Recipe of the week(end)
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Uova da Raviolo
Ravioli with an Egg inside
This week we have a classic dish from the Piedmont area of Italy which, of late, has gained a lot of notariety with Foodies
across the Nation since a version of it appeared on the Iron Chef America Super Chef Battle at the White House.
It's Uova da Raviolo (Ravioli
with an Egg inside).
Traditionally, this is one jumbo
ravioli served as an appetizer.
It is homemade pasta filled with a ricotta cheese mixture and one whole egg yolk. It's served with a simple butter sauce and lightly pan-seared. The joy comes when you cut into the ravioli with your fork: the yolk runs out and combines with the butter and ricotta to create a spectacularly simple sauce. Simply delicious.
Oh yes...traditionally, black truffles (or white depending on the season) are shaved on top. Here, they are optional.
across the Nation since a version of it appeared on the Iron Chef America Super Chef Battle at the White House.
It's Uova da Raviolo (Ravioli
with an Egg inside).
Traditionally, this is one jumbo
ravioli served as an appetizer.
It is homemade pasta filled with a ricotta cheese mixture and one whole egg yolk. It's served with a simple butter sauce and lightly pan-seared. The joy comes when you cut into the ravioli with your fork: the yolk runs out and combines with the butter and ricotta to create a spectacularly simple sauce. Simply delicious.
Oh yes...traditionally, black truffles (or white depending on the season) are shaved on top. Here, they are optional.
On the Iron Chef episode that the Foodies are blogging about, Mario Batali created a version with a sweet potato-goat cheese filling in lieu of the ricotta filling. Sounds like a great seasonal option for us here in chilly Upstate NY. Try both?
It's the end of February. The doldrums of winter for many. Why not spend a cozy afternoon in kitchen therapy?
Dedicate a snowy afternoon, put on some music or your local NPR station and roll out some homemade pasta dough for these unbelievable raviolis.
As an added bonus,most of us have the ingredients in our cupboards without shopping.
Although this is traditonally served as an appetizer due to the richness of the dish, two on a plate with a side of braised spinach and fresh garlic would make a lovely dinner.
We would pair this dish with a very light red so as to not overpower the egg yolk/cheese sauce. Perhaps a NY state dry rose such as Ravines 2007 Dry Pinot Rose.
Have great time spending some quality time in the kitchen & sharing these raviolis with some lucky family or friends.
Enjoy.
Uova da Raviolo (Ravioli w/an egg inside)
Serves 6 as an appetizer
Ingredients
1/2 c. Parmigiano-reggiano, grated (plus more for garnish)
1/2 c. fresh ricotta
1/2 c. fresh spinach, blanched, drained & chopped
scant pinch of fresh nutmeg
kosher salt & fresh ground pepper to taste
7 fresh eggs
12 T. butter
1 batch fresh pasta dough (recipe & ingredient list below)
**1/2 small black or white truffle, optional
Preparation
-In medium bowl, combine grated parm, ricotta & spinach. Mix and season to taste with nutmeg, salt & pepper.
Set aside.
-Roll out prepared and rested pasta dough. If using pasta machine, set to widest setting and about 7. If using a rolling pin, roll out on floured surface to approx. 12x24" rectangle.
-Cut 12 circles, about 6" each using a small plate as a guide if preferred.
-Whisk one egg in a small bowl. Keep nearby with a small pastry brush.
-Working fairly quickly so that the pasta doesn't dry out, mound an equal portion of the cheese mixture onto 6 of the circles. Using the back of a spoon, make a well in the middle of each mound making sure not to go through to the bottom entirely.
-Crack an egg & using the shell, drain off the white & reserve the whole yolk intact. Gently drop yolk into one of the wells in the cheese mixture. Do not break the yolk. Repeat with remaining 5 eggs.
-Brush the edges of each of these pasta circles with the whisked egg using your pastry brush to help create a seal for the remaining pasta circles.
-Place one of the remaining pasta circles on each of the egg & cheese mounded circles. Press the edges firmly to seal tightly. Try to eliminate air pockets as you go.
(These can stand for up to three hours, chilled, on a floured, parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap. It's best to use them right away, however; the bottom may get wet & leak or break apart when boiling.)
-Heat a large 12-14" skillet to melt the 12 T. butter. Keep on low/warm while boiling raviolis.
-Bring 6 qts. of salted water to a boil. Using a wide spatula, gently lower the raviolis one at a time into the boiling water. Cook for 2-3 minutes-no more; you don't want to overcook the egg yolk.
-Lower each cooked ravioli into the warm buttered skillet. When all 6 are in raise the heat on the skillet a bit to gently pan-sear the ravioli; until the butter just turns golden.
