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food

Pasta Candies

What tastes like pasta, looks like candy, & makes you look good in the kitchen?

Pasta Candies

Ingredients

  • Pasta:
  • 2 medium beets
  • 1 egg plus 1 yolk
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • Filling:
  • 1 small butternut squash
  • 8 ounces chevre goat cheese
  • 1 tablespoon turmeric
  • 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
  • To assemble:
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 fennel bulb, sliced
  • Zest of one medium orange
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Steps

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Roast the beets and butternut squash (separately) in foil for 1 1/2 hours until very tender. Let cool. Peel the beets and scoop the squash out. Set aside in separate bowls.
  3. In a food processor, blend the beets into a smooth paste. Add the egg and yolk, and blend until combined. Add the flour a little at a time until the dough comes together. Knead on a floured surface for 10 minutes. Wrap in plastic wrap and let rest for an hour.
  4. In a medium bowl, mix the roasted squash with chevre and tumeric until well blended.
  5. Unwrap the dough and cut into 8 equal pieces. Using a rolling pin, roll the pasta out (flouring as needed) until about an 1/8 inch thick. Cut into 1 1/2-inch by 2-inch rectangles.
  6. With a spoon, place 1 1/2 teaspoons of filling into the center of the pasta square. Roll into a caramelle shape. Continue until all dough is used.
  7. Cook in boiling water for 4 minutes. Place cooked pasta in a colander.
  8. In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add sliced fennel and saute until crisping on the edges. Add filled caramelle pasta and orange zest, toss until combined.