Ricotta and Chive-filled Mezzelune with Yellow Pepper

Place drained ricotta in medium mixing bowl.  Add Parmesan, pinch of salt, and minced chives. Blend well with wooden spoon, adjust to taste with salt.

Set aside.

In medium bowl, blend semola flour with eggs, knead to reach smooth, soft consistency that holds its shape when formed into ball.

Continue kneading dough with your palm on floured working space. Knead until dough is soft, elastic, and compact. Shape dough into ball, cover with plastic wrap to maintain elasticity.

Rest at room temperature for at least 15 minutes.

Peel and finely mince yellow or golden onion, set aside.  Peel and cube potato, set aside.  

Heat medium sauté pan, coat bottom with extra-virgin olive oil. Add chopped onions, cook until slightly transparent and softened. Add cubed potatoes and cook several minutes.

Cut pepper in half, remove inner seeds and membranes. Cut into thin slices, add to pan with potato and onions.

Add small amount of water, adjust to taste with salt. Cover pan, stew over very low heat at least 30 minutes until potato and pepper are softened and cooked through.

Remove from heat, put mixture into blender and blend to create smooth, amalgamated cream.

Remove plastic wrap, and shape into rectangle approximately the width of your pasta machine. Begin rolling out dough using prepared pasta machine, generously dusting machine with semola to prevent dough from sticking.

Flatten dough through machine until desired thickness is reached, adjusting knobs to make dough thinner with each passage.

Dust working space well with semola. Place pasta sheet on top of work space, and with round pasta cutter, cut individual shapes, being sure to cut dough as neatly as possible without creating waste.

With pastry brush, gently brush water on top of each shape. Place small teaspoon of filling slightly off center on each shape. Cover shape by lifting up larger side and cover filling entirely.

Using fingers, gently press down around filling, eliminating as much air as possible. Press borders down firmly to seal. Join two points of each sealed pasta shape to create mezzelune form.

Dust tray with semola flour, and place completed mezzelune shapes on top.

Bring pot of salted water to boil. Add mezzelune and cook 2-3 minutes.

Drain, set aside. Place ladleful of pepper cream onto individual serving dishes, and mezzelune on top of cream.

Garnish with a bit of shredded basil and a dusting of grated Parmesan cheese. Serve promptly.