À la Sandy

I came up with the recipe for these raviolis after tasting one of my favorite cream sauces, that I did not invent.  Years ago, for my birthday, a friend gave me one of my favorite cookbooks, Alfred Portale’s “Gotham.” It contains recipes from the NYC restaurant, Gotham, including one for a cream sauce that features lemon, lemon zest and herbs, that is to die for!  It’s easy, takes just minutes to prepare and is perfect not only with pasta dishes, but also goes great over fish and chicken.

I’m always experimenting with different ravioli recipes – if you follow my blog, you know that I love making fresh pasta!  If you have a food processor and a Pasta Maker, (or a Kitchenaid Stand Mixer and its Pasta Attachment) it’s very easy to make.  If you don’t have the appliances or the time to make the pasta dough from scratch, you can substitute Wonton wrappers from your local market.

Whenever anyone asks what my favorite cookbooks are, “Gotham,” by Alfred Portale is always included on my list!  It’s a beautiful book, filled with tantalizing recipes, engaging stories and tips by the author and stunning photographs.  Here’s a link so you can peruse and purchase, if you like what you see.

http://www.amazon.com/Alfred-Portales-Gotham-Grill-Cookbook/dp/0385482108

Chicken and Goat Cheese Raviolis

(this recipe is enough for 4 people with extra raviolis to freeze for next time)

.

Pasta Dough

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 Cup Semolina Flour
2 eggs
2-3 tablespoons cold water
1/4 teaspoon salt

1 lightly beaten egg for assembling the raviolis

Add all the ingredients in your food processor and pulse/blend until it becomes a firm ball ( about 20 seconds) – you might have to add a few drops of water, but not too much – you don’t want the dough to be sticky.  Remove from the food processor, form into a ball and place it on a floured cutting board or counter.  Place a large bowl over the dough and let it rest for an hour.  If you don’t use the dough right away, you can cover it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it until you’re ready to use it.

.

Chicken and Goat Cheese Filling

.
1 lb ground chicken
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive oil
3-4 ounces Goat cheese, softened
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup red pepper, finely chopped
1/3 cup Pignoli nuts
3 scallions, chopped
1 large egg, beaten
salt and pepper, to taste

In a medium skillet, use half the Olive oil and saute the scallions, red pepper and garlic until tender.   In a separate skillet, use the rest of the Olive oil and cook the ground chicken over medium heat, until brown. Add the Goat cheese and stir until the cheese is melted. Remove from heat to cool slightly.  Stir in the beaten egg.  Add the mixture to your food processor and mix for approximately 1 minute.  Add the chicken/cheese mixture to the sautéed veggies along with the salt and pepper and mix together well.  Refrigerate until you’re ready to assemble the raviolis.

Insert  the “pasta sheet roller” on your Kitchenaid.  Set the dial on the end of the attachment to the “widest” option.  Divide the dough into 4 pieces. Turn the mixer on to a medium low-speed. Take a piece and run it through the “roller” a couple times.  Turn the dial to the next “thinnest” width and roll the dough through 2-3 times.  Repeat until you run the dough through the “thinnest” setting.

Work in stages, rolling out 2 sheets at a time so you can prepare the raviolis, then come back and make 2 more sheets

Lightly dust with flour, a clean kitchen counter or other long surface.  Lay 1 sheet of the rolled dough on the counter.  Place 1 heaping tablespoon of the chicken/goat cheese mixture on top and repeat, about 2 inches apart. (see pics) With a pastry brush, brush the beaten egg on the dough, around the chicken mounds.

Place the second layer of rolled dough on top and stretch it gently over and around the chicken to seal and to push out any air bubbles.  Press a ravioli cutter over the sections to seal the raviolis.  Place them on a parchment-lined cookie sheet until ready to cook.

In a non-stick skillet, over a medium flame, heat the butter and Olive oil. Toss in 6-7 ravioli and brown on both sides.  Add 3-4 tablespoons of warm water, cover the pan with a fitted lid to allow the raviolis to “steam”.  Do this for approximately 1 minute, tossing occasionally.  I prefer this method of cooking raviolis, rather than just boiling them.  Serve immediately with the Lemon Basil sauce.

Alfred Portale’s Lemon Basil Sauce — from the Gotham Cookbook

1/2 cup heavy cream
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus more if needed
1 small garlic clove, finely minced
Coarse salt, freshly ground white pepper and cayenne, to taste
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, plus whole fresh leaves, for garnish
2 tablespoon finely minced fresh chives

In a medium saucepan, bring the cream to a boil over medium-high heat.  Cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.  Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, to make a creamy sauce.  Whisk in the lemon juice and garlic.  Taste and season with salt, white pepper and cayenne.

Add the basil, chives and stir. Taste to check the sauce for an authoritative tang — season with more lemon juice, salt, white pepper and cayenne, as needed.

For my raviolis, I garnished also with toasted pignoli nuts.

Cheers!