Before you become concerned about my continuing education, I must assure you that I did not, in fact, drop out of Italian Cooking School, I merely got sidetracked in my postings. (Thoughts of bacon wrapped jalapeños and pumpkin cravings can do that to a girl). Remember how much fun the first week (http://kitchen-loulou.blogspot.com/2010/08/back-to-school.html) was? I am pleased to report week two was all that and more. Really, it just keeps getting better.
Week two was ravioli, specifically, cheese filled spinach ravioli. With the basics of pasta dough covered in week one, Chef Nancy expanded our culinary horizons further by introducing spinach to the mix and rolling the dough by hand. There are, we learned, a multitude of ravioli forming/filling devices available, but hand rolling is simple and offers versatility beyond ravioli. After the dough was rolled, we cut circles using a fluted biscuit cutter that I’m guessing was 2 inches in diameter. Our cheese mixture was a creamy combination of ricotta, mozzarella and parmesan (talk about three part harmony, delicious!) An egg, salt & pepper rounded out the filling. After placing a small scoop of the filling in the center of one dough cut out, we wet the edge with a tiny amount of water to bind the top dough to the bottom…VOILA, ravioli. Chef Nancy’s insights didn’t stop there. She went on to demonstrate how a single dough cut out with an even tinier amount of filling folded over and crimped with a fork (think empanada or fried pie) would create a mezzaluna (half moon). That same piece set on its solid side with ends bent inward become tortellini. Pretty cool, huh? The critical point is to not over fill the pasta (trust me; a ravioli explosion in a pot of boiling water is not a pretty sight!)
By the way, did I mention the aroma wafting from the stove top throughout the ravioli making process? It was a delectable combination of peeled whole tomatoes simmering with two heads of garlic that had been sautéed in olive oil plus a sprinkling of red pepper flakes. This simple, fragrant Garlic Tomato Sauce was the perfect accompaniment to the ravioli, with that first bite it was like tasting ravioli for the very first time.
Can the average home cook really make pasta at home? Yes, you can. I can. We all can. Many people, cookbooks and cooking shows all claimed it to be true, but I just had to see it/feel it/taste it for myself. Ravioli and mezzaluna and tortellini, oh my!
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2 comments:
mezzalluna? I think I just like saying the word, but eating that sounds wonderful. I'll have to give it a try if you say it is so easy. If you're sure I can do it- I will!
I actually made homemade lasagne noodles recently that were delicious, way more tender and flavorful than store-bought which can almost be rubbery at times. Not something I'd do every time (quite labor-intensive) but for a special occasion, definitely worth it! By the way, mezzaluna sounds a lot like the Polish pierogi!
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