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    Home » How-To

    Caramelle: Candy-Shaped Pasta with Squash Filling

    Published: Mar 4, 2023 Modified: Mar 27, 2023 by Alan Bergo This post may contain affiliate links 5 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

    If you've made ravioli or other filled pastas and found them difficult, caramelle is a great shape to try. They're one of the easiest filled pastas I know how to make. Read on and I'll explain what they are, how to form them, and a few different ways they can be served.

    Caramelle pasta with walnut sauce and birch syrup
    With black walnut sauce, butternuts / white walnuts and birch syrup.

    What is Caramelle Pasta?

    Also known as candy pasta, caramelle is an obscure filled pasta shaped like a caramel candy. The history seems a little unclear, but I'd wager it originated in Northern Italy as their caramelle recipes use ingredients like mortadella di Bologna and strachino cheese, which are Northern Italian ingredients.

    Caramelle pasta on a tray dusted with cornmeal
    Twist the ends to make a candy shape.

    Squash or Pumpkin Filling

    Squash or pumpkin filling is a great Fall or Winter filling for caramelle. This is the perfect place to use winter squash like hubbard or buttercup, but I think creamy, custardy kabocha squash makes the best version.

    kabocha squash on a table
    Kabocha squash.


    Making the Carmelle Pasta Shape

    Cut a 12-inch sheet of pasta dough in half, then cut into four three-inch rectangles, pipe a little filling on each rectangle, roll them up and twist the ends in opposite directions to make a candy shape. Some recipes cut two inch squares to make a smaller version.

    Cut a sheet of dough in half, then into rectangles. Put a small amount of filling on each and twist into the shape of a wrapped candy.


    Chef's Tips

    • Put the squash filling in a pastry bag for easy portioning.
    • You can substitute mascarpone cheese for half of the squash filling, or use cheese mixed with herbs as with ricotta caramelle.
    • I make filled pasta in a big batch on the weekend, then freeze them to eat throughout the week.
    • It's fine if the caramelle don't all look the same as this is a rustic pasta. If I want to make them quickly, I make them larger. If I have time, I'll make them smaller.
    • Dust the caramelle with semolina or cornmeal to prevent sticking.
    A piping bag filled with squash filling
    three sizes of caramelle pasta
    A pastry bag makes filling easy. You can also make different sizes depending on how you want to serve them.


    How to Serve Caramelle


    It's best to keep the sauce and garnishes simple to show off the candy shape. Brown butter sauce is very good. If I fill them with cheese I might serve them on homemade tomato sauce.

    Caramelle pasta with brown butter and sage
    Brown butter sage sauce.
    Caramelle pasta with brown butter, spinach and mushrooms
    Brown butter, spinach and golden oyster mushrooms.
    Caramelle pasta with truffled butter
    Tossed with melted butter.

    In the video I demonstrate 3 different brown butter sauces and a creamy black walnut sauce drizzled with birch syrup or balsamic reduction. You can also just toss them with melted butter and a little parmesan cheese.

    caramelle pasta with walnut sauce and birch syrup
    Print Recipe
    5 from 6 votes

    Caramelle: Candy-Shaped Pasta with Squash Filling

    Candy-shaped filled pasta with a creamy stuffing of winter squash served with a walnut sauce. Makes about 2 lbs of finished caramelle, roughly 8 entrées or 12 appetizer portions. Walnut sauce serves 2 people.
    Prep Time1 hr
    Cook Time10 mins
    Total Time1 hr 10 mins
    Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Pasta
    Cuisine: Italian
    Keyword: Caramelle pasta
    Servings: 8 Servings
    Calories: 322kcal
    Author: Alan Bergo
    Cost: 10

    Equipment

    • Spray bottle
    • Pasta roller
    • Stand mixer
    • Rolling Pin

    Ingredients

    Pasta Dough

    • 8 oz all purpose or 00 flour
    • 5 large egg yolks
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
    • A few tablespoons of cold water to help the dough come together

    Winter Squash Filling

    • 1 lb ( or 2 cups) mashed winter squash such as kabocha, hubbard, or buttercup
    • ¼ cup heavy cream warmed
    • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
    • ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
    • Fresh grated nutmeg to taste
    • A few grinds of fresh ground black pepper

    Black walnut sauce (optional)

    • 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
    • ½ teaspoon minced garlic optional
    • ½ cup heavy cream
    • 2 tablespoons crushed walnuts I used black walnuts
    • Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
    • Birch syrup balsamic vinegar reduction, or Saba, to garnish
    • Pinch of fresh chopped thyme optional
    • Splash of dry white wine

    Instructions

    Pasta Dough

    • Combine the flour, salt and egg yolks in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix with the paddle attachment for a minute drizzling in a tablespoon or two of water. Switch to the dough hook and knead to a smooth dough. Remove the dough, wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

    Squash filling

    • Put 1 lb of still hot, squash in a food processor with the remaining filling ingredients except the cheese. Season with a little nutmeg and salt, then stir in the cheese. Put the filing into a disposable pastry bag and reserve.

    Filling the caramelle

    • Using a lightly floured work surface, cut off ¼ of the dough and roll out to the thinnest setting on the pasta machine. Keep the rest of the dough until towel as you work. Please refer to the video here.
    • After you've rolled out the dough cut it into 12 inch sheets. Lightly spritz the dough with a water bottle to help seal the edges. Cut the dough in half lengthwise, then cut the two strips of dough into 3 inch rectangles.

    Shaping the caramelle

    • Pipe about 2 teaspoons of filling into the middle of each rectangle, then roll them over and twist the edges to form a candy shape.
    • Place the caramelle on a baking sheet lined with parchment dusted with semolina or cornmeal. The pasta can be frozen and transferred to a bag in the freezer. Frozen filled pasta will last for a month.

    Walnut Sauce (optional)

    • Melt the butter in a 10 inch saute pan over medium heat. Add the crushed walnuts and garlic.
    • Heat until the nuts are golden, then deglaze with a splash of wine and reduce by half. Add the cream and simmer for a minute until barely thickened. Add salt and fresh thyme to taste.
    • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the caramelle until they float and are tender, about 2-3 minutes fresh, or 4-5 minutes if frozen. Remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl and toss with a knob of butter or olive oil.
    • Divide the walnut sauce between two warmed pasta bowls, then arrange the caramelle on top. Drizzle with a thread of birch syrup or balsamic reduction, garnish with parmesan, and a few extra walnuts and serve.

    Video

    Notes

    • Sometimes I make the filling with squash and soft cheese like mascarpone, or ricotta.
    • If you don’t want to make pasta dough, you can use wonton wrappers.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 4oz | Calories: 322kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 164mg | Sodium: 400mg | Potassium: 278mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 6721IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 91mg | Iron: 2mg

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Cheryl

      March 04, 2023 at 9:17 am

      This looks so good, and the little pastas are so cute, I can't wait to try it.

      Reply
    2. Thea

      March 04, 2023 at 11:12 am

      5 stars
      Looking forward to giving this a try. So much prettier than ravioli!

      Reply
    3. Claire

      March 27, 2023 at 6:14 pm

      Hello Alan - where the recipe says "1 lb 2 cups mashed winter squash" - is that 1lb plus 2 cups, or does it mean that 1lb should come to about 2 cups volume-wise? Thank you!

      Reply
      • Alan Bergo

        March 27, 2023 at 7:38 pm

        It means 1 lb is two cups, I should add something to clarify that. Thanks.

        Reply
        • Claire

          March 28, 2023 at 4:41 pm

          Thank you!

          Reply

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    Chef Alan Bergo

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