Fresh Herb and Cheese Ravoili

I have a pretty intense herb garden growing on my roof right now. After making mountains of pesto, I have been looking for other ways to use herbs in bulk. Personally, I find plain cheese ravioli to be pretty boring. It can be creamy and delicious, but after a few bites, I get it and want to move on. This recipe takes plain cheese ravioli to a new place and helps it stand up to sauces better than the standard variety. For expediencies sake, I made this batch of ravioli with pre-made wonton wrappers that I had in my fridge. The flavor is a little different than a typical pasta dough, but they are thin, perfectly cut and allow for the making of fresh pasta without making a mess of the kitchen. It also worked out fabulously with last nights Olympics matches, I set up a little ravioli making station on my coffee table and produced a freezer's worth of ravioli while watching the games.

     



















Ingredients
1 package of pre-made wonton wrappers
1/2 log of goat cheese at room temperature (about 2 ounces)
3/4 cup of ricotta cheese
1/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup fresh chopped herbs (basil, thyme, oregano, chives)
1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
juice of 1/2 lemon

1. Combine the cheese, herbs and seasoning in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Taste and re-season accordingly.

2. Put a heaping teaspoon into the center of each wrapper. Dip your finger in water and wet the edge of the wrapper all the way around. Place the top wrapper on and push the edges down to seal. Try to get as much air out of the center as possible.

3. Place ravioli in a large boiling pot of water. They should cook in 2-3 minutes and will float when done.

4. Top with pesto and a little fresh cracked pepper.

Lemon & Goat Cheese Ravioli with Tarragon and Pink Peppercorns

Never has anything been more simple and so ridiculously delicious. I pulled this recipe out of Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi, my first try at a recipe of from this book. Needless to say, I will definitely be trying others. For a fresh pasta recipe, this is really really simple. The dough can be made in a food processor, and the filling with a fork. Assembly is quick, and since there is no sauce to speak of, for a fresh pasta dish, this is actually pretty fast. The turmeric and lemon zest makes the dough bright yellow, and the creamy goat cheese filling makes for a satisfying summer dish.

     Ingredients

Pasta Dough

3 tbsp olive oil

3 medium eggs

1 2/3 cups pasta flour

1/4 tsp ground turmeric

grated zest of 3 lemons

Filling

300 g soft goat cheese

1/3 tsp sea salt

pinch of chili flakes

black pepper

1/2 tsp lemon juice

1 egg white, beaten

To Serve

2 tsp pink peppercorns, finely crushed

1 tsp chopped tarragon

grated zest of 1 lemon

rapeseed oil (olive oil is fine if you can't find rapeseed)

1. Start with the dough. Whisk the oil and eggs together. In a food processor, add the flour, turmeric and lemon zest, add the oil and egg mixture and blend until the dough is crumbly. Depending on humidity, you may need to add more flour or oil. Once the dough comes together (this may take a little hand kneading), divide into 4 equal blocks, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes to 2 days.

2. Dust the work surface with flour. Roll the dough flat and run through the pasta machine to the thinnest setting. When each sheet is rolled, keep it under a moist towel to prevent it from drying out.

3. Combine the filling ingredients minus the egg white with a fork. 

4. Using a pastry cutter or the rim of a glass, cut the rounds of pasta. Brush the dish with the egg white and place a teaspoon of filling in the center. Place another pasta disk on top and press the edges to seal. Allow the finished ravioli to dry for 10-15 minutes before cooking. 

5. Cook the ravioli for 2-3 minutes. Top with peppercorns, tarragon and lemon zest. Drizzle with oil and serve. 

Homemade Chicken & Artichoke Tortellini with Lemon Cream Sauce

                                                           














            Tortellini making is a bit of an art form. It reminds me of building models in college which I found hugely relaxing and enjoyable. For a person with no model or pasta making experience it may sound too daunting to try, but I promise it is easier than one would think and is well worth the effort. Tortellini also freeze really well, which means dedicating an evening to tortellini making will pay you back with many delicious and impressive dinners. This recipe uses slow cooked chicken and artichoke hearts from the freezer section, topped with a very simple lemon cream sauce which is tasty and comforting.

     Tortellini Recipe 
3 slow cooked chicken thighs, finely chopped 
1 cup artichoke hearts, finely chopped
3/4 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dried thyme
salt and pepper


fresh pasta dough cut into 2" diameter rounds (the rim of a wide glass can serve as a template but  cooking stores also sell round cutters in many sizes)


     Sauce
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 garlic clove sliced
1 shallot, finely chopped
Zest from 1 lemon
Juice from 1 lemon
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper


1. Prepare the tortellini pasta rounds. Store cut rounds on parchment paper in layers (do not overlap) until ready to assemble.

2. Combine the first 6 ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Salt and pepper to taste. You should taste the mixture, it is cooked. Make sure you like the way it tastes, adjust the seasoning as necessary.

