Mezzaluna is an Italian semi-circular stuffed pasta dish, similar to ravioli. Commonly filled with cheeses, mushrooms or spinach. The pasta generally contains eggs. So we will have to make a plan to Veganize this dish a bit… We will be making a basic egg-free pasta dough, stuffed with pulled mushrooms and basil pesto served with a creamy white wine sauce.
We are also going to make the pasta gourmet as f*meow*k by adding some Black Truffle Oil. The Truffle oil has a pungent earthy aroma and a taste difficult to explain. It is almost like a combination of olives, garlic, onion, miso, and some earthy spices… It’s a very full-bodied flavor.
The sauce will be oh so creamy and not too strong to give the Mezzaluna all the spotlight.
This dish is something one would make for someone really special… Or if you have to kiss ass badly!
Pulled Mushroom Mezzaluna
You want to “pull” (shred) the mushroom by running a fork through the mushroom’s flesh. Imagine you are brushing the mushroom’s hair with the fork. But you just remembered what the mushroom said about your mom, so you gradually start pressing harder and harder until the mushroom is completely shredded. Mince half an onion and one clove of garlic.
On medium-high heat with a little bit of oil, saute the onion until translucent. Add the Smoked Paprika, garlic, and shredded mushroom and cook until it starts to brown. Add a sachet of mushroom stock with 150 ml of water. Cook until the liquid has reduced. Place in a container to cool.
Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl. Add the and half a cup of water and stir. Gradually add more water until all the flour is incorporated. If the dough is too soft, add more of the Wheat Semolina. Place in airtight container and let rest for 30 minutes.
Roll the pasta dough out using a rolling pin or a pasta machine to a 1-2mm thickness. Dust with all-purpose flour to prevent sticking.
Cut +-9cm diameter discs out of the sheet using a cookie cutter, glass, knife or egg ring.
Hold a disc in the palm of your hand to form sort of a bowl for filling. Add half a tsp of basil pesto and roughly a Tsp of the mushroom mixture. Try to keep everything in the center of the disc. Dip your finger in water and run it along the rim of the disc. This will help the dough to adhere to itself.
Start folding the disc in half while pinching it closed from the bottom up. When you have a closed stuffed semi circle you can crimp the edge with a fork to prevent it from coming
loose again.
Get a pot or pan with water up to a rolling boil. Season the water with salt. Gently add the mezzaluna and cook for 3-4 minutes.
Place 1 cup of Cashews in a bowl with 1 Tsp of garlic powder, 1 Tsp of onion Powder, 1 Tsp of salt,1 Tbsp of Nutritional Yeast and 1 cup of boiling water.
Let soak for about 20 Minutes. Slice up half an onion,1 large clove of garlic and 3 Mini Sweet Peppers (Or one large) Half 12 Mini Roma Tomatoes and 1 punnet of Shimeji Mushrooms.
Cut and discard the bottom end of the Shimeji Mushrooms.
On medium-high heat, fry all in a saucepan until soft and season with a little salt and pepper. Add 100ml of white wine and cook until reduced by half.
Blend the cashew mixture until smooth and creamy. Add the cashew mixture to the saucepan and stir until it thickens up to your desired consistency
Add the sauce to the Mezzaluna and finish off with a good amount of a Vegan Parmesan style cheese.
Ingredients
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Martin Kotze
Martin lives in Kimberley and is an accomplished graphic designer, photographer and videographer. He runs his own business, Die Swart Kat Productions, where his love of photography, videography and food combine in his amazing shoots. His passion and flair for cooking was only enhanced when becoming vegan and trying new and exciting ways to cook. The amazing production of Martin’s YouTube videos and his witty take on delicious vegan dishes, make his channel a must-watch for veg and non-veg alike