-Place ravioli on warmed serving plate & shower with additional grated parm. Shave with truffle, if using.
___________________________________________
Basic Pasta Dough
3-4 c. flour
4 eggs
1/2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
-Mound 3 1/2 c. flour in the center of a large, flat work surface. Make a well in the middle of the flour & add the eggs and oil. Using a fork, beat together the eggs and oil while beginning to incorporate the flour, pulling from the inner rim of the wall of the well.
-As you expand the well, keep pushing the flour up from the base of the mound to retain the shape of the well. The dough will come together when about 1/2 of the flour is incorporated.
-Start kneading the dough with both palms, incorporating enough flour to prevent sticking. Knead for 6 minutes. The dough should be elastic & a little sticky. Wrap in plastic & let rest for 30 minutes at room temp. Roll or shape as desired.
Adapted from Mario Batali's Molto Mario, 2000.
It's the end of February. The doldrums of winter for many. Why not spend a cozy afternoon in kitchen therapy?
Dedicate a snowy afternoon, put on some music or your local NPR station and roll out some homemade pasta dough for these unbelievable raviolis.
As an added bonus,most of us have the ingredients in our cupboards without shopping.
Although this is traditonally served as an appetizer due to the richness of the dish, two on a plate with a side of braised spinach and fresh garlic would make a lovely dinner.
We would pair this dish with a very light red so as to not overpower the egg yolk/cheese sauce. Perhaps a NY state dry rose such as Ravines 2007 Dry Pinot Rose.
Have great time spending some quality time in the kitchen & sharing these raviolis with some lucky family or friends.
Enjoy.
Uova da Raviolo (Ravioli w/an egg inside)
Serves 6 as an appetizer
Ingredients
1/2 c. Parmigiano-reggiano, grated (plus more for garnish)
1/2 c. fresh ricotta
1/2 c. fresh spinach, blanched, drained & chopped
scant pinch of fresh nutmeg
kosher salt & fresh ground pepper to taste
7 fresh eggs
12 T. butter
1 batch fresh pasta dough (recipe & ingredient list below)
**1/2 small black or white truffle, optional
Preparation
-In medium bowl, combine grated parm, ricotta & spinach. Mix and season to taste with nutmeg, salt & pepper.
Set aside.
-Roll out prepared and rested pasta dough. If using pasta machine, set to widest setting and about 7. If using a rolling pin, roll out on floured surface to approx. 12x24" rectangle.
-Cut 12 circles, about 6" each using a small plate as a guide if preferred.
-Whisk one egg in a small bowl. Keep nearby with a small pastry brush.
-Working fairly quickly so that the pasta doesn't dry out, mound an equal portion of the cheese mixture onto 6 of the circles. Using the back of a spoon, make a well in the middle of each mound making sure not to go through to the bottom entirely.
-Crack an egg & using the shell, drain off the white & reserve the whole yolk intact. Gently drop yolk into one of the wells in the cheese mixture. Do not break the yolk. Repeat with remaining 5 eggs.
-Brush the edges of each of these pasta circles with the whisked egg using your pastry brush to help create a seal for the remaining pasta circles.
-Place one of the remaining pasta circles on each of the egg & cheese mounded circles. Press the edges firmly to seal tightly. Try to eliminate air pockets as you go.
(These can stand for up to three hours, chilled, on a floured, parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap. It's best to use them right away, however; the bottom may get wet & leak or break apart when boiling.)
-Heat a large 12-14" skillet to melt the 12 T. butter. Keep on low/warm while boiling raviolis.
-Bring 6 qts. of salted water to a boil. Using a wide spatula, gently lower the raviolis one at a time into the boiling water. Cook for 2-3 minutes-no more; you don't want to overcook the egg yolk.
-Lower each cooked ravioli into the warm buttered skillet. When all 6 are in raise the heat on the skillet a bit to gently pan-sear the ravioli; until the butter just turns golden.
-Place ravioli on warmed serving plate & shower with additional grated parm. Shave with truffle, if using.
___________________________________________
Basic Pasta Dough
3-4 c. flour
4 eggs
1/2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
-Mound 3 1/2 c. flour in the center of a large, flat work surface. Make a well in the middle of the flour & add the eggs and oil. Using a fork, beat together the eggs and oil while beginning to incorporate the flour, pulling from the inner rim of the wall of the well.
-As you expand the well, keep pushing the flour up from the base of the mound to retain the shape of the well. The dough will come together when about 1/2 of the flour is incorporated.
-Start kneading the dough with both palms, incorporating enough flour to prevent sticking. Knead for 6 minutes. The dough should be elastic & a little sticky. Wrap in plastic & let rest for 30 minutes at room temp. Roll or shape as desired.
Adapted from Mario Batali's Molto Mario, 2000.