Tubetti di Formaggio con Sugo Piccante (Cheese Tubes with Spicy Sauce)

I used the extra pasta dough from here and extra ricotta from here to create these cheese sticks.  These are a homemade replacement for mozzarella sticks and marinara sauce.

Ingredients

• Homemade pasta dough (see recipe)
• Ricotta cheese
• 1/2 red onion, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tomatoes, peeled and finely diced
• Black pepper
• Red pepper flakes
• Splash of balsamic vinegar

Directions

1. After the pasta dough has been made, the tubes are a snap - simply roll out small portions (pasta thickness) into small oval or rectangular shapes (approximately 5" wide by 4" high)
2. Spread a small dollup (~1 t.) of ricotta along the edge closest to you, leaving about 1/2 inch on either side
3. Carefully roll the pasta into a tube
4. Seal the ends with the tines of a fork
5. The tubes can either be placed aside or refrigerated while you prepare the sauce
6. In a small sauce pan, sauté the garlic and onions with extra virgin olive oil until tender
7. Add the tomatoes and a good dose of black pepper
8. Add the red pepper flakes (the amount of red pepper you use is your decision, but I prefer this sauce spicy)
9. Add a bit of water for the flavors to saucify in
10. Mix in a splash of balsamic vinegar
11. Reduce heat to a simmer, mixing frequently, until the sauce has achieved its desired consistency
12. Bring out the tubetti from wherever you were storing them
13. Cover the bottom of a large sauté pan with extra virgin olive oil and bring up to medium-high heat
14. One by one, carefully lay the tubetti in the hot oil, seam side up
15. After one or two minutes, the bottom of the tubetti should be brown and crispy, flip them over and cook the other side
16. Lay out the cooked tubetti on a plate covered in paper towel to absorb the excess oil
17. Serve immediately with the sauce for dipping