Presenting: Corn Ravioli with Herb Cream Sauce

Presenting: Corn Ravioli with Herb Cream Sauce

I hadn't pulled out my Atlas pasta machine since I made my spinach fettuccine dish this past March and I was itching to make some ravioli. So on a recent Sunday morning, a quick google search yielded this corn ravioli dish from Lindsay at Love & Olive Oil which was perfect timing because I remembered Mrs. Stuntman had brought home some fresh corn from the supermarket a few evenings prior.

I decided to use this dish for my Presenting: series because I have demonstrated ravioli here several times in the past and I didn't need to adapt Lindsay's recipe very much. However, I used my go-to pasta dough recipe which is from page 102 to 104 of Cook Like A Rock Star by Anne Burrell with Suzanne Lenzer because I have found Chef Burrell's ratio of wet ingredients to dry ingredients work well for me and I accidentally omitted the heavy cream from my filling only because I forgot to add it. As I reviewed the recipe, I was a little skeptical over the sauce because of the method used, however I couldn't have been more wrong. Mrs. Stuntman was delighted by the balance of flavors in the dish because the wine provided a savory flavor to balance out the sweet corn filling. It was so good that I prepared the dish again later in the week with the leftover ravioli I made.

Finally, I saw the new movie The Hundred-Foot Journey starring Helen Mirren and Om Puri this past weekend. The word I would use to describe it is charming and recommend seeing it. It held my 6-year-old daughter's attention and there was nothing in the movie that forced me to cover her eyes and/or ears yet the plot still entertained.

Rigatoni with Sausage, Basil and Mustard

Rigatoni with Sausage, Basil and Mustard

I would estimate that pasta dinners occur, on average, weekly in my home. without fail, each time I serve said pasta dish to Mrs. Stuntman she asks, did you put hot dogs in it? to which I'll reply, no. This must be a Filipino thing. I can think of no authentic Italian pasta dishes that utilize hot dogs so call this a compromise to appease her.

The Challenge

Satisfy Mrs. Stuntman's desire for proteins in pasta.

The Source

I adapted this dish from Food & Wine.

Ingredients

Kosher salt
1 pound dried rigatoni
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound mild Italian sausage meat, removed from casings if applicable
1 cup white wine
1 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 pinch red pepper flakes
1 bunch fresh basil, cut into chiffonade (1 tablespoon reserved for garnish)
1 teaspoon grated parmesan cheese, for garnish

Method

1. Bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the rigatoni and boil two to three minutes less than the instructions on the box dictate, stirring occasionally. Once al dente, drain and set aside if necessary.

2. While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil starts to smoke, add the sausage and brown, approximately five minutes. Deglaze with the wine, scraping up the fond from the bottom of the skillet. Simmer until reduced by half, approximately five minutes. Add the cream, mustard and red pepper and simmer for an additional two minutes to blend the flavors. Remove from heat and toss the sauce with the rigatoni and basil. Serve in warmed bowls, garnished with additional basil and parmesan.

Successful?

This dish would make a great weeknight dinner because it can be prepared from prep to plate in under thirty minutes. The dish yielded very intense flavor and Mrs. Stuntman was also happy with it.

Raviolo al'Uovo

Raviolo al'Uovo

This dish has been in the pipeline since the beginning of the year. The reason I wanted to prepare it is because I recognized it from Cook Like A Rock Star by Anne Burrell with Suzanne Lenzer while watching Worst Cooks in America. Chef Burrell used the dish in the final challenge and I wanted to re-affirm my skills as a home cook. I obviously got side tracked for a couple of months but it got moved up to a priority when Mrs. Stuntman was watching an Iron Chef America episode a couple of weeks ago and saw Chef Forgione re-imagine a carbonara dish as an egg yolk raviolo. The concept also appealed to me because I remember a carbonara dish I had a several years ago that was topped with a poached egg. It was extremely creative because the broken egg yolk made a perfect sauce for the dish.

The Challenge

Re-affirm my skills. Is one of the worst cooks in America better in the kitchen than me?

The Source

The recipe can be found on pages 116 to 117 of the book noted above, but Chef Burrell's adaptation she used on the show can be found here. I also used Chef Burrell's pasta dough recipe found on pages 102 to 104.

Ingredients

For the pasta dough:
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
4 large eggs
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons water
kosher salt

For the filling and sauce:
2 cups ricotta cheese
1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, freshly grated
1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
2 large eggs
8 egg yolks
Kosher salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
2 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup fresh sage, chopped

Method

1. Make the pasta dough: On a clean, flat work surface, place the flour in a mound. Scoop a hole in the middle so that the pile of flour looks like a volcano. Ensure the hole (i.e. well) is large enough to hold the fluids. Separately, in a medium bowl, combine the eggs, egg yolk, olive oil, and water. Season with salt. Pour the egg mixture into the well. With a fork, slowly incorporate flour into the eggs but be mindful not to break the sides of the flour. When enough flour has been combined into the eggs so the mixture has thickened, combine the remaining flour using hands. Knead the dough until it's smooth and flexible, about 8 to 15 minutes. Once done, wrap it in plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for 1 hour, or if not using immediately, refrigerate but bring to room temperature before rolling.

