2 cup semolina flour

• 2 eggs, 2 yolks

• 1 cup whole milk ricotta

• 1/2 cup Mascarpone

• 1/3 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated

• 1/4 tsp. salt

Fiesolana Sauce:

• 14 oz. tomato passata

• 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

• 1/4 yellow onion, chopped

• 4 garlic cloves, minced

• 6 pieces speck or pre-cooked smoked bacon, coarsely chopped

• 1/4 tsp. salt

• 1 cup heavy cream

• 1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated

• 1 tbsp. Italian parsley, finely chopped

Directions:

Sacchetti:

1. 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.

2. For the filling, add the ricotta, Mascarpone, Parmigiano and salt to a mixing bowl or stand mixer and mix until combined. Add the filling to a piping bag and set aside.

3. After the dough has rested, divide into four even pieces and roll out into long, thin sheets. (7 on the Marcato Atlas pasta machine or KitchenAid pasta roller attachment).

4. Cut the dough into round circles using a round cookie cutter, about 4 inches in diameter. Place about 1 tbsp. of the filling onto each circle and shape the sacchetti.

Sacchetti alla Fiesolana:

1. Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over low heat and sauté the onion until soft and translucent, about 3-5 minutes. Add the speck and minced garlic and sauté for a further 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.

2. Add the tomato passata and salt to the pot. Stir and let simmer over low heat for about 30 minutes to let the flavors meld together. This step is critical so the sauce will have that smoky flavor from the speck.

3. While the sauce is simmering, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add plenty of salt. Cook the sacchetti until they float to the top, about 2-3 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water.

4. Remove the sauce from heat and stir in the heavy cream and grated Parmigiano. Add more salt to taste.

5. Strain the sacchetti and add to a large sauté pan along with the Fiesolana sauce and 1/4 cup pasta water. Toss over high heat. Add more pasta water as needed.

6. Plate and top with parsley and more grated Parmigiano and serve!