This is a platter of homemade 5-cheese ravioli in a sauce of speck, sun-dried tomatoes, and langostino. I can’t even begin to describe how happy my tummy is right now. My taste-buds have been doing cartwheels for 45 minutes.
I am one happy dude. I can’t believe it isn’t soup.
A couple of weeks ago Victor said he wanted to make ravioli. I, of course, immediately stated it was a fantastic idea and I was ready to eat them the moment he made them.
And then I caught a cold, he had to go to Chicago on business…
But today, while I was toiling away at work, he did his magic.
And magic, it was.
Clouds of cheese-filled heaven in a sea of tomatoes. It amazes me how he can make something so rich and so filling – and so light at the same time. It really is magic.
Ravioli del Formaggio Cinque
Dough
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 eggs
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp olive oil
Make a mound of the flour on a counter. Make a well and add the eggs, oil, and salt. With your fingers, slowly incorporate the flour into the liquid.
Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. It should feel silken and smooth.
Cover and let rest about 30 minutes.
Cut dough into three pieces and roll through pasta rollerfolding and refolding the first few times as it gets thinner. Continue rolling to the 7th setting.
Filling
- 1 lb ricotta
- 1 cup shredded cheeses (Victor used fontina, assiago, parmesan, and provelone)
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp minced parsley
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- salt and pepper, to taste
Mix all ingredients.
To assemble
Lay out one strip of dough on counter and place heaping tablespoons of filling about every three inches just to the left of center.
Fold dough over. Use biscuit or other cutter to cut ravioli. Crimp edges with times of fork.
Lay out on lightly-floured sheet pans and cover with kitchen towels until ready to cook.
To cook
Bring salted water to a just-barely boil in large, shallow braiser or skillet. Add ravioli a few at a time and cook about 3-4 minutes, or until done. Do not hard boil as they will fall apart.
Drain and serve with your favorite sauce.
The favorite sauce tonight was, as mentioned earlier, a simple tomato sauce with speck – a type of prosciutto – sun-dried tomatoes, and langostino.
The red sauce worked fabulously with the ravioli, but I think just about any sauce would work, from a butter and walnut or sage to a light vodka sauce.
The ravioli will stand up to anything!
We’re doing Easter this year for the family and I’m thinking these would be a perfect accompaniment to whatever we’re serving.