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Handmade Cheese Ravioli

More from the “Handmade” series:

• 7-Yolk Pasta Dough
• Handmade Gnocchi

Recipes on handmade butternut squash ravioli, lasagna and more coming soon…

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Ravioli has always been a pasta that annoyed me.  Because it’s labor intensive to make, most people buy it pre-made, subjecting you to whatever fillings some manufacturer desires.  But more often than not – if I’m having say, cheese ravioli – I crave more than just ricotta stuffed in the middle, so Jon and I decided to attempt making our own handmade ravioli.

I’ll be honest, I played it safe with cheese ravioli while Jon took a more exquisite route with butternut squash; however, I wanted to make sure I could make a pasta that actually stayed intact before I spent a bunch on cheese only to watch it break apart in boiling water!  Fortunately for us, things turned out just fine…

Handmade Cheese Ravioli (Serves 4)

Prep. Time: 1 1/2 hours – Cooking Time: 10 min. / Difficulty: Medium / Cooking Beverage: 7 Daughters Red Blend

For the pasta dough:

• 3 large eggs
• 6 egg yolks
• 3 cups flour
• pinch of salt

For the ravioli filling:

• 16 oz. ricotta cheese
• 1 cup parmesan reggiano, grated
• 2 egg yolks
• salt and black pepper to taste

For the sauce:

• Use Darren’s Tomato Sauce

Combine the dough ingredients in a food processor and mix until the dough stops sticking to the side of the bowl.  Remove the dough and knead with your hands until smooth (adding flour if the dough is too moist, add water if it’s too dry).  Divide the dough into 4 equal parts, shape them into discs and wrap them in plastic.  Let them sit for 45 minutes.

While the dough rests, make the ravioli filling by putting the cheeses, salt and pepper into a blender and pulse.  Add the egg yolks and pulse some more until they are incorporated.  Refrigerate the filling until it’s needed.

Roll the discs of dough into thin sheets using a pasta machine.  Start rolling them at the thickest setting and continuously roll them thinner until they are as thin as possible without holes forming.  Depending on your pasta machine, this may take some time to figure out at first.  It may take 3-5 passes until the dough’s thinness is just right.

 

Patience and taking it slow is key when pressing the dough

Lay the strips of dough on a floured surface and arrange tablespoon sized dollops of the cheese filling on half of them, spacing each dollop about 1 1/2 inches apart from the next.  Place the empty sheets of dough on top of the ones with filling and press down around the edges of the filling, creating an air tight seal.  Using a ravioli cutter (or the rim of an upside down glass), cut out the ravioli and place them on a floured tray.  Take the excess dough, knead it in to more discs and repeat this process until you have no dough left.

 

Wait for the ravioli to surface before removing

Once all the ravioli are made, boil a large pot of salted water and toss in the ravioli, cooking them until they all float to the top, about 3-5 minutes.  Remove them using a scoop colander and drain them well.  Serve immediately topped with the above sauce recipe and a sprinkle of freshly chopped parsley.

 

Fresh handmade cheese ravioli w/ homemade sauce

Darren’s Tomato Sauce

Darren’s Tomato Sauce: (Yields enough for 1 lb. pasta)

Prep. Time: 15 min. – Cooking Time: 30 min. / Difficulty: Easy / Cooking Beverage: Any red wine

• 1 large can of crushed tomatoes
• 6 garlic cloves
• 1/3 white onion
• fresh basil, torn (about 4 leaves)
• dried oregano
• roasted red pepper flakes
• dried bay leaves
• olive oil
• salt and pepper
• fresh parsley, chopped

Many prefer to take the easy route with their tomato sauce and buy a jar of Prego – or as I like to call it, “crap.”  If you even think about using a pre-made sauce, I will come to your house, knock on the front door and slap you square across the face.  Moving on…

A simmering sauce while you cook is the best smell a kitchen can have...

Pour olive oil in a large sauce pot, covering most but not all of the bottom of the pot.  Then chop the garlic and onion and toss it in the pot.  Turn the stove on to high and simmer the oil-garlic-onion concoction, mixing it occasionally until it’s an even golden brown.  At this time, please take a moment to savor one of cooking’s sweetest smells.  Next, turn the heat down to low and pour in the crushed tomatoes, then give about five shakes of the oregano and red pepper flakes.  Lastly, toss in three bay leaves, lightly salt and pepper, then stir.  Cover the pot, keeping the lid slightly cracked open, and let the sauce simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remember to shred up the four leaves of basil and stir them in the sauce a couple of minutes before removing the pot from the stove.  Use the fresh parsley to top your sauce off after serving.

