Asparagus Egg Yolk Ravioli Truffle Oil Parmesan Food

ASPARAGUS PARMESAN

Steps:

• Melt butter with olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
• Add asparagus spears, and cook, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes, or to desired firmness.
• Drain off excess oil, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.

ASPARAGUS RAVIOLI IN PARMESAN SAUCE

Steps:

• Make broth and filling while dough stands:
• Cut off asparagus tips, then halve each tip lengthwise and reserve.
• Bring stock, cheese rind, and bay leaf to a simmer in a medium saucepan, then add asparagus stems and cook, uncovered, until stems are just tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer stems to paper towels and cool slightly. Reserve broth.
• Purée asparagus stems in a food processor with grated parmesan, mascarpone, bread crumbs, zest, and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.
• Make Ravioli:
• Cut dough into 4 equal pieces. Cover 3 pieces with plastic wrap, then pat out remaining piece into a flat rectangle and generously dust with flour.
• Set rollers of pasta machine on widest setting. Feed rectangle, a short side first, through rollers. Fold rectangle in thirds, like a letter, and feed it, a short side first, through rollers. Repeat 6 or 7 more times, folding dough in thirds and feeding it through rollers, a short side first each time, dusting with flour to prevent sticking.
• Turn dial to next (narrower) setting and feed dough through rollers without folding, a short side first. Continue to feed dough through without folding, making space between rollers narrower each time, until the second- or third-narrowest setting is used. (Do not roll too thin or pasta will tear when filled.)
• Put pasta sheet on a lightly floured kitchen towel (not terry cloth) with a long side nearest you. Drop 6 rounded teaspoon-size mounds of filling 10 inches apart in a row down center of right half of sheet. Brush pasta around mounds of filling lightly with water, then lift left half of sheet and drape over mounds.
• Press down firmly but gently around each mound, forcing out air. (Air pockets increase the chance that ravioli will break during cooking.) Cut pasta (between mounds) with a sharp knife into roughly 2-inch squares. Line a large shallow baking pan with a lightly floured kitchen towel (not terry cloth), then arrange ravioli in 1 layer in it. Make more ravioli with remaining pieces of dough and remaining filling, transferring to lined pan.
• Cook ravioli and Asparagus tips:
• Bring a pasta pot of salted water (2 tablespoons salt for 6 quarts water) to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to a gentle boil.
• Bring reserved broth to a simmer, then simmer asparagus tips, uncovered, until tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Season broth with salt, then divide broth and asparagus tips among 6 shallow bowls, discarding cheese rind and bay leaf.
• Add half of ravioli to gently boiling water, carefully stirring to separate, and cook, adjusting heat to keep at a gentle boil, until pasta is just tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Lift cooked ravioli with a slotted spoon, draining well over pot, then transfer to bowls with broth. Repeat with remaining ravioli.

RAVIOLO AL' UOVO

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, Parm, parsley and 2 whole eggs; mix well and season with salt.
• Dust a clean work surface lightly with all-purpose flour and lay out two sheets of pasta about 12 inches long; brush them lightly with water. Equally space 4 dollops of the ricotta mixture on each pasta sheet; then use a spoon to make a "nest" or small hole in the center of each dollop. Carefully separate the remaining eggs (reserve the whites for another purpose) and put a yolk in each ricotta "nest"--the ricotta should lovingly nestle each yolk (if a yolk breaks, scoop it out with a spoon and don't use it).
• Cover the ricotta nests and egg yolk with another sheet of pasta. Use your index fingers to press around each ricotta nest to seal the edges, then use a fluted ring cutter or dough roller to cut around each ravioli (they should be 3 to 4 inches in diameter). Reserve the ravioli on a tray generously dusted with semolina.
• Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. In a large saute pan, melt half the butter and add half of the chicken stock (you're going to use the remainder for your next batch); season with salt and toss in half the sage. Bring this to a boil (BTB) and reduce to simmer (RTS).
• Add 4 of the ravioli to the boiling water and cook for 3 minutes. Using a spider or slotted spoon, carefully transfer the ravioli from the water to the pan with butter and chicken stock and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. If the sauce reduces too much, add a few drops of the pasta cooking water. The sauce should cling to the ravioli in a buttery hug.
• Transfer the ravioli to serving plates, spoon a little extra sauce over each one, and finish with a sprinkey-dink of grated Parm. Repeat with the remaining ravioli.
• Mound the flour on a clean, dry work surface. Make a big hole (called a well) in the center of the flour pile--bigger is definitely better here. Crack the eggs into the hole along with the extra yolk, olive oil, and 2 tablespoons water; season with salt. Using a fork, beat the eggs together with the olive oil, water, and salt and begin to incorporate the flour into the egg mixture. Be careful not to break the well or the egg mixture will run everywhere and you'll have a big fat mess on your hands (and your board). When enough flour is incorporated that you can handle the dough, use your hands to combine everything really well. If the mixture is tight and dry, wet your hands a bit. When the mixture is homogeneous, start kneading...
• To knead the dough, it's VERY important to put your body weight into it, to get on top of the dough, and really stretch it. Be careful not to tear it--the idea is that you stretch the dough, not rip it. Use the heels of your palms and roll the mixture over itself. When it's done it should be smooth, supple, and velvety and look like the head of a preemie Cabbage Patch Doll. Kneading will take anywhere from 8 to 15 minutes, depending on how experienced you are. (Don't hold back: This is where the perfect, toothsome texture of your pasta is formed. Get in there and work it!)
• When the pasta is ready, wrap it in plastic and let rest for at least an hour at room temperature before rolling. If you're making the dough ahead of time, wrap, refrigerate, and bring to room temperature before using.
• To roll out the pasta, you need to run the dough through the pasta roller a bunch of times to get it long and thin. To start, cut off about a quarter of the dough (remember, the bigger the piece you start with, the longer your dough is going to get), keeping the rest wrapped up so it doesn't dry out. Squish the dough to flatten it--this will help it run through the pasta roller more easily. Where do we start? We start at the beginning! Run the dough through the pasta roller starting on the widest setting, number 1. Then dust the dough with flour, fold it into thirds, and put the dough through this setting two more times. If the dough ever feels sticky or tacky, give it a little dusting of flour. Now adjust the setting to number 2 and repeat the process again--changing the setting each time until your dough is the desired thickness. Once the dough is rolled out, be sure to keep the pasta sheets covered so they don't dry out. Depending on what I want to use the pasta for, I usually stop around number 5 or 6. For long noodles, I keep it thicker, and for ravioli or stuffed pasta, I keep it thinner. All pasta machines are different, so you need to judge how your pasta machine works and adjust your rolling accordingly. Once you get the thickness you want, repeat this process with the remaining pieces of dough.

