By Gretchen McKay, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
In my 9-to-5 life as a food writer and editor, I’m pretty adventurous.
An ever-growing library of cookbooks coupled with a hearty appetite for food-focused social media means I’m always finding new recipes that explore world cuisines, seasonal ingredients and unusual flavor combinations that I want to explore. It keeps me on my toes.
Dinner from one day to the next — which often results in leftovers for lunch the following afternoon — is usually something I’ve never made before but for whatever reason decided sounded delicious.
Yet when I’m cooking for myself or choosing a place to eat, I almost always fall back on a few tried-and-true family favorites. Boring, you might say, but there’s something really comforting about familiar foods.
The Sacchetti Con Pera and Gorgonzola at Amalfi Coast Italian Wine Bar in Stevensville on Maryland’s Eastern Shore is a prime example.
Every time my husband and I eat at the cozy Italian restaurant on Kent Island, I order the petite, homemade pasta “purses” filled with pears and cheese, topped with crushed walnuts and served in a bowl with gorgonzola sauce. They’re absurdly decadent and wonderfully rustic at the same time. Simply put, it’s Italian home cooking at its best.
As with many pasta dishes, the filling sets the tone for the accompanying sauce. The sweet, juicy flavor of pears pairs beautifully with the salty tang of Gorgonzola cheese, which is believed to have originated in Italy’s Lombardy region.
In January, when pears are easy to find alongside winter citrus and we crave comfort foods like pasta, the combination feels particularly enticing.
This recipe reflects my attempt to finally re-create what’s become one of my favorite restaurant dishes at home.
While the homemade pasta is super-easy to make and roll into sheets, twisting the sacchetti into the perfect little purse takes a bit of practice.
The pinched neck should be tight enough to keep the creamy filling inside the pocket, but still thin enough that it cooks completely. Otherwise, the pasta pouches will be chewy.
Also, while the cheese sauce is salty, you also want to be sure to salt the cooking water so the pasta is properly seasoned.
You can toss the cooked sacchetti in the sauce before serving it, or individually plate the pasta and spoon the sauce over.
Sacchetti with Pear and Gorgonzola
PG tested
Ingredients
For pasta:
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs
For filling:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium shallot, diced finely
- Salt
- 2 Anjou pears, peeled and diced small
- 1/4 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/4 cup Gorgonzola cheese
- Pepper, to taste
For sauce:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 shallot, minced
- 1 small clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
- 2 tablespoons grated or finely shredded Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- 3 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley, divided
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped toasted walnuts, plus more for serving
Preparation
Make pasta dough: Combine flour and eggs in bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, and mix on low speed until a ball of dough forms.
Continue to knead for 3 minutes, either by hand or in the mixer, so that the dough develops elasticity and silkiness.
Cover the ball of dough in plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before using. Alternatively, you can let the dough rest for up to 24 hours in the fridge.
Divide dough into six portions. Using a pasta machine or rolling pin on a floured surface, roll into thin sheets that are slightly translucent (you will be able to see your hand underneath).
Cut dough into 3-inch circles. (I used a pint glass dusted in flour). You should get about 48 circles.
Prepare filling: In a medium nonstick skillet, heat olive oil. Add shallot and a pinch of salt and saute until soft and just starting to brown.
Add diced pears and cook until they are soft but not mushy.
Remove mixture to a mesh sieve and cool for around 10 minutes. (Excess moisture will drain.)
Place cooled pears in a bowl and add ricotta, Gorgonzola and a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix well to combine, then cool in fridge while you prepare the sauce and bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
Make sacchetti: Take one pasta circle and add 1 teaspoon of filling to the middle. (Be careful not to overfill or it will ooze out of the top during cooking,)
Gather all of the sides and gently pull up and together to form a pouch. Pinch the dough together tightly at the neck and continue with remaining rounds.
Prepare sauce: Melt butter in a frying pan over medium heat. Add chopped shallot and cook until soft and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another minute.
Add cream, Gorgonzola, 2 tablespoons Parmesan, 2 tablespoons parsley and 2 tablespoons toasted walnuts, and cook until the cheeses melt and sauce thickens.
Cook pasta: Add sacchetti to boiling water and cook until they float, about 2 minutes. (You may want to taste one just to be sure.) Use a spider or slotted spoon to transfer the pouches to a wire cooling rack set over paper towels to drain.
Add pasta to sauce, toss to combine and ladle in bowls.(You may want to thin with a little of the hot pasta water.) Or, individually plate the pouches and pour sauce on top.
Top with chopped walnuts and remaining 1 tablespoon chopped parsley. If desired, garnish with additional Parmesan or serve it alongside.
Serves 6.
— Gretchen McKay, Post-Gazette
©2025 PG Publishing Co. Visit at post-gazette.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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