3. To make the tortellini, put a small amount (a heaping teaspoon depending on the size of your pasta rounds) in the center of the round. Fold the round in half to create a crescent, sealing the edges with water. Place your thumb in the center of the folded edge of the crescent and wrap the ends together. Pinch the ends so they bond, you should have a tortellini! Continue with the remaining rounds and filling. The leftover rounds can be used for maltagliati.

(You may have something that looks more like a finger puppet. If you do, don't despair, I am working on a webisode for tortellini making for visual learners, stay tuned. If you just can't get a tortellini from verbal instructions, you can make ravioli, place about a tablespoon in the center of a round, top with another round and seal the edges. No harm no foul.)

4. In a large saute pan, cook the shallots and garlic in butter with salt and pepper. Saute on low heat until soft, about 5 min. Stir in cream and zest and simmer until thickened slightly, about 10 min. Add the lemon juice and remove from heat. 


5. In a large pot of boiling water, place the tortellini. When they float, they are cooked, about 4 minutes. Freeze the extras pre-cooking on a cookie sheet until frozen, then transfer to a plastic bag or tupperware. 


6. Combine with the sauce and enjoy.

Maltagliati with Zucchini and Squash

Maltagliati is the Italian word for "badly cut" meaning scrap pasta. After making pasta rounds for tomorrow nights tortellini, I was unenthusiastic about making myself a nice meal.  Luckily I had a pile of remnant pasta pieces next to my stove, and combined with a squash and zucchini from my refrigerator, I ended up with a nice dinner and tomorrow's lunch.

     Recipe


1 medium zucchini
1 medium yellow squash
2 cloves garlic (smashed with the back of the knife)
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (or 1 1/2 teaspoon dried)
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste


1 large handful fresh Maltagliati pasta (or dried penne or farfalle would be good)


1. Heat the olive oil in a pan on medium heat. Meanwhile, slice the zucchini and squash in half lengthwise and then chop into 1/4 half rounds.

2. Place the zucchini and squash in the pan, add a the thyme, salt and fresh cracked pepper and stir. Then add the garlic on top, do not stir, and place the lid on. Let this sit for 5 minutes.

3. Uncover the pan, allow the water from the lid to drip back into the pan and stir. At this point the vegetables should be not quite al dente. Turn up the heat to medium high and cook until the vegetables start to brown slightly.

4. Add the cooked pasta, the cheese, salt and pepper to taste, and if needed, a little more olive oil. This can be made with dried pasta as well, I'd recommend penne, but the maltagliati makes this special and very quick!

Simple Fresh Pasta

After my whole wheat pasta endeavor this weekend, I wanted to make a quick fresh pasta that would be more cooperative for my weeknight persona.  I can get behind the benefits of healthier whole wheat pasta, but after a long day of work, I want the dough to do what I want the dough to do.  Whole wheat dough tends to be more fussy in my experience.  So here's a simple weeknight pasta dough that is silky, satisfying and won't cause you grief.

     Recipe
1 cup cake flour (not self rising)
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 egg yolks
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 warm water


1. Combine the ingredients and gradually add the water until the dough comes together without becoming sticky. Depending on the humidity, you may need more or less water.  Once the dough forms a ball, knead for 8-10 minutes. Wrap in plastic wrap and let sit for 30 min.


2. Break the dough into 3 balls.  Put the first ball on the lowest setting of your pasta machine (or if you only have a rolling pin, roll up your sleeves and get rolling). Slowly work the dough through the settings until it is very thin, this is an 8 out of 9 on my machine.

























3. Once the dough is a thin sheet, cut the pasta to your desired shape.

Note: fresh pasta cooks very quickly. It is 2-3 minutes in vigorously boiling salted water. For stuffed pastas, once they float to the surface, they are done.

Depending on what you're using the dough for, the thickness will vary.  I made this dough for a dinner I'm having tomorrow with friends. It's time consuming to make stuffed pasta (I'm teaching a friend to make tortellini) so I've cut the pasta rounds in advance so we aren't eating dinner at 11pm.  After cutting I placed them on parchment paper on a cookie sheet then covered the whole thing in plastic wrap to keep the dough moist. That way we can focus on the filling and sauce.

Fresh Whole Wheat Pasta Sheets

Fresh pasta is a food group of its own.  It cooks faster and takes on sauce in a completely different way from dried pasta.  Both fresh and dried pastas shine in different uses, but I do personally find that nothing beats a delicious fresh pasta in a simple sauce.  Here's a basic fresh pasta recipe that serves as the base for many of the recipes you'll see on this blog.  This basic recipe can be adapted for whole wheat or flavored pasta doughs.

     Recipe
5 eggs
3 1/2 cups of flour (for wheat pasta use 2 cups of white flour and 1 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour)


1. Sift the flour into a heap on an open surface.

2. Make a well in the center and add the eggs.

3. With your hands or a fork, slowly beat the eggs and begin to incorporate the flour. When about half the flour is combined, the dough should come together enough to start kneading it with your hands.

4. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for about a half hour.

5. Using a rolling pin or pasta maker, roll the dough out into thin sheets for use in the fresh pasta recipe of your choice.