SKILLET-BAKED EGGS AND ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 300 degrees. In a large skillet over medium heat, warm the olive oil until shimmering. Add the asparagus and the scallions and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until asparagus is browned and tender.
• Whisk together the eggs, 4 tablespoons of the herbs, and cream. Whisk in Parmesan, salt and pepper. Pour the egg mixture over asparagus and place the skillet in the oven.
• Bake for about 20 minutes, until set, but still slightly jiggly in the center. Cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before serving. It is best warm, not hot.
• Squeeze one or two lemon wedges over it, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with flaky sea salt and remaining herbs. Cut into wedges.

WILD MUSHROOM AND FONDUTA RAVIOLI WITH ASPARAGUS, BUTTER AND PARMIGIANO

Steps:

• For the Fresh Pasta Dough: Place the flour on a work surface. Make a well in the center and add the eggs, olive oil and salt. Begin mixing the eggs with a fork, being careful to stay in the center. Add flour from the sides of the well little by little. When it becomes too stiff to mix with a fork, continue, incorporating flour by gently kneading the dough.
• When the dough has absorbed about as much flour as it's going to, move it to another area of the counter, scrape up the remaining flour and pass it through a sifter to remove any dried bits (you don't want these in your dough.)
• Then start kneading, keeping the table lightly dusted with flour. When it no longer sticks to the table, you're about finished. In the end, you want a smooth, firm but resilient, homogenous ball of dough, neither too dry nor too soft. Poke the dough and it should spring right back, press your fingers into the middle of the ball and it should feel just a bit tacky. If it is very sticky, you'll need to add more flour.
• Wrap the dough loosely in plastic and let it rest for at least 1 hour. This will make it easier to roll out.
• For the Mushroom Filling: Heat the oil in a frying pan add the mushrooms and saute. Add the garlic and deglaze with the white wine.
• When the wine has cooked away, add the mushroom stock and simmer until almost all the liquid has evaporated.
• Let the mushrooms cool then pulse in a food processor until coarsely chopped. In a mixing bowl, fold in the herbs and season with salt and pepper to taste. You can also stir in a drop of truffle oil if desired.
• For the Porcini Mushroom Stock: Place porcini in a saucepot and cover with water. Bring to a boil then lower heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let the mushroom steep for 30 to 40 minutes.
• Pass the stock through a strainer lined with a cheesecloth or a dampened paper towel to remove the mushrooms and any bits of sand.
• You should have 4 cups of flavorful, not overly concentrated, stock.
• For the Fonduta: Trim the red rind off the cheese and chop in a food processor. Put the cheese in a stainless steel mixing bowl, pour the milk over the cheese, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate over night. Fill a saucepan halfway with water and bring to boil. Place the mixing bowl over the pot to create a double boiler and allow the cheese to dissolve slowly into the milk, whisking occasionally.
• When the milk and cheese are completely amalgamated, stir in the flour. Whisk in the egg yolks one at a time. When all the eggs have been incorporated continue whisking over the heat until the mixture is thick and creamy and warm to the touch. Be careful not to let the fonduta get to hot or it will curdle.
• For the Ravioli: Using a pasta rolling machine or rolling pin, roll pasta out into a very thin sheet 6 to 8 inches wide. Spoon the mushroom filling on to half of the sheet in 2 rows of even rounds. Make a small indentation in the center of each mound and, with a pastry bag or small spoon, place a little of the fonduta into the center of each mound. Brush a little of the egg yolk around the mushroom filling then carefully lay the other half of the pasta sheet over the top. Gently press around the filling. Using a scalloped pastry wheel, cut the pasta in between the mounds to form individual ravioli. Keep the ravioli on a board or pan sprinkled with flour until ready to cook. (May be made and kept in refrigerator up to a day in advance). Bring a pot of salted water to a boil add the ravioli and cook 3 to 5 minutes; when the pasta rises to the surface they are done. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the asparagus, a pinch of salt. Add the ravioli, toss with the Parmigiano cheese and serve.