If not serving immediately, or if you have leftover sauce, you can easily freeze it and save it for another day.

*Hint: Have a fresh loaf of Italian bread nearby that you can occasionally tear pieces from and dip in the sauce to check it’s progress.  It’s both delicious and helps you see how far along the flavors are in incorporating with each other.

Handmade Gnocchi

More from the “Handmade” series:

• 7-Yolk Pasta Dough
• Handmade Cheese Ravioli

Recipes on handmade butternut squash ravioli, lasagna and more coming soon…

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Unlike most pastas that you can buy in the store and not worry about them being good or not, gnocchi is something that doesn’t do well in packages, which is understandable because good gnocchi is essentially an oxymoron.  It’s made from heavy potatoes yet is supposed to be light and fluffy, hence the reason why the process of making it is so important – and with something as delicate as that, the best way to prepare them is fresh and handmade.

A couple Christmases ago, my Aunt Linda made some of the lightest, tastiest gnocchi I’ve ever had, so this year my fiancée and I lent a hand one afternoon (one of the three days my aunt spent rolling each piece of a dozen trays or so) and took a crack at one of the more fragile pastas to make…

 

My Aunt Linda and my fiancée getting their hands dirty

Handmade Gnocchi [(Serves 4) Courtesy Linda Revelli]

Prep. Time: 2 hours – Cooking Time: 10-15 min. / Difficulty: Hard / Cooking Beverage: Barbolini Lambrusco

• 6 medium-sized potatoes
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups flour
• Whole Nutmegs
• Salt

Preheat the oven to 400 F degrees and bake the potatoes until done, about 45 minutes to an hour depending on their size.  Meanwhile, clear off and thoroughly clean a large surface of your counter top, table or wherever you want to make your workspace.  Prepare a small bowl with salt and freshly grated nutmeg mixed together, another bowl with the flour, then lightly coat your work surface with more flour.

Once the potatoes are done, cut them in half and scoop out the insides, disregarding the skins.  Place the chunks of potato in an empty bowl and allow them to cool to almost room temperature (too hot and they’ll cook the egg).  Spread the potatoes out across the floured surface and smash the large chunks with a fork, then whisk the eggs and slowly pour them evenly over the potatoes.  Sprinkle the potatoes with the salt/nutmeg mixture and a light coat of flour.

Using a pastry scrapper, scrape the potatoes into a ball shape, stabbing at the mixture to make it more doughy as you go.  Mold the dough into a firm loaf, lightly dusting it with flour if it becomes sticky or moist.  To avoid dealing with a huge piece of dough, break it up into two separate loafs, then cut the loaves of dough into six equal pieces each.  On your floured surface, roll out each piece into strands about 3/4″ thick, then cut them into square pieces using the pastry scraper.

Make sure to cut the gnocchi into square-shaped pieces

Using a fork, firmly press the spokes of the fork down on each piece of dough while simultaneously dragging it towards you.  This will cull the dough into the gnocchi shape and create those lines you always see on gnocchi.  Getting the right touch for this takes some time, but eventually you will be flying through it.  Place each piece of gnocchi on a light floured or tin foil covered cooking sheet.

 

Fresh gnocchi ready to boil

At this point, you could either freeze the gnocchi for another time or boil it fresh.  When cooking the gnocchi, use a large pasta cooker and boil only 24 pieces at a time.  Fresh pasta cooks fast, and the gnocchi will begin the rise to the surface of the boiling water.  Once they surface, count to 40 seconds, and then scoop them from the boiling water using a colander scoop.  If cooking the gnocchi frozen, the only difference is the pieces will take longer to initially float to the top.  It’s during the cooking process that you will find out whether or not you properly made the gnocchi.  If it remains intact, job well done.  If it falls apart, head back to the drawing board.  This is where the fine balance of making the gnocchi light but not so delicate that it breaks apart when cooking comes into play.

Once done boiling, serve the gnocchi immediately with a sauce of your choice.

Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

Growing up I loved Kraft Mac n’ Cheese, then again, what child didn’t?  But as I got older and my taste buds matured (and my metabolism decreased), I came to the conclusion that if I’m going to put a thousand calories in my stomach, I’d much rather have it be from real cheese rather than Kraft’s orange crack powder.

Some things are best left childhood memories...

Homemade Macaroni and Cheese [(Serves 6) Courtesy “Morton’s Steak Bible”]

Prep. Time: 30 min. – Cook Time: 20-25 min. / Difficulty: Easy / Cooking Beverage: N/A

• 1 lbs. any elbow-shaped pasta (get something medium sized)
• 1 1/2 tsp. unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion
• 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
• 12 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 4 oz. cream cheese, cut in small cubes
• 3 oz. Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
• 1 oz. Swiss cheese, grated
• 1/2 tbsp. chili paste
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
• Sea salt to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 F degrees.  Boil salted water and cook the pasta until al dente, about 8-10 minutes.  Drain the pasta, leaving a little water to keep it moist, and reserving 1/2 cup of the water to thin the cheese sauce.  Return the pasta to the cooking pot and cover to keep warm.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat and saute the onion until tender, about 1 minute, then add the cream and bring to a simmer.  Stir in half of the cheddar cheese (6 oz.), the cream cheese, Parmesan cheese and Swiss cheese and cook, stirring until the cheeses are melted and fully incorporated in the cream.  Let the sauce reach a simmer and then stir in the chili paste.  You should have about 2 1/2 to 3 cups of sauce.

Remove the sauce from the heat and, using an electric blender, beat the cream for about 45 seconds to blend the onion and cheese.  Thin the sauce carefully using the 1/2 cup of reserved pasta water.  You don’t need to use it all, only enough to make the sauce’s thickness how you desire.  Mix the water in well and salt to taste.

Ladle the sauce over the pasta and mix well witha rubber spatula.  Transfer the pasta to a deep 2-quart baking dish and spread the pasta and cheese evenly.  Lastly, sprinkle the rest of the cheddar cheese (6 0z.) over the pasta and top it by sprinkling the panko bread crumbs.  Bake for 20-25 minutes until the edges are bubbling, then serve immediately.

Hummingbird Blueberry Muffins

No, these muffins aren’t stuffed with hummingbirds; rather, the recipe comes from a delicious small chain of bakeries over in the UK.  After living in South Kensington for five months, I discovered Hummingbird Bakery during a return trip to London.  While enjoying a pint at one of my more regular pubs, the Zetland Arms, I saw a line coming out of the door of a new and very small shop.  Within the three years that had passed since I lived there, Hummingbird Bakery had established itself as a must-go-to destination for blokes and birds alike.  Needless to say, their choice of location is perfect for the somewhat tipsy and hungry pub-goers – and although known for their decadent cupcakes – their blueberry muffin recipe was the ideal treat for Christmas morning.

Perfect with a cold glass of OJ on Christmas morning

Hummingbird Bakery Blueberry Muffins [(Makes 12 large muffins) Courtesy “The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook”]

Prep. Time: 15 min. – Cooking Time: 20-35 min. / Difficulty: Easy / Cooking Beverage: Freshly squeezed orange juice

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 5 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 1 pint fresh blueberries
• powder sugar (for sprinkling)

Preheat the oven to 325 F degrees.  Combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda in either a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment or use a mixing bowl with a handheld electric whisk, and beat on a slow speed until the ingredients are blended.

Place the buttermilk, egg and vanilla in a bowl and mix to combine, then slowly pour into the flour mixture as you continue to beat it on a slow speed.  Next, pour in the melted butter and beat until the butter is fully incorporated with the mixture, then turn the mixer up to medium speed and beat until the mixture becomes even and smooth.  Avoid over mixing, which would cause the dough to become too thin and watery.

Lastly, dump in the washed blueberries into the bowl and gently fold them in using a wooden spoon to avoid smashing them.  Make sure they are evenly dispersed.

At this point, you can either choose to make larger muffins or regular sized ones.  If making regular sized ones, then bake the muffins for 20-25 minutes in a 12-hole muffin pan lined with paper cases will do the trick, but I prefer my muffins to have some size to them.  This batter is actually enough to make 12 larger muffins as well; however, they won’t rise quite as high.  If going big, use two paper cup lined 6-hole muffin pans, but bake for 30-35 minutes.  Remove the muffins from the oven when the tops are golden brown and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let the muffins cool slightly in the pan, the serve them immediately while they are nice and warm, sprinkled lightly with powdered sugar.

