What is Mezzaluna Pasta?
Mezzaluna pasta is a type of filled pasta which is made in a half moon shape, as its name implies: “mezzaluna” means “half moon” in Italian. This basic pasta shape is quite common; most markets probably carry mezzaluna pasta, and it is also possible to find it in restaurants. A wide variety of fillings and sauces may be used with mezzaluna pasta, ranging from vegan versions to rich, creamy meat and cheese incarnations.
Typically, mezzaluna pasta starts with a base of egg pasta, which is rolled out and then cut with a small die into circular shapes. This pasta tends to be small, requiring a delicate hand with the filling to ensure that the pasta is not overloaded. A dab of filling is placed on each circle and then the circles are folded over and crimped to ensure that they are sealed. The resulting pasta can be cooked immediately, kept under refrigeration for around a week, frozen for several months, or dried, depending on personal preference and the ingredients used.
Typically the ingredients in the filling are cooked before they are mixed and stuffed into the pasta. This ensures that they will be evenly cooked, creating a uniform texture and ensuring that the resulting pasta is safe to eat if it contains meats. All sorts of things can be used in fillings, like cheeses of varying flavors, meats, seafood, herbs, vegetables, mushrooms, and so forth. The wide variety of fillings can be paired with an assortment of sauces, ranging from delicate lemon caper sauces which complement truffle stuffed mezzaluna pasta to hearty meat sauces for cheese-stuffed pasta.
Fresh mezzaluna pasta should cook within a few minutes; it generally floats to the top of the cooking pot when it is finished. Dried pasta may take up to 15 minutes; follow the package directions if you are not sure. You should also put some thought into the filling of the pasta when considering a sauce. For example, a heavy sausage sauce would overwhelm mezzaluna pasta stuffed with seafood.
You can make mezzaluna pasta at home very easily. Start with your pasta dough of choice; for some variation, you could even add sundried tomatoes or spinach to the dough, especially if you want to make vegan mezzaluna. While the dough is resting, mix up a filling; many Italian cookbooks have fillings for stuffed pastas, and you can also invent your own. When the filling is mixed to taste, roll out the dough, cut it into circles, and start crafting pasta; if your mezzaluna have trouble staying shut, paint the edges with egg before crimping them together, encouraging a firm bond.
Written by S.E. Smith
