Pasta Purses Recipes

PASTA PURSES

Steps:

• Cook purchased pasta purses (Borsetti), tortelloni, or mini ravioli according to package directions. Arrange on a large platter on top of room-temperature pesto sauce. Garnish with small basil leaves and grated cheese.

BEGGARS' PURSES

Steps:

• Make crêpe batter:
• Melt butter in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat and set aside 2 tablespoons for cooking crêpes. Continue to cook butter remaining in skillet until it has a nutty fragrance and is golden brown, about 2 minutes. Blend brown butter with remaining crêpeingredients, except chives, in a blender until smooth. Add chives and pulse 1 or 2 times to just combine. Let batter stand 30 minutes.
• Blend brown butter with remaining crêpe ingredients, except chives, in a blender until smooth. Add chives and pulse 1 or 2 times to just combine. Let batter stand 30 minutes.
• Blanch whole chives:
• Blanch chives in a small saucepan of boiling water 10 seconds. Drain and plunge into an ice bath. Pat dry.
• Make crêpes:
• Lightly brush skillet with butter, then heat over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Stir batter. With skillet off heat, add a scant 1/4 cup batter, tilting and rotating skillet to coat bottom. (If batter sets too fast, reduce heat slightly.) Cook until golden around edges, 15 to 30 seconds. Loosen with a heatproof plastic spatula, then flip crêpe over with your fingertips. Cook until underside is set, about 30 seconds. Slide onto a plate. Make more crêpes, brushing skillet with butter and stacking crêpes on plate.
• Assemble purses:
• Top each crêpe, browned side up, with about 1 1/2 tablespoons sour cream and 2 teaspoon caviar. Gather crêpe around filling and tie 1 or 2 blanched chives in a knot to close purse. Trim ends of chives if necessary.

GORGONZOLA PEAR PASTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a rolling boil. Cook the penne in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 11 minutes; drain.
• Return the drained pasta to the pot; stir the butter, Parmesan cheese, and Gorgonzola cheese into the pasta and place over medium heat; cook until the cheese is completely melted. Pour the cream into the pasta mixture; stir. Remove from heat and fold the pear into the pasta mixture. Top with walnuts. Season with pepper to serve.