Recipe - Cappellettoni di Rape Rosse

Wine: Pair with Carlson Cougar Run Chardonnay

Recipe: Il Bistro Italiano, Grand Junction

Ingredients:
For the filling:

3-4 red beets
6-8 oz grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano cheese
1 cup good quality ricotta cheese
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp unsalted butter

For the pasta dough:

10 large eggs
2 pounds all purpose flour

For the artichoke sauce:

8-10 whole, good quality canned artichoke hearts
1 Tbsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup heavy cream
salt to taste

Directions:

1. Wash the beets, put them in a roasting pan, cover it with foil and roast them in a 450° oven until tender (it will take several hours, but the canned beets just don't do justice to beets.)

2. When the beets are tender, peel and puree them in a food processor.

3. Melt the butter in a large skillet and sweat the shallots in it until they are translucent. Add the beet puree and cook on low heat for 30-40 minutes.

4. Cool the filling, then add the parmesan and ricotta cheeses. Finish with salt and pepper to taste.

5. To make the pasta dough: in a food processor, mix the eggs and the flour and finish kneading the dough by hand for a few minutes. Alternatively, you can mix the dough completely by hand, just make sure you knead it well for at least 15-20 minutes. Let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes tightly covered in plastic.

6. Using a pasta machine, roll the dough into thin sheets.

7. Using the beet filling, make into ravioli or cappellettoni (Italian stuffed pasta shaped like hats).

8. Cook the pasta in salted boiling water until tender and serve with butter and parmesan or with artichoke sauce.

9. To make the artichoke sauce, melt the butter in a skillet, add the garlic and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes. Add the wine and the cream and reduce the sauce for 10 minutes or until the desired consistency. Salt to taste.