2. Roll the dough: Once the dough has rested, unwrap the dough and cut in half. Rewrap one half for another use and cut the other half into two pieces. Rewrap the first piece, then flatten the second. Pass the dough through a pasta roller at the widest setting. Fold the dough into thirds and pass the dough through the roller at the widest setting a second time. Fold the dough into thirds a second time and pass the dough through at the widest setting a third time. Decrease the width by one notch and pass the dough through only once, then decrease the width by one notch again and repeat the process. If the dough becomes sticky or tacky, lightly dust it with flour in between passings.On my pasta roller, there are 6 settings and I went to the fifth setting. Unwrap the second piece of dough and repeat this process.

3. Prepare the ricotta filling: Combine the ricotta, Parmigiano, parsley, and 2 eggs in a medium bowl, then season with salt.

4. Make each ravioli: Dust a clean, flat surface with flour and lay out two sheets of pasta, each about 12 inches long, then brush each sheet lightly with water. Spoon 4 dollops of the ricotta mixture onto each sheet of pasta at about 1 inch intervals. Use the spoon to make a small well at the center of each dollop, then carefully place an egg yolk on each ricotta bed. Cover each pasta sheet with a second one of equal length. Using your finger, seal the pasta around each ricotta nest, then cut each raviolo separately using a fluted pastry cutter or dough roller. Each ravioli should be three to 4 inches in diameter. Reserve the ravioli on a flour dusted sheet pan.

5. Cook and finish the dish: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat, then melt half of the butter in a large skillet. Once the butter is melted, add half of the chicken stock, then season with half of the sage and salt. Bring the chicken stock to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Add half of the ravioli to the boiling water and cook until they float to the top, approximately 3 minutes. Transfer the ravioli to the chicken stock carefully and simmer for two to three minutes, adding some boiling pasta water to the sauce if it reduces too much. Remove each ravioli to a serving plate spooning each with some of the sauce and garnish with freshly grated Parmigiano. Repeat this process with the remaining ravioli, butter, sage, stock and Parm.

Successful?

The one word I would use to describe this dish is sophisticated. The flavors, preparation and execution of the dish certainly were. I would definitely it this dish in the intermediate-to-advanced category, but my efforts were appreciated with Mrs. Stuntman noting that it was one of her favorites.

Presenting: Chocolate Chicken Marsala Ravioli with Alfredo Sauce

Chocolate Chicken Marsala Ravioli with Alfredo Sauce

After my struggles earlier this month with the crab ravioli, I wanted to revisit a ravioli dish. Mrs. Stuntman would call me makulit, which loosely translates to 'stubborn' in Tagalog, however I needed to properly use the ravioli press (i.e. confirm the damn thing wasn't a waste of money) and needed to regain my confidence with fresh pasta.

I return this time with a slightly more involved preparation for the filling and a colored pasta made from with baking chocolate.

The Challenge

Sucessfully execute a ravioli dish.

The Sources

I used the same about.com page I used for the herb speckled ravioli; a Tyler Florence recipe on foodnetwork.com for the filling and an alfredo sauce from allrecipes.com.

Ingredients

For the filling:
8 ounces chicken breast, cut in strips
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 shallot, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1/4 cup Marsala wine or chicken broth
4 thin slices prosciutto, sliced
4 bay leaves
Fresh thyme and parsley leaves
2 tablespoons bread crumbs
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated, divided
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 egg
1/4 cup heavy cream

For the pasta:
3 1/3 cups flour
3 ounces (80 grams) powdered baking chocolate
4 eggs
1 pinch kosher salt

For the sauce:
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter
1 cup heavy cream
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped

Method

1. Make the filling: Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until brown. Add shallots and garlic. Deglaze with the Marsala. Take pan away from heat source and flambé. Return pan to stove. (The flame will extinguish on it's own in about 1 minute.) Add prosciutto and herbs. Sprinkle in bread crumbs and 1 tablespoon Parmesan. Drizzle in 1 tablespoon of olive oil to keep moist. Discard bay leaves. Pulse together all ingredients in a food processor. Add egg, cream, remaining Parmesan and olive oil. Pulse again. Chill while making the pasta dough.

2. Make the pasta dough: Omit the parsley, but add the cocoa with the salt. Otherwise, the instructions remain the same as the crab ravioli dish. (The link is above.)

3. Roll the dough: See the link above.

4. Make the ravioli: See the link above.

5. Make the sauce and finish the dish: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add in the ravioli and cook until the ravioli float to the top. Using a slotted spoon, remove the ravioli to a drain on a paper towel lined plate. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium low heat. Add cream and simmer for 5 minutes, then add garlic and cheese and whisk quickly, heating through. Stir in parsley. To plate, arrange ravioli in pasta bowls, spoon the alfredo over the ravioli and garnish with a parsley sprig.

Successful?

I was able to more effectively utilize the ravioli press, but still not to it's fullest potential. I realized that my pasta sheets weren't wide enough to accomodate all 12 ravioli spaces, so I only used one side, as demonstrated below.

I also spent less time completing the dish than my last attempt but it was still a marathon project. Also, you might have expected this pasta to be sweet due to the addition of the chocolate, but baking chocolate is unsweetened, so it was surprisingly savory. Ultimately, it was a little too rich but well worth the effort.