Recipe - Cappellacci (Stuffed Pasta Squares)

PASTA SQUARES
4 Eggs
2 teaspoon Oil
One half teaspoon Salt
2 cup Flour

TOMATO SAUCE
1 md Onion; finely chopped
5 Garlic cloves; crushed
10 tablespoon Olive oil
2 cn Italianstyle tomatoes
(14 One half oz. size cans)
cut in small pieces
8 Fresh basil sprigs
2 teaspoon Salt
Pepper
1 tablespoon Sugar

FILLING
1 One half pound Ricotta cheese
Three fourths pound Spinach; cooked and chopped
1 teaspoon Ground nutmeg
4 Eggs
Grated Parmesan
=OR= Sharp pecorino cheese
Salt, pepper

FOR COOKING WATER
1 tablespoon Oil

Combine 4 eggs, 2 teaspoons oil and One half teaspoon salt in bowl and whisk
until well blended. Add flour, a little at a time, beating after each
addition. Turn out onto wellfloured board and knead several minutes until
dough is firm and smooth but not dry. Add more flour if necessary to
prevent sticking. Cover and let stand at slightly warm temperature about 30
minutes to ripen. Cut dough in 2inch portions and roll out slightly to
flatten enough to fit into pasta machine. Roll in machine starting with
thickest setting and progressing to next to finest setting until pasta is
very thin (expansion takes place during cooking). Continue until all dough
is rolled into strips. Place strips on floured board and sprinkle lightly
with flour. Cut in 4inch squares and let rest 10 minutes before filling
and cooking. Meanwhile, to make sauce, saute onion and garlic in olive oil
until golden. Add undrained tomatoes, basil and 2 teaspoons salt. Season
with pepper to taste. Bring to boil and simmer 15 minutes. Add sugar at
last minute. To make filling, combine ricotta, drained spinach, nutmeg, 4
eggs and Parmesan to taste in bowl and mix well. Season to taste with salt
and pepper. Bring large pot of generously salted water to boil. Add 1
tablespoon oil. Drop each piece of pasta into boiling water and cook 3 to 4
minutes, or just until pasta floats to surface. Remove at once and plunge
into bowl filled with ice water 1 minute. Drain pasta on clean cloth to
prevent sticking. Place 1 tablespoon filling in center of each pasta
square. Fold square into triangle, then again into smaller triangle. Press
edges to seal. Pour layer of tomato sauce in large baking pan. Arrange
cappellacci in rows, slightly overlapping. Cover with remaining sauce and
sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese. Bake at 400F 5 to 7 minutes.

From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini