Sweet potato and goats chèvre ravioli

I am glad to report my pasta making skills seem to be improving. While this still isn't the silkiest, thinnest, most luscious ravioli I've ever had - it was certainly presentable, the pasta was a good texture, and the filling was definitely delicious. You don't need a pasta machine to make ravioli, though it does help to get the dough nice and thin. A rolling pin and some patience work just as well. Fortunately, courtesy of a christmas present from my best friend I have a pasta machine so I didn't have to be so patient ;)

Method 

 The pasta dough:
200 g flour, Italian Type 00
2 eggs
olive oil

Sift the flour into a huge mixing bowl or on a chopping board. Make a well in the centre, add  the eggs, then incorporate the flour with your fingers and knead for about 5 minutes or until the dough comes together nicely. If the mix is too firm, add another egg or egg yolk or a teaspoon of olive oil (or, at a pinch a  little water), if it’s too soft, use a little more flour. Knead it lightly, and then shape it into a ball, tightly wrap in cling film and let rest for at least 30 minutes on the counter.

The filling
100g goats chèvre or ricotta (drained, squeezed dry in a cheesecloth)
2 sweet potatoes, roasted till soft and then cooled and peeled
1/2 tsp nutmeg

Mix together the sweet potatoes, chèvre and nutmeg, season with salt and pepper to taste.


Assembly
Roll the pasta into thin sheets with either a pasta machine or your trusty rolling pin.

Place teaspoonful balls of the sweet potato mixture on the dough, and then cover with more dough. Press down to form sealed edges, and cut into shapes.

Cook in boiling salted water until the pasta is al dente.

for the sage burnt butter sauce
100g butter
1 tablespoon lemon juice
5 sage leaves

Add butter to pan and heat until butter begins to foam. At this point, add the sage and cook until butter has browned. Squeeze in the lemon juice and serve sauce immediately over ravioli.

Variation: I had actually intended to use toasted walnuts instead of the sage leaves, but did not have any at the time. I've used them since, and they work well.

Putting it all together

Place the ravioli on a plate with some extra goats chèvre crumbled on top. Finish with the sage burnt butter sauce. Enjoy!

Cabbage and Pasta

I have to apologise at the lack of photo here. You see, we love this so much, that as soon as it was cooked we ate it all up!!!

Seriously wonderful, quick, easy, and delicious comfort food.

Ingredients

2 cups of cooked pasta (any sort will be fine - we usually use bowties or macaroni)
2 onions finely sliced
1 tbs caraway seeds
1/2 cup of sour cream
3 or 4 cups of finely sliced red cabbage
oil for frying + a small knob of butter for extra flavour
salt and pepper to taste

Method

Saute onions gently in the oil + butter until they are soft, sweet and translucent.

Stir in the caraway seeds. Add in the cabbage and cook until tender.

Add in the pasta, stir to combine. Then add in the sour cream, and stir through. If it is a bit "dry" and not saucy enough to coat add in a splash of water or milk. It should not be a runny sauce, but it should coat/cling to the pasta and cabbage.

Eat and enjoy!

Ricotta and egg ravioli

I did it!! I did it!! I made a ricotta and egg ravioli with burnt butter and lemon. And it was delicious!!

And it was my first time making an italian pasta!! I have to admit, the pasta was not perfect - it was a bit too thick. I'm not sure whether I overworked the dough, didn't have enough liquid, or just didn't roll it thinly enough. It tasted OK, though.

As for that ravioli - omg, how absolutely amazing is that combination of lightly spiced ricotta, runny egg yolk, and burnt butter. This will definitely be made again!


I took the recipe from http://www.deliciousdays.com/archives/2007/05/24/an-extra-dose-of-sunshine-egg-ravioli/ as my base, but I did change it somewhat to reflect the flavours I saw on Masterchef Australia (they didn't have the recipe up on their site when I went looking).

Ingredients and Method

The pasta dough:
200 g flour, Italian Type 00
2 eggs
salt

Sift the flour into a huge mixing bowl or on a chopping board. Make a well in the center, add a pinch of salt as well as the eggs, then incorporate the flour with your fingers and knead for about 5 minutes or until the dough comes together nicely. If the mix is too firm, add a little water, if it’s too soft, use a little more flour. Shape it into a ball, tightly wrap in cling film and let rest for at least 30 minutes on the counter.

The filling
200g Ricotta
zest of one lemon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
small egg yolks, preferably free range (amount depending on the number of egg ravioli you want) egg white (to brush the pasta sheets)

Mix together, season with salt and pepper to taste.

cut sheets of pasta into rounds (I did squares, cause I wasn't thinking...) Place the ricotta in the middle, with a little well in the centre. Put the yolk into the well. Cover with another sheet of pasta, crimp closed. Brush with egg white.

Cook in boiling salted water until the pasta is al dente.

for the burnt butter and lemon sauce
100g butter
1 tablespoon lemon juice Add butter to pan and heat until butter begins to foam. At this point, add the sage and cook until butter has browned. Squeeze in the lemon juice and serve sauce immediately over ravioli.