Herbed Ravioli Food

SPINACH, GOAT CHEESE AND HERB RAVIOLI

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Liberally season with salt.
• While the water comes to a boil, heat a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Drizzle in the olive oil and garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the spinach in batches, stirring to wilt, before adding more. Once all of the spinach is added, season with salt and pepper and cook until wilted and you no longer see any liquid in the skillet, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and add the goat cheese, Parmesan, chopped basil and parsley. Stir together until thick and creamy. Scoop the filling into a medium bowl.
• Fill a small bowl with water. Place 1 gyoza wrapper on a clean work surface and add 1 tablespoon of the spinach filling to the center. Dab a finger in the bowl of water and run it around the edge of the wrapper. Top with another wrapper and press around the edges to seal the ravioli, pushing out any air bubbles. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling to make a total of 10 ravioli.
• Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add the butter and cook until you see little brown bits on the bottom and it smells nutty, 3 to 4 minutes. Keep warm over low heat.
• While the butter browns, add 5 ravioli at a time to the pot and boil for 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, carefully transfer the cooked ravioli to the brown butter. Spoon the brown butter over the ravioli. Repeat with the remaining 5 ravioli.
• For each serving, spoon some of the ravioli into a shallow dish and drizzle with the brown butter. Finish with a sprinkling of Parmesan, chopped parsley and a few basil leaves.

CHEESE AND HERB RAVIOLI FILLING

Steps:

• In a mixing bowl, thoroughly combine all ingredients. Chill in the refrigerator a few minutes to firm up the filling.

HERB CHEESE RAVIOLIS

Steps:

• In a small bowl combine ricotta cheese, herbs, parmesan, salt and pepper and egg. Place one teaspoon of cheese mixture in center of wonton wrapper and wet two adjacent sides of square. Fold opposite corners over to form a triangular ravioli. Set on wax paper and repeat process with remaining wrappers.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season with salt. Reduce water to a simmer and gently add raviolis. Cook for 4 minutes and remove with a slotted spoon to drain. Serve with warm tomato sauce. Garnish with basil leaves.

HERBED RICOTTA FILLING FOR MANICOTTI RAVIOLI OR LASAGNE

Steps:

• Drain ricotta cheese in cheesecloth-lined colander for 30 minutes. Combine the ingredients and mix thoroughly until well combined. You may want to make a double batch if you are making lasagne or manicotti.

SQUASH RAVIOLI WITH HERBED BUTTER SAUCE

Steps:

• Make the filling. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Arrange the squash on a foil-lined baking sheet and roast it until tender when peirced with a fork, about 30 minutes. Allow the squash to cool for about 5 minutes, then transfer it to a medium-size bowl. Blend the squash with the milk, cheese, and nutmeg until it has a smooth, mashed potato-like consistancy. Note: the squash can be prepared a day in advance and refrigerated in an airtight container.
• Make the pasta. On a clean work surface. mound the flour and make a well in the center. In a small bowl use a fork to lightly beat together the salt and the eggs. Carefully pour the egg mixture into the well. Using a fork, gently incorporate the flour into the egg mixture, a small amount at a time. With your hands and a spatula or dough scraper, work the dough until it pulls together into a smooth, pliable ball.
• Halve the dough, then form each peice into a 1/2inch thick disk. Cover the disks with plastc wrap and set them aside to rest at room tempature for 30 minutes.
• lightly flour your work surface and half each dough disk. Roll out one of your dough portions as thinly as you can (to about the thickness of a dime), then use a 2 1/2 inch- diameter drinking glass, biscuit cutter, or cookie cutter to cut rounds from the dough. arrange them in pairs. Each half disk should yield 7 pairs of dough rounds.
• Further thin the dough rounds by pinching them between your thumb and forefinger. each round should increase in diameter by about 1/4 inch.
• Use a pair of dough rounds to make each ravioli. With a pastry brush or your fingertips dipped in water, paint a half inch perimeter around one of the dough rounds. Spoon a 1/2 tablespoon of squash filling into the center, then press the other round ontop of it along the moistened edges. Use the tines of a fork to seal the edges.
• Bring two large pots of water to boil (using two pots allows all the pasta to cook at once). Meanwhile , make the sauce. Melt the butter in a sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add the sage and continue to cook the sauce until it's light brown and has a nutty aroma, about 4 minuts. Remove the sauce from the heat.
• Line a large plate with paper towels. Add half the ravioli to each pot of boiling water. The pasta will float to the top after 2 or 3 minutes, but continue cooking it until tender, about 15 more minutes ( take one out and test its tenderness before draining an entire batch). When the ravioli are done, use a slotted spoon or spatula to scoop them out and transfer them to paper towels to drain.
• To serve, place the ravioli on individual plates and drizzle them with a spoonful of the Herbed Butter Sauce. Sprinkle on more parmesan, if you like.