Pasta Ponza

As an Italian-American it’s a given that I love pasta, and while I always enjoy a good marinara, I’ve found myself as of late growing more fascinated with sauceless recipes.  In the past, my initial thoughts to a pasta without gravy is one of blandness -“it probably won’t have much taste” or “it will be too covered in olive oil so it doesn’t dry out”; however, this recipe from Giada breaks down my prejudices and proves to me that a sauceless pasta can be flavorful, moist and full of texture.  Also, with it’s reds, yellows and oranges, Pasta Ponza is a very colorful dish that’s great for the fall and meets my belief that the more colors on the plate, the tastier the meal.

Pasta Ponza [(Serves 4 persons) Courtesy Giada de Laurentiis

Prep. Time: 15 min. – Cooking Time: 30 min. / Difficulty: Easy / Cooking Beverage: Honig Sauvignon Blanc ’09

• 1 lbs. ziti (or other short tube shaped pasta)
• Butter for greasing
• 2 cups red cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 cups yellow cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 cup capers, rinsed and drained
• 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup Italian-style seasoned bread crumbs
• 1 1/4 cups Pecorino Romano cheese, freshly grated
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Courtesy writeclickcooklisten.blogspot.com

Preheat oven to 375 degrees, then butter an 8″ x 8″ glass baking dish.  Put the tomatoes, capers, olive oil, salt and pepper in the baking dish and toss to entirely coat the tomatoes.  Then sprinkle the bread crumbs over the mixture and drizzle the top with some more olive oil.  Bake in the center of the oven for about 30-35 minutes, once the top is golden brown.

In a deep pot, boil salted water over high heat, then toss in the pasta and lower the heat to medium, cooking until al dente, about 8-10 minutes.

Put the pasta in large serving bowl and sprinkle in half of the cheese, stirring until it melts to the pasta.  Then add the tomato mixture and continue stirring as you add the rest of the cheese.  Sprinkle the top with the chopped parsley, serve immediately and enjoy!

Avocados – Soup II

Alright, take 2. Two nights ago when I made this soup I found it to be one note. Don’t get me wrong it was good.  It was creamy, rich and had some tartness from the lemon juice but it needed some texture. So last night I experimented and this is what I came up with.

The soup base is the same as the previous recipe, however I made another version of the soup that I used for that very old school looking spiral. For the spiral, I used more avocado and only a little bit of creme fraiche. My hope is that it would add some depth.  Lastly, I topped it with bacon and chopped chives for texture.

I have to say that I like this version better.  Feel free to experiment and let me know what you come up with.

Avocados – Soup

I still have some avocados left over. So I thought, why not make some soup! Yes, a soup made out of avocados.

“Avocado Soup”

Prep. Time:  1 hour and 5 minutes  – Cooking Time: None / Difficulty: Easy / Cooking Beverage: N/A

Ingredients

• 2 Large ripe avocados
• 1 1/2 low-sodium chicken broth (you can substitute vegetable broth)
• 1 Tablespoon chopped green onion (white part only)
• 1 1/2 cup creme fraiche
• 2 Tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Chopped chives to garnish
• Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a blender or food processor, combine all of the ingredients until smooth and creamy. I would slowly add in the creme fraiche to achieve the flavor you want. I actually used less then the recipe suggested because I wanted more of the avocado flavor to come through. If you don’t add enough of the creme fraiche you will have guacamole and if you add to much the avocado flavor can be overshadowed.

2. Cover and chill for 1 hour.

3. Garnish with chopped chives and serve.

Well not really a soup, more like a gazpacho.

This would make a great appetizer or amuse bouche because I don’t think anyone can eat a lot of this – it is very one note.  I think next time I will try it topped with some bacon crumbles or maybe some crab meat.  You know, bacon sounds good.  I’ll do that tonight and post about it tomorrow…

Pickled Banana Peppers I – Follow Up

Almost a month ago I pickled some Banana Peppers from my garden a long with some Thai chili peppers. Since then I haven’t updated you on how they turned out. Well, I am now…

The peppers actually turned out really well.  Since I opened them about 2 weeks ago I have been using the peppers in sandwiches, salads and eating them by themselves as a snack. I think I am going to experiment with pickling other things.  So, more pickling to come.