I don’t even know where to begin.

Dinner tonight was just unbelievable.

I could die right now and have lived a complete life.

This is one of those recipes that sounds wonderful but is actually even more wonderful when you taste it!  Just wonderful.

Creamy good.  The sauce is surprisingly silky for having so many walnuts in it.  The food processor really does a good job.  (It may state mortar and pestle but we cook using 20th century equipment, whenever possible!)

There is a definite garlic undercurrent to it – even though the sauce only calls for one clove.  But the other flavors work together well with it.  The ravioli filling actually has flavor and texture to it – something usually lacking in the store-bought variety.

The actual pasta was light enough not to be a belly bomb, but substantial enough that you knew you were eating a ravioli.  A real ravioli.

Balance.

And balance pretty much sums up the whole plate.

Wrap dough tightly in plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes.

Pansotti

Dough

  • 3 cups unbleached all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1/4 cup dry white wine
  • 1/3 to 1/2 cup water
  • 1 large egg

In a large bowl, whisk together flour and salt. Mound flour mixture and form a well in the center. Add wine, 1/3 cup water and get to the well. Using a fork, gently break up yolk and slowly incorporate flour from inside rim of well. Continue until liquid is absorbed, then knead in bowl until dough forms a complete mass. Transfer to a well floured work surface and knead for 3 to 4 minutes more. If dough is not coming together add more water by the tablespoonful to moisten. Wrap dough tightly in plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes.

Unwrap dough and knead for 5 minutes. Flatten dough so that it will fit through the rollers of a hand-cranked pasta machine. Set the rollers of pasta machine at the widest setting, then feed pasta through rollers 3 or 4 times, folding and turning the pasta until it is smooth and the width of the machine.

Cut dough into 3 pieces; cover 2 pieces with a clean dishtowel. Begin rolling pasta through machine, decreasing the setting one notch at a time (do not fold or turn pasta) until the sheet is 1/8 inch thick. Cut pasta sheet into 2 pieces. Dust both sides of sheets with flour and cover 1 sheet with a clean dishtowel. Cut the other sheet of pasta into 3 inch squares. Fill each with 1 teaspoon filling. Fold into triangles and seal with a dab of water and crimp with a fork. Transfer to a clean dry lightly floured baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining pasta sheet, then roll, cut and fill remaining dough, 1 piece at a time.

Unwrap dough and knead for five minutes.
Feed pasta through rollers 3 or 4 times.

Filling

  • 1 lb Swiss chard, stems and center ribs removed, leaves coarsely chopped.
  • 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh basil leaves
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 tsp fine sea salt
  • 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
  • 3/4 cup fresh ricotta cheese
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add chard and cook for 3 minutes. Drain, then squeeze out all excess water. Finely chop together chard and basil

Mound garlic and salt on a cutting board. Using the blade and flat side of a chef’s knife, chop and blend together the garlic and salt to a paste. In a bowl, combine greens garlic paste, Parmigiano-Reggiano, ricotta, egg and pepper. Cover bowl and set aside.

Fill each with 1 teaspoon filling. Fold into triangles and seal.
Transfer to a clean dry lightly floured baking sheet.

Pansotti con salsa di noci – Pansotti with walnut sauce

  • 3/4 cup walnut pieces
  • 1 cup (1/2 inch) cubes day-old rustic bread
  • Sea Salt
  • Fresh ground black pepper
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1/3 cup plus 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup fresh ricotta cheese
  • 1/4 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
  • 1 batch Pansotti

Put the bread in a bowl, cover with tepid tab water and let stand for 5 minutes, then drain and squeeze out excess water

Place the walnuts, 3/4 tsp salt and a pinch of pepper into a food processor. Add the garlic and drizzle in all but 2 tbsp. of the olive oil. Add the ricotta and yogurt and the last 2 tbls oil and mix until combined.

Toss in a bowl with the warm Pansotti and serve immediately.

Dough

3 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1 ½ tsp fine sea salt

¼ cup dry white wine

1/3  to ½ cup water

1 large egg