Mezzaluna di Zucchini al Pesto Half Moon Filled with Zucchini and Fresh Pesto
Ingredients (serves 4) Pastry: • 250 g flour • 125 g water • 40 g butter Filling: • 300 g zucchini • 100 g grated parmesean • 8 tbs olive oil • 3 gloves of garlic • bunch of thyme • 3 pinches of salt
Pesto: • 4 bunches of fresh basil • 1 clove of garlic • 4 T of parmesan cheese • 1 T of pecorino cheese • 2 T pine nuts • 1 cup of olive oil • 2 pinches salt • 1 pinch of white pepper
For the pastry, mix all of the ingredients together at the same time, kneading the dough with your hands, and working it as if you were making fresh pasta until you have a smooth, soft ball. Leave to set under a hot saucepan for 30 minutes.After this, enlarge the pastry with your hands, then roll out evenly on top of a clean teatowel. Wash and cut the zucchini, then sautè in olive oil, 3 pinches of salt, garlic (crushed with the back of a knife) and thyme for about 10 minutes on a medium flame (not covered). Let the zucchini mixture cool. Remove the leaves of basil from the stems and put in the blender together In with the other ingredients leaving the oil until the end. Mix on low speed for 3 seconds. Put the pesto in a bowl and stir with a wooden spoon. Add more salt and pepper to taste as needed. Take the pastry and arrange flat on a surface then place the grated zucchini mixture inside the dough. Then place the pesto on top of the zucchini mix. Next begin rolling the pastry and the mixture into a tube shape. Once this has been done, you can then bend gently into a 'Mezzaluna' (half moon) shape. Whisk the egg yolk and then brush lightly over the dough. Place in the oven for 25 minutes at 160 degrees. Serve hot.
Difficulty