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.