Italian ravioli, Russian pelmeni and Hungarian húsos derelye are all poached pasta with meat filling. But that is where the similarities end. Made with ground beef or veal, ravioli is spicy and pelmeni is bland. On the other hand, Hungarian derelye is filled with lightly seasoned ground pork and is served with sour cream. Meat filled derelye is fairly large, about 4 by 4 inches. You can use fresh lasagne sheets; but I prefer to make my own pasta with my hand cranked pasta machine.
Lean ground pork is sold in stacks of 6 inch strips where we live. I found the easiest way to break up the strands is to chop them with kitchen shears. I like to precook the filling, that way I don’t have to worry about undercooked meat or overcooked pasta.
Lean ground pork is sold in stacks of 6 inch strips where we live. I found the easiest way to break up the strands is to chop them with kitchen shears. I like to precook the filling, that way I don’t have to worry about undercooked meat or overcooked pasta.
MEAT FILLED PASTA
Pasta:
3 cups flour
4 eggs
pinch of salt
1 egg white
2+1 Tbsp butter
Filling:
1 Tbsp olive oil
220g lean ground pork
2 Roma tomatoes, skinned and chopped
1 Hungarian banana pepper sliced
1 green onion chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 sprigs of flat leaf parsley
1 tsp Hungarian paprika
salt and pepper to taste
• Combine 3 cups flour, 4 eggs and salt and knead it smooth and velvety into fairly firm dough.
• Shape it into a ball, wrap in plastic and let it rest for 30 minutes. This will make the dough soft and easy to roll out.
• Meanwhile prepare the filling.
• In a non-stick skillet slowly begin to sauté the ground pork.
• When the meat is no longer pink, one by one start chopping and adding the rest of the ingredients.
• Give the meat a stir after each addition.
• After the parsley is added, remove the skillet from heat.
• Stir in the paprika and season with salt and pepper.
• Next roll the dough out very thinly and cut it into 4X4 inch squares.
• Divide the filling on the squares.
• Fold each square into a triangle, enclosing the filling, and press down firmly on the edges. [Commercial fresh pasta may require egg wash to glue the pasta edges together. You don’t want the pasta to separate and the filling escaping into the cooking water. Whisk an egg white lightly and trhen brush the dough between the heaps of filling with it.
• Press in between the heaps of filling.
• Cook in boiling salted water in a covered saucepan for 8 to10 minutes.
• When the pasta squares are cooked transfer them to a sieve to drain.
• Place in a serving bowl and pour 1 Tbsp melted butter on the top.
• Serve hot with green onions and sour cream.
• Yield 3 to 4 servings
