Wanted: ravioli recipes

[larettin]

I had a very tasty ravioli dish at a restaurant last night (Il Fornio, here in Portland Oregon) and it got me in the mood to try to make something similar. I prefer vegetarian fillings (these ravioli were stuffed with swiss chard, pine nuts, cheese, and other stuff I don't remember). I'm also interested in various sauces - I made a tomato and artichoke sauce and served it on some store-bought ravioli a few months ago. It was good, but my SO isn't crazy about artichokes...

I searched for previous BB threads about ravioli, but got errors trying to access most of the search results (BB problems, I guess).

[Gail]

Hi larettin,

While at the moment I have nothing to offer (I'll check my books for something interesting) I did wish to comment on the search errors. CL is currently archiving messages older than 6 months and since I don't know the current status of this project, it's possible they haven't adjusted the links. (translation: items which were formerly in this active forum-- Great Foods--will need to be reindexed in their new location-- either the Popular Threads or general archives-- before you'll be able to access them using the search mechanism.) While you're waiting for new ideas to start coming in, you might try running a search in the archives as well as in CL's recipe finder.

I hope I explained that coherently. Good luck!
--

Since I posted that I see from your line of work that you're probably better equipped to explain this archiving process to me http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/tongue.gif, but I'll leave the explanation here for others.

Did you also check www.epicurious.com (http://www.epicurious.com) for ideas? The sort of recipe you describes sounds right up their alley!

[This message has been edited by Gail (edited 06-17-2001).]

[Mamasue]

If you go to this thread that was posted recently, you find the recipe I use for Spinach and Ricotta Ravioli. You could also substitute the spinach with swiss chard or any other type green of your choice. I serve these with a butter sauce made of unsalted butter, parmesan (real stuff) cheese, salt and pepper.

http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/Forum1/HTML/008319.html

[Gail]

Got loads of seafood ravioli fillings, I see, but very little which is strictly vegetarian. Before I type any of these pups out, better let me know if they're of interest.

I've got Martin Yan's eggplant ravioli-- which are going to have ground pork in addition to vegetable, and are in an Asian sauce; couple of unusual ones from a caterer's cookbook (chevre and prosciutto ravioli or a shrimp ravioli in saffron cream sauce); then a ton of fillings or sauces from Harry's Bar in Venice-- spinach and 3 cheeses, veal and sweetbreads, halibut and shrimp, spinach and cheese with sage, spinach and cheese with herbs, spinach and cheese with red, yellow and green peppers, spinach and cheese with artichokes, and fish ravioli.

I was going to provide a shrimp sauce to go with seafood ravioli, then it occured to me it may not be the kind of thing you want. Should any of these recipes interest you, let me know and I will type them up when I can.


[This message has been edited by Gail (edited 06-17-2001).]

[larettin]

Gail: The eggplant ravioli sounds like a definite possibility (if you think it would be ok if I just left the pork out). Also I'd be interested in any of the "spinach & cheese" filling variants.

Mamasue: The "Spinach and Ricotta Ravioli" stuffing sounds yummy.

Do you guys use won ton wrappers or something else?

[Mamasue]

larettin...I make my own pasta and use a ravioli form. I have never tried the wonton squares.

[emilycat]

What perfect timing! I decided just this morning that I wanted to try ravioli this week, and here this post was! (Or was it that when I skimmed through the topics last night after I got home, this one stuck in my memory and inspired me? Hm....I'll never know for sure.... http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif )
Anyway, I'm thinking of doing something like a crab and asparagus filling or something, so I'm just going to pore over the epicurious recipes, but I have a question? With no ravioli form, would it be too difficult to just use a knife, cutting them into equal-sized squares and them pressing them together? I don't mind the homemade look, I just don't want them to fall apart. Ideas?

[cchhbb]

Emily,

While I haven't ever done this myself, I have a friend who uses a tin can to cut the ravioli. I have eaten the results and they have stayed together. I also konw someone who used a round cookie cutter.

[Mamasue]

Emily...Sure, you can make your ravioli's freeform. Use a cookie cutter, cut with a knife, fold like a turnover, etc. One Valentine's day, I used a heart shape cookie cutter and had "heart rav's". Make sure that you wet the edges with water which will help seal the dough together. Good Luck. Also another tip....whether you cook frozen or fresh ravioli.....Once your water comes to a rapid boil and you submerge your ravioli's, when the water comes to a boil again shut off heat, cover your pot and let the rav's sit until al dente. You can lift your cover a couple of times (not too much) to check for doneness or give them a stir. This technique results in rav's that don't break and the steam will continue to cook.

