Beet-Colored Cappalletti W/t Goat Cheese, Chives and Lemon Zest

The intense color of beets makes this pasta dough very special. But when stuffed with goat cheese, chives and lemon zest, it creates a perfect pairing of taste, texture and color. Pure umami. Get ready for a little labor, as this recipe takes time.

What you will need for 6-8 servings:

the dough:

4 cups all purpose flour

4 small beets

2 large eggs

3 egg yolk

2 tablespoon olive oil

2 tsp salt

the filling:

half pound goat cheese

fromage blanc (optional)

one bouquet of chives

one lemon's zest

the sauce:

1 stick of butter

6 leaves of sage

salt

Put the beets in a dutch oven just covered with water, salt,and a tablespoon or two of apple cider vinegar and simmer for 40 minutes or until done. Let them cool then peel and cube them.

Place the beets in a blender with the whole eggs, egg yolk, oil and salt. Puree until smooth. Place the flour in a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, add the beet puree and mix on low speed until fully incorporated. The dough should not be wet, if it is, add a tablespoon more of flour. Once the dough is incorporated, knead it by hand for a least 10 minutes or until it turns smooth and elastic.

Place the dough in an lightly oiled bowl or on a cutting board with a little flour, cover it well and let it rest for 1 hour at room temperature. Meanwhile make the filling.

Mix the goat cheese, finely chopped chives and zest together. This mixture can be "diluted" with fromage blanc if available to make it slightly more creamy.

When ready, roll out the dough according to your pasta machine’s manufacture’s instructions. If you don’t have a pasta machine, you can roll it out by hand with a rolling pin.You will know the dough is thin enough when you can blow under the sheet and it ripples like flag in the wind. Make sure to flour the pasta after you cut it to prevent from sticking.

At this point, you have options. Ravioli, tortelli, pansotti, or any other stuffed pasta shapes. Here, I cut equal squares of pasta, put a teaspoon of filling in the center and folded to make a triangle. Then, I pat and sealed them. next step is to attach the two far ends by turning the stuffed side around your finger to shape it like a small hat. Make sure that the dough does not dry out too much, otherwise the cappelletti won’t close well.

Make a simple sauce by melting a half cup of salted butter in a pan with sage leaves on very low heat.

Cook the cappelletti in a large pan of salted, slightly boiling water for 4-6 minutes (depending on size) until just al dente, then drain and add to the butter sauce. Serve with a parmesan.