The half-moons with mushrooms and ricotta are one of the many versions we can make at home imitating the legendary Italian ‘sofficini.’ In another recipe, I made the stuffed half-moons with two fillings, the classic spinach and mozzarella and cooked ham and cheese, while in this one we will simply make them with sautéed mushrooms and fresh ricotta.
You can make them in the size you like, and today I chose a small calzone mold with a diameter of 6 inches, making 6 of them, also great for a vegetarian second dish. Moreover, after breading, you can fry them in hot oil or bake them in the oven.
They can be stored in the refrigerator before use, but I recommend putting them in the freezer and cooking them directly after taking them out without waiting for them to thaw.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very economical
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 6 Pieces
- Cooking methods: Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 cups milk
- 2 tbsps butter
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 7 oz button mushrooms, cooked, in a pan
- 5 oz ricotta
- 3 tsps grated Parmesan
- to taste salt and pepper
- 2 eggs
- to taste breadcrumbs
- vegetable oil (for frying)
Steps
Clean the button or champignon mushrooms, slice them and cook them in a pan with olive oil, a clove of garlic, salt, and parsley. Let them cool, draining off excess cooking water, and then chop them roughly. Add the ricotta, grated Parmesan, salt, and pepper to the mushrooms and set aside the filling mixture.
Following the basic steps from the first stuffed half-moon recipe, prepare the dough by putting the milk, butter, and salt in a non-stick pan. Heat it, then add the flour and mix until the dough is smooth and homogeneous, turn off the heat and let it cool slightly.
Place the dough on the work surface and knead it while warm, form a smooth and compact ball, and let it rest to cool. Wrap it in cling film.
Take the dough and roll it out with a rolling pin on a floured surface to a thin thickness of 1-2 millimeters.
With a pastry cutter of 6 inches in diameter, cut out discs. I used the medium-sized calzone mold, placed the disc on the mold, brushed the edges with water, and put 3 teaspoons of filling in the center.
Closing the mold with the pasta disc and filling easily forms the half-moons.
At this point, use a toothpick to make a small hole at both ends to release excess trapped air. Then place the prepared half-moons on a floured tray.
In a dish, beat the eggs with a pinch of salt and in another dish place the breadcrumbs.
Individually, dip the half-moons first in the beaten egg and then in the breadcrumbs.
As they are ready, place them back on a tray, then put them in the refrigerator or freezer before frying.
In a pan, pour the oil for frying the half-moons and wait until it’s hot.
Fry them one at a time over low heat for 4-5 minutes, until they are golden brown.
Drain them and place them on a paper towel before serving.
