From the Competition to Your Kitchen: Our 6 Favorite Filled Pastas

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Surprise, Dom’s back! Our unsuspecting final three contestants, Eddie, Jay and Arnold, were all shocked to see the scrappy Star Salvation winner return for one last battle. Dom impressed the judges with his homemade agnolotti pasta and best on-camera appearance yet, and he edged Arnold out and joined Eddie and Jay for a final spot to make a pilot.
We were excited to see that New York City’s amazing restaurant and food diversity was inspiration for all of three of the guys' pilots. We share the same enthusiasm and are super-lucky that Food Network Kitchen lives inside Chelsea Market, an indoor food hall with more than 35 food vendors! Needless to say, it’s food paradise. So, inspired by Dom’s delicate little agnolotti, we wandered down to Giovanni Rana — makers of beautiful, high-quality fresh pasta — to find some other stuffed versions. We also visited Russo's Mozzarella and Pasta in the East Village to pick up some of their agnolotti and tortellini.
Here’s what we learned about each (clockwise from top left):
Girasoli: Girasole is Italian for “sunflower.” This rounded, oval-shaped pasta is essentially a ravioli shaped like its namesake. Serve with any sauce you would a ravioli.
Ravioli: America’s most-popular pasta pillow can be found in both round and square shapes, and it's filled with everything from cheese to short ribs. Giovanni Rana also makes a beet version in which beet juice is used to dye the pasta.
Agnolotti: This is a favored pasta of the Piedmont region of Italy; the name translates into “priests' hats.” It’s essentially a ravioli folded over. Sometime it’s pinched or folded again (like how Dom makes them). They’re great with Bolognese or a simple marinara.
Mezzalune: With a name that literally means “half-moons,” these stuffed pastas are cousins to ravioli and can be filled with just about anything. Giovanni Rana makes a delicious lobster version.
Tortellini: Loosely translated, this familiar navel-shaped pasta means “bellybuttons.” They're traditionally served in a rich chicken broth.
Cappelletti: A Christmastime favorite, cappelletii means “little hats.” You’ll most likely find them filled with meat and served in a rich chicken broth.
Watch who is crowned our next Food Network Star on Sunday at 9|8c.
Photo courtesy of Heather Ramsdell