[This message has been edited by Mamasue (edited 06-18-2001).]

[emilycat]

Mamasue,
Thanks for your advice! It's very refreshing (and convenient http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif ) to have a resident pasta expert on board. Oops, no pun intended.

[Gail]

I'm not proof-reading this, so I hope it's coherent.

RIPIENI PER RAVIOLI E CANNELLONI
Fillings for Ravioli and Cannelloni

SPINACH AND CHEESE FILLING

½ 10-ounce package frozen choped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
½ cup whote-milk ricotta
½ cup grated Swiss cheese
¼ pound whole milk mozzarella, diced
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon salt
freshly ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 egg yolks

Place the spinach, ricotta, Swiss cheese, mozzarella and Parmesan in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process until just combined. Scrape the mixture into a bowl and blend in the salt, pepper, cayenne, and egg yolks. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until you are ready to use it.

RAVIOLI DI MAGRO ALLA SALVIA
Spinach and Cheese Ravioli with Sage

Serves 6 as a first course, 4 as a main course

1 tablespoon (yowsers!!) salt
1 recipe ravioli with spinach and cheese filling
18 fresh sage leaves
4 tablespoons salted butter
6 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus extra to pass at the table

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the salt. Drop in the ravioli and cook them for 6 to 8 minutes—the ravioli should not be al dente; they should be quite tender. Drain them well in a colander.

While the ravioli are cooking, chop 12 of the sage leaves. Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet and sauté the chopped sage over medium-high heat until the foam starts to subside. Remove the skillet from the heat. Drain the ravioli and put them in the skillet with half the Parmesan. Toss well and transfer the mixture to a heated serving platter.

To the same skillet, add the remaining tablespoon of butter and the 6 whole sage leaves and cook over high heat for 30 seconds. Sprinkle the rest of the Parmesan on the ravioli, pour on the butter and sage mixture, and serve immediately. Pass around a small bowl of grated Parmesan cheese.

(variation)
RAVIOLI DI MAGRO ALLE ERBE
Spinach and Cheese Ravioli with Mixed Herbs

The author suggests using your imagination as to herb mixtures or trying these.

2 fresh sage leaves
leaves from 2 large fresh rosemary sprigs
2 large fresh thyme sprigs
4 flat-leaf parsley sprigs.

Chop the herbs together and use in place of sage.

(Variation)
RAVIOLI DI MAGRO CON PEPERONI
Spinach and Cheese Ravioli with Red, Yellow and Green Peppers

½ cup finely diced yellow bell pepper
½ cup finely diced green bell pepper
½ cup finely diced red bell pepper

Substitute the peppers for the sage. Decrease the butter to 3 tablespoons and the Parmesan to ¼ cup.

RAVIOLGI DI MAGRO CON CARCIOFI
Spinach and Cheese Ravioli with Artichokes

¼ cup olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
24 baby artichokes or 6 large, trimmed and sliced
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
salt
freshly ground pepper
½ cup dry white wine
1 recipe ravioli with spinach and cheese filling
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus extra to pass at the table

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, let it cook until it’s golden, about 30 seconds, and discard it. Reduce the heat to low. Add the sliced artichokes and cook till tender, stirring frequently—about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the parsley, season with salt and pepper, and toss well. Raise the heat, add the wine, and boil for 2 minutes. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Add salt to the boiling water and cook the ravioli for 5 to 8 minutes. Drain them well in a colander.

While the ravioli are cooking, melt the butter in a separate skillet over medium heat. Add the ravioli, toss well, and transfer to a serving platter. Sprinkle with the Parmesan. Pour on the artichokes and serve immediately. Pass around a small bowl of grated Parmesan cheese.

(From: The Harry’s Bar Cookbook)


---

I'm okay, Sandy-- minor back aches, slight twisted ankle. Thanks for asking. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif Let's just say the guy did a lot worse to my car than he did to me...

[Gail]

Here's the eggplant ravioli. You'll have to use your own judgment as to leaving out the pork. Probably it'd be okay, since you have the roasted veggies and other flavorings.

