Simple Filled Pasta Shapes: Mezzelune

Mezzelune literally translates to half moons, a perfect description of how these filled pasta shapes look. They are a perfect pasta to start with, and an ideal starting point to use as a basis for attempting more elaborate filled pasta shapes. By practicing to make mezzelune you will learn to gently remove all air pockets from around the filling and seal the sheets of pasta together firmly. These are fundamental techniques to ensure your pasta stays intact while cooking, without inflating and spilling its filling.

Ingredients

Basic egg pasta dough

Filling of your choice (try this simple whipped ricotta filling)

Tools

Pasta machine

Round raviolo cutter of 5cm diameter

Piping bag or teaspoon

Sheet your egg pasta dough to a medium-thin setting and place it on a lightly floured surface. Using your raviolo cutter, cut out circles of pasta dough. You will be able to cut around 50 circles. Remove the excess dough and place it back with the remaining dough. Using a piping bag or teaspoon, place a teaspoon of filling in the center of each circle, making sure to leave around a finger’s width free dough to the edges all around. Folding one end of the circle over the center, align the edges with the other end to create semi circles. Remove any air from around the filling by gently pressing it out with your fingertips, then pinch the edges together, moving from one corner of the semi circle to the other and thereby sealing the pasta firmly.