Fazzoletti – “Hankerchiefs” with Lemon Cream, Pistachios, Spinach, and Slow-Roasted Tomatoes

From In the Hands of a Chef: Cooking with Jody Adams by Jody Adams and Ken Rivard (New York: William Morrow).

Makes four appetizer servings

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 medium shallots, 1 minced, 2 thinly sliced
1 cup heavy cream
Grated zest of 1 lemon
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ pound flat-leaf spinach, trimmed of thick stems, washed and dried

½ recipe Fresh Pasta or ½ pound of fresh pasta sheets

½ recipe Slow-Roasted Tomatoes, using 12 cherry tomatoes or 6 plum tomatoes or regular cherry tomatoes.
2 tablespoons pistachios, toasted and coarsely chopped
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan

1. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the minced shallot and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the cream and lemon zest and simmer until reduced by one-quarter. Skim off the foam that collects on top of the cream. Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat.

2. Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the sliced shallots and cook until they just begin to brown, 2 to 3 minutes (they’ll cook faster than the other shallot because the pan is hotter). Add the spinach, season with salt and pepper, and stir until wilted, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool.

3. Roll our pasta thin enough for ravioli (the #7 or #8 setting, depending on your machine). Lay the pasta sheets out on a floured countertop and use a pastry wheel to cut out 12 squares measuring 5 to 6 inches on a side. Discard the rest of the past. These ravioli squares don’t have to remain moist like classic ravioli because they’re cooked individually, like lasagna noodles. If they dry out a little while you’re bringing the water to boil, its okay.

4. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Prepare a bowl of ice water. Season with salt and add the pasta squares to the boiling water, stirring constantly, until cooked, about 1 minute. Scoop the pasta squares out of the pot and plunge them into the ice water, stirring until cool.

5. Preheat the over to 450˚F.

6. If using plum tomatoes, cut each half into 4 pieces. Coat the bottom of a shallow 2-quart gratin dish with ¼ cup of the lemon cream. Distribute 12 cherry tomato halves or 12 pieces of plum tomatoes over the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the pistachios.

7. Remove the pasta squares from the cold water, drain, and lay them out on a flat work surface covered with plastic wrap. Put a spoonful of spinach in the center of each square. To make the fazzoletti, fold each square in half to make a triangle, then fold in half again to make a smaller triangle. Arrange the fazzoletti in overlapping rows in the gratin dish. Pour the remaining sauce over the pasta. Scatter the remaining tomatoes over the top, and sprinkle with the remaining pistachios and the Parmesan.

8. Bake for 10 minutes, or until fazzoletti are brown and crispy. Serve immediately.

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