EGGPLANT RAVIOLI

Serves 8

1 medium onion
2 heads garlic
Olive oil
1 medium eggplant
1 red bell pepper
1 teaspoon cooking oil
1 teaspoon each minced garlic and ginger
1/2 pound lean ground pork
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon Sichuan hot bean sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved with 1 tablespoon water

Sauce

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup Chinese dark rice vinegar or balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon minced vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil


4 green onions
40 potsticker or wonton wrappers

1. Preheat the oven to 350º F. Rub the unpeeled onion and unpeeled heads of garlic with a little olive oil. Combine with the eggplant and bell pepper in a shallow-rimmed baking pan and place in the oven to roast. Remove the vegetables as they are done: the bell pepper after 34 minutes, the garlic 1 hour, the onion 1 1/2 hours, and the eggplant 1 hour and 45 minutes.

2. Peel the eggplant and discard the large pockets; chop the flesh. Cut off the tops of the garlic heads and squeeze the softened garlic from the skins. Heat the oil in a wide frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the minced raw garlic and ginger and cook for 10 seconds. Add the pork and stir-fry until crumbly, about 1 minute. Stir in the eggplant, roasted garlic, soy sauce, bean sauce, and sesame oil. Add the cornstarch solution and cook, stirring, until the mixture boils and thickens. Let the filling cool, then chill for at least 1 hour.

3. Peel the roasted onino and cut it into julienne strips. Peel and seed the roasted bell pepper and cut into into julienne strips. Combine them with the sauce ingredients in a saucepan and set aside. Cut the green onions into diagonal slices.

4. To fill the ravioli, place 1 heaping teaspoon of the filling slightly off center on a wrapper; keep the remaining wrappers covered to prevent drying. Brush the edges of the wrapper lightly with water, fold it in half over the filling to form a half moon or triangle, and press the edges firmly to sea. Place the filled ravioli slightly apart on a baking shhet and cover them with a damp cloth while filling the remaining ingredients. (Gail note here: if you've ever worked with wonton wrappers, you'll know not to get that cloth too damp or the dough positively goes soft, gooey and breaks open. Maybe do what I do with phyllo: put a layer of waxed paper on top, then cover with the damp towel for a bit of added protection.)

5. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the ravioli and stir to separate. Simmer until the wrappers are tender adn the filling is hot, about 1 minute after the ravioli rise to the surface. Meanwhile, bring the sauce to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar.

6. Drain the cooked ravioli and divide them among 8 plates. Drizzle a spoonful of the sauce over each serving and sprinkle with the green onions.

(From: The Well-Seasoned Wok)

I'll be back with the spinach/cheese variations later in the day. Was in a car accident over the weekend and this sitting too long stuff is wreaking havoc on my back!

[SandyM]

Gail - thanks for the recipe - are you okay? Take it easy!

[emilycat]

Wow, Gail, I didn't even see these until today, but they look wonderful -- thanks so much!
I just wanted to report on my initial ravioli-making experience. I just used a very simple Swiss Chard and Ricotta filling with whole wheat (of course http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif ) pasta that I made, and topped it with a tomato-basil sauce and Pecorino-Romano. They were really good (BF agreed, as well), but they were so, so hanus. I definitely need to work on the "light touch" thing; in an effort not to tearthe dough, I probably didn't roll some of it thinly enough, so they were a little dense. I think I have potential though -- a little practice may just be in order. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif
So next week I'm trying out cannelloni with fresh pasta. You know, I really just need to suck it up and buy a dang pasta machine. Maybe for BF's birthday.... http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

[lorilei]

Alright Emily -- tell me a little more about doing ravioli "sans pasta machine".

I really would love to do something like this over the weekend (I even have my whole wheat flour ready!), but I'm still a bit tentative about rolling out my own dough. Any recommendations?

Dough recipes?

[gertdog]

Gail, thanks for all those yummy-sounding recipes!

Emily, I have a pasta machine but not a ravioli attachment. Ravioli are my favorite pasta to make.

You can take a sheet of pasta dough (machine or hand-rolled), blop a bit of filling at 2" intervals, dip your finger into some water and trace all around the blobs of filling, then lay another, slightly larger pasta sheet on top, and gently press all around the filling blobs to seal. Then use a rolling pizza cutter or a sharp knife to cut into individual ravioli. I usually do all of this filling and cutting on a sheet of lightly floured wax paper or parchment so that I can then easily slide the finished ravioli into the pot... or into a container for freezing... or whatever.

In my mom's vast storehouse of unused kitchen tools, I found a rolling pastry wheel that makes a fluted edge. I stole it to be my ravioli cutter and it makes very pretty ravioli!