SOFT EGG RAVIOLI

Steps:

• For filling:
• Mix all ingredients in small bowl. Refrigerate while making pasta.
• For pasta:
• Whisk flour and salt in medium bowl; make shallow well in center. Add egg yolks, 6 tablespoons water, and oil to well. Using fork, whisk water, egg yolks, and oil. Gradually work in flour from around egg mixture to form crumbly mixture. Knead in bowl until dough comes together, adding more water by 1/2 teaspoonfuls if dry. Turn dough out onto lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Divide into 4 equal portions. Cover with plastic wrap; let rest on work surface 30 minutes.
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Turn pasta machine to widest setting. Flatten 1 dough piece to rectangle (cover remaining pieces with plastic wrap). Run dough through machine 2 times. Fold uneven ends over to make straight edge. Adjust machine to next narrower setting. Run dough through machine 2 times, dusting lightly with flour if sticky. Cut dough strip in half crosswise for easier handling. Repeat running dough through machine 2 more times on each narrower setting until pasta is generous 1/16 inch thick (setting #2), dusting lightly with flour if sticky.
• Whisk 1 egg in small bowl for egg wash. Place dough strips on work surface. Cut each strip into three 4-inch squares, trimming as needed. Place 3 pasta squares on 1 prepared baking sheet. Place 1 rounded tablespoon ricotta filling in center of each of 3 squares, spreading filling to 2 1/2-inch circle. Make well in center of filling large enough to hold 1 egg yolk. Carefully break 1 egg open and separate yolk from white (reserve egg white for another use). Gently place egg yolk in well of filling. Brush edges of pasta dough with egg wash. Carefully place 1 pasta square atop egg yolk, pressing edges of pasta squares together to seal tightly, enclosing yolk and filling completely. Dust ravioli lightly with flour. Repeat procedure with remaining pasta, ricotta filling, yolks, and egg wash for a total of 8 ravioli. DO AHEAD:Ravioli can be made 4 hours ahead. Refrigerate uncovered.
• For butter truffle sauce:
• Pour 6 tablespoons water into large skillet and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Add butter and stir until melted and bubbling. Stir in truffle oil and sliced truffles. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
• Meanwhile, add enough water to large skillet to measure 1 1/2inches; sprinkle with salt. Bring water to boil. Working in 2 batches, gently slide ravioli into skillet, egg yolk side up; adjust heat to keep water below rolling boil and cook just until pasta is tender, being careful not to overcook egg yolks, about 3 minutes (do not turn ravioli over).
• With slotted spoon, transfer 2 ravioli to each of 4 plates. Spoon sauce over.

SPINACH AND EGG SALAD

Steps:

• Wash vegetables. Dice peppers. Half grape tomatoes. Place in bowl with lid. Drizzle with approximately 1 tsp high quality Olive Oil. Add Salad Supreme seasoning. Close lids and shake well.
• Drizzle pan with olive oil. Fry eggs seasoning each with salt, pepper and paprika.
• Spread spinach mixture on two plate and top each spincah bed with 2 fried eggs.
• Enjoy!

ASPARAGUS, EGG YOLK RAVIOLI, TRUFFLE OIL & PARMESAN

Steps:

• To make the egg yolk ravioli, lay six wonton wrappers on a clean dry surface. Mix the cornflour with a little cold water to form a smooth paste. Using a pastry brush, brush the outer edges of each wrapper with the cornflour mixture.
• Gently separate the eggs, being careful not to break the yolk. Sit a yolk in the centre of each wonton wrapper. Place another wrapper over the top and firmly press the edges down to seal, taking great care to avoid breaking the yolk. Repeat with the remaining eggs. Refrigerate the ravioli on baking paper dusted with cornflour until required.
• Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil and briefly blanch the asparagus. Drain, put the asparagus in a bowl, add the butter and season with salt and black pepper. Keep warm.
• In another large saucepan of boiling salted water, cook the ravioli for a maximum of 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and rest on a plate.
• To serve, divide the asparagus among serving plates. Rest the ravioli on top of the asparagus, with some shaved parmesan alongside. Drizzle with truffle oil and finish with a good grind of black pepper.