Mascarpone Raviolini

• 1 1/2 cup mascarpone
• 1/2 cup finely grated Pecorino cheese
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 batch fresh pasta dough
• Extra virgin olive oil

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the mascarpone, Pecorino, and about 1/3 teaspoon salt and about 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Adjust the seasoning to taste and put the mixture in a piping bag fitted with a 1/4-inch tip.

Lightly flour a baking sheet and your work surface. Roll out the pasta dough using the thinnest setting on your pasta machine. Using a 1 1/2–inch round cutter, cut out the rounds of pasta. Working in batches, place about 20 rounds down on your work surface (cover the rest with plastic wrap or a towel). Pipe about 1/2 teaspoon of the cheese filling onto the center of 10 rounds. Using a small pastry brush, lightly moisten one side of one of the other 10 rounds with water. Place that round, moistened side down over a round with the filling. Gently press the two rounds together, first very gently near the center by the filling to force out any air bubbles and then more forcefully to seal the edges together to for the raviolini. For a better seal and a more uniform look, use a slightly smaller round cutter, dull side down, to press and seal the edges together.

Place the raviolini on the baking sheet and refrigerate until ready to cook.

To cook, drop the raviolini into a pot of boiling salted water. Stir gently and let cook until they float, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the raviolini from the water with a slotted spoon, coat them with a little extra virgin olive oil to keep them from sticking, and use to garnish the bean soup.

Recipe adapted from Stir: Mixing it up in the Italian Tradition by Barbara Lynch, Barbara Lynch Gruppo