culingionis with tomato sauce

culingionis con sugo di pomodoro

TOTAL TIME: 3 hours

MAKES: 6 servings

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Ingredients

SAUCE

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, sliced
1 cup water
1 (32-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes in juice, preferably San Marzano
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

PASTA

1 1/2 cups "00" flour
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon lukewarm water

FILLING

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh mint
1 garlic clove
10 1/2 ounces medium Yukon gold or new potatoes
1 pound Pecorino Romano Genuino, finely grated
Fine sea salt

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT: a potato ricer; a 3-inch round cutter.

Instructions

FOR SAUCE: Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 2 minutes. Add garlic, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for 10 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water and cook for 15 minutes.

Add remaining 1/2 cup water and cook until onions are well stewed and softened, and about 2 tablespoons water remains in pan, about 10 minutes more.

Add the tomatoes and their juices, and salt. Stir and break up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon. Bring to a very gentle simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour. Meanwhile, make pasta.

FOR PASTA: In a large bowl, whisk together "00" flour, all-purpose flour and salt. Mound flour mixture and form a well in the center. Add 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon water to the well. Using a fork, slowly incorporate flour from inside rim of well. Continue until liquid is absorbed, then knead in bowl until dough forms a complete mass. Transfer to a well-floured work surface and knead for 3 to 4 minutes more. Wrap dough tightly in plastic wrap and let

rest for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, make filling.

For filling: In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat; add onion, mint and garlic; reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat.

Put potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover with water by 2 inches. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 18 to 20 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes; drain and pass through ricer into a large bowl. Add 4 cups cheese; stir to combine, then stir in onion mixture.

When sauce is done, remove from heat. Pass through a food mill, then return to saucepan; set aside.

Divide pasta dough into four pieces. Cover 3 pieces with plastic wrap. Flatten dough so that it will fit through the rollers of a hand-cranked pasta machine. Set rollers of pasta machine at the widest setting, then feed pasta through rollers 3 or 4 times, folding and turning pasta until it is smooth and the width of the machine. Roll pasta through machine, decreasing the setting one notch at a time (do not fold or turn pasta), until pasta sheet is about 1/16 inch thick. Using a 1 3/4-inch round cutter, cut the sheet into rounds; repeat with remaining dough (keep dough, sheets and rounds covered with a clean dish towel while rolling and cutting to avoid drying).

Put 1 packed tablespoon filling in center of 1 dough round; press filling gently to slightly spread. Fold edges of dough around filling and tuck and pinch to create closed hinges and “swaddle” filling with dough. Transfer culingiones to a lightly floured baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. (The culingiones can be prepared and frozen for up to 3 months. To freeze freshly made culingiones, freeze them first on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Once frozen, transfer culingiones to well-sealed, airtight plastic freezer bags and keep frozen until ready to cook. Do not defrost before cooking.)

TO SERVE: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, gently reheat sauce. In batches of 10 to 15, cook culingiones in water until tender about 3 minutes (frozen pasta may take another minute or two longer). Using a slotted spoon, transfer culingiones to a large serving bowl. Add sauce and toss to combine. Serve immediately, sprinkled with remaining cheese.

December 2010