Beef Cheek Cappelletti

I got a new pasta machine for my birthday. It is most excellent and I've been thinking of recipes ever since. My love for pasta will never be dampened.

The first recipe I made was ravioli stuffed with a prawn and fennel mixture. While tasty swathed in their buttery lemon sauce, the pasta was a little too thick, even though the pasta had been rolled on its thinnest setting. My next venture was to make cappelleti; little parcels would mean less pasta and the ability to keep it light and delicate.

For the stuffing, I opted for a meaty number. Beef cheeks were simmered long and slowly in various aromatics until fork-tender. The resultant stock was then used to serve the cappelleti en brodo. It's not the quickest recipe to do, but they freeze well and are damn tasty.

Beef Cheek Cappelletti

Makes loads

1 beef cheek
1 carrot
2 sticks of celery
1 onion
1 bay leaf
1 sprig of rosemary
2 sprigs of thyme
1/2 a star anise

200gr pasta flour
2 eggs

Heat up some oil in a frying pan and brown the beef cheek on each side. Add to a large stock pot with all the rest of the ingredients, fill with water until the meat is covered and simmer very gently for 4 hours. Remove the meat and drain the liquid from the pot, straining the vegetables and herbs from it.

Leave the meat to cool and make your pasta dough in the meantime. Roll it out to its thinnest setting and then cut into squares. Flake the meat with a fork, season with salt and pepper. Add a small blob to the middle of the square and then use these instructions on folding them. Place on a floured plate.

To cook, add to a boiling pan of water and cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Heat up some of the broth made from cooking the beef cheek and season with salt. Serve the pasta in the broth.