I am always looking for pasta shapes, which are hard for me to find. This week I found mafaldine. This fairytale name belongs to a veritably “regal” shape of pasta, since the Mafaldine were dedicated by Neapolitan people to Princess Mafalda di Savoia.

They have a long form, like a ribbon enriched by precious curling, which stays in its shape even after cooking.
Their secret is a certain irregularity in the consistency, between the flat centre part and the curling on the edges: a characteristic that allows this shape to blend with the most refined sauces while maintaining the pasta’s flavour. Mafaldine love rich and sumptuous recipes that evoke erstwhile banquets of Italian noble families.

Mafaldine with beef ragout and oregano

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My mother in law grew fava beans for me, podded and froze them. I didn’t know what to do and asked my tried-and-true recipe file. It brought to light a typical dish from Schleswig-Holstein like Pears, beans and bacon – Birnen, Bohnen und Speck, but this time the alternative with pasta.
 
 

Spaghetti with Fava Sauce and Pear Puree

The boys were pleased, so was I.

At first I prepared the spaghetti with my pasta attachment and precooked them
following this instructions

-=========	REZKONV-Recipe – RezkonvSuite v1.4
Title:	Spaghetti with Fava Sauce and Pear Puree
Categories:	Pasta
Yield:	4 Servings

Ingredients

H			FAVA SAUCE
400	grams		Fava beans, frozen, about 235 g skinned

			Salt
100	grams		Bacon, diced
1	small		Onion, chopped
1	clove		Garlic, chopped
400	ml		Vegetable stock
1	teasp.		Sugar
H			PEAR PUREE
2			Pears (à ca 250 g)
3	tablesp.		Lemon juice
20	grams		Sugar
150-200	ml		Pear juice
20	grams		Butter
H			PASTA
100	grams		Pecorino, grated
			Pepper
4	servings		Spaghetti precooked

Source

	adapted from
	http://www.essen-und-trinken.de/rezept/1440

	Edited *RK* 09/10/2007 by
	Ulrike Westphal

Directions

1. Skin the thawed fava beans. Heat a large, non-stick saucepan and tip in the bacon. Fry for a few mins over a medium heat, until the fat has started to come out of the bacon. Remove bacon and drip on a kitchen towel exept for 10 grams. To the remaining fat and bacon add onion, garlic and beans and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add stock and simmer for further 4 to 5 minutes. Add the sugar and puree until smooth. Season if necessary and reduce until viscid consistency.

2. Peel and score pears. Cut into small pieces and mix with the lemon juice. Caramelize the sugar in a saucepan and deglaze with pear juice and cook until the sugar has dissolved. Add the pears and simmer for further 8 to 10 minutes and puree with a blender.

3. Warm 250 ml reserved cooking water from the pasta in a saucepan, add 60 g pecorino and season with pepper. Add the precooked pasta and some of the fava sauce. Mix well.

4. Divide sauce, spaghetti und pear puree between 4 warmed plates, sprinkle with pecorino and dripped bacon. Serve with remaining sauce, puree and cheese.

=====

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As a proud owner of a pasta attachment it’s a must not to buy pasta. This week I made ravioli. At first I prepared the pasta dough from 140 g all purpose flour, 60 g semolina, 2 eggs, 2 tablespoons olive oil and a pinch of salt. I wrapped it into clingfilm and let it rest in the fridge over night. Divide dough into 4 pieces before processing with the roller attachment. Roll out pasta, cut circles with the ravioli maker and fill.

For the filling you need:
1 small Hokkaido pumpkin, seeded
1 clove garlic, peeled and halved,
1 stripe each orange zest, lemon zest
3 tablespoons brown butter
1 – 2 tablespoons bread crumbs
1 tablepoon parmesan cheese, grated
50 g greek yoghurt, drained
salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Preheat oven to 200 °C. Cut pumpkin into 1 inch cubes. Line a baking sheet with aluminium foil, give pumpkin, garlic, thyme, zests and a pinch of thyme on the foil and close like a parcel. Bake about 1 hour until the pumpkin is tender. Open foil carefully and remove spices. Drain pumpkin through a cloth to remove any excess liquid and purée. You’ll need 200 grams puréed pumpkin. Add yoghurt, brown butter, cheese, bread crumbs and season to taste.

Cook the ravioli about 3 to 4 minutes in salted and boiling water. Remove ravioli with a slotted spoon In a saucepan heat 80 ml vegetable stock, garlic, butter and thyme and turn the ravioli. Serve pumpkin ravioli with brown butter, grated cheese and enjoy.

Pumpkin ravioli

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