Wild Mushroom Ravioli With Eggplant And Goat Cheese Food

WILD MUSHROOM RAVIOLI WITH EGGPLANT AND GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• Place a pot of water on the stove to boil for pasta.
• Trim half of the skin from the eggplant. Leaving a little skin on will add color and texture to the dish. The small, firm eggplants are not too bitter and when they are firm, they will not soak up as much oil, so they do not need to be salted and pressed. However, if you leave all the skin, especially when you use baby eggplant, the skin overpowers the flavor of the flesh and the texture is too tough overall.
• Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cut the eggplant into 1-inch-by-1/2 inch bite size pieces. Add 2 turns of extra-virgin olive oil to the pan, the garlic and the eggplant. Turn and toss the eggplant and season it with salt and pepper. Let it brown lightly at edges, about 5 minutes, then reduce heat to medium low and continue to cook.
• Add salt and ravioli to the pasta water and simmer to package directions, about 5 or 6 minutes, until just tender.
• While the pasta cooks, dice tomatoes and add them to the cooking eggplant. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
• Drain cooked pasta and plate individually or on a platter. Top with eggplant and tomatoes and all of the basil and cheese. If you plate individually, use 1/4 of the basil and 2 ounces of cheese, crumbled, per portion.

WILD MUSHROOM RAVIOLI

Steps:

• Place 1 heaping teaspoon of mushroom filling in the center of 1 wonton wrapper. Wet the edges of the wonton with a little warm water. Place another wonton wrapper on top and press to seal the edges. Using a fork, crimp around the edges, if desired.
• Bring a large pot of boiling salted water to a boil. Cook ravioli in boiling water until they rise to the surface and are al dente. Drain.
• Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Saute mushrooms until soft, then add garlic and continue to cook for 30 seconds. Pull the pan from the heat, add scotch, and return the pan to the burner. Cook until Scotch is evaporated. Add ravioli, chicken broth, butter, and smoked salmon and reduce slightly, until the sauce has body. Dish into 4 bowls and sprinkle with dill, green onions, and capers on top of each bowl of pasta.
• Melt the butter in a heavy large saute pan over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and saute for 2 minutes, being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the mushrooms and leave alone to caramelize, not disturbing the mushrooms while they cook. (The more the mushrooms are stirred, the more moisture will be released.) When the mushrooms are well browned, add in the thyme and parsley. Deglaze with vermouth and cook until the liquid has evaporated. Add chicken demi-glace and reduce until dry. Toss in the porcini powder, green onions, and panko, and pull pan from the heat. Transfer to a sheet pan and let cool, uncovered. When cool, fold in the cheeses and refrigerate, covered, in a tight container until ready to use.

RAVIOLI WITH A WILD MUSHROOM CREAMY ALFREDO SAUCE

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large skillet and cook until golden.
• Add mushrooms; cover the pan and cook the mushrooms for 5-10 minutes or until the juices are released.
• Add the shallots and garlic; saute for 5 more minutes.
• Add the tarragon and white wine (I used Sutter Home Chardonnay); simmer for 5 minutes.
• Pour in the heavy cream; cook and stir on medium heat until the sauce begins to thicken.
• When the sauce begins to thicken, add in the alfredo sauce and nutmeg.
• Simmer until heated through and then gently stir in the chicken and white pepper.
• Cook for 5 minutes; taste and adjust spices.
• Simmer over low heat while cooking the ravioli.
• Cook the ravioli according to the package directions; drain well and transfer to either a serving dish or you can go ahead and plate the ravioli.
• Pour sauce over the top of the ravioli.
• Garnish with freshly grated parmesan before serving.
• Note: Although we loved the flavor of the added alfredo sauce, if you would like to omit it, the amount of white wine could be increased to 1/2 cup and the heavy cream to 1 1/2 cup.

CYN'S WILD MUSHROOM RAVIOLI

Steps:

• THE FILLING.
• Melt butter in pan.
• Add olive oil to melted butter.
• Add mushrooms.
• Let mushrooms sweat until they release their juices.
• Add pepper, salt, and onion/garlic powder.
• Add 1/8 cup beef broth and let mixture reduce.
• Once reduced, remove from heat and let cool.
• Add cheeses to blender/food processor.
• Add cooled mushroom mixture to cheese.
• Blend together until smooth.
• Add more broth if mixture is too thick.
• Remove mixture to bowl stir in 1/2 cup of mixed mushrooms.
• Set aside.
• THE DOUGH: Sift flour and salt together.
• Place flour mixture on a board, making a well in the center of the flour.
• Drop eggs into the flour well, using your hand or a fork, break the yolks and beat eggs slightly.
• Combine the eggs and flour together, gradually adding enough warm water to make a stiff dough.
• Knead dough well, until smooth; cover the dough and let it rest for 15 minutes.
• Cut dough in half and roll each half of the dough out on a floured board, into a very thin sheet (about 1/16 to 1/8 inch thick).
• FILLING THE RAVIOLI: Drop about 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoonfuls of filling about 1 1/2 inches apart all along the dough.
• When the sheet of dough is fully dotted with dabs of filling mixture, cover filling with other sheet of dough.
• Using your fingers, gently press dough between each dab of filling to seal it.
• Cut ravioli into squares with a pastry cutter, or very sharp knife.
• DRYING THE RAVIOLI: Allow ravioli to dry for one hour before cooking.
• COOKING THE RAVIOLI: Drop ravioli into 6 to 8 quarts of boiling, salted water and cook for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until dough is tender.
• Remove cooked ravioli from pot carefully with a skimmer or a large slotted spoon, and drain well.
• Serve hot and enjoy with your favorite cream sauce.

WILD MUSHROOM RAVIOLI

Steps:

• In small saucepan, combine water and porcini mushrooms. Bring to boil. Remove from heat; let stand for 30 minutes. Drain, reserving liquid. Finely chop mushrooms; set aside.
• In small non-stick skillet, saute onion and shiitake mushrooms in 2 teaspoons butter until tender. Add porcini mushrooms and 1/4 cup soaking liquid. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered for 3-5 minutes or until liquid is evaporated. Remove from heat. Stir in cream cheese. salt and pepper. Cool to room temperature.
• Make sauce: In a samall saucepan, saute button mushrooms and garlic in remaining butter. Add marinara sauce and simmer.
• Spoon 2 teaspoons of mixture in center of wonton wrapper. Moisten edges with water, all the way to the filling. Top with another wonton wrapper, pressing down around filling to seal. Crimp with fork or pastry wheel. Repeat with remaining filling and wrappers.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add ravioli. Reduce heat to gentle simmer and cook 1-2 minutes until ravioli float to the top and are tender.
• Top with pasta sauce, parmesan and parsley.

WILD MUSHROOM RAVIOLI WITH BASIL-PINE NUT SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Place the pine nuts on a heavy baking sheet, toast until fragrant. about 7 minutes. Let cool.
• (I toast in a dry fry pan on the stove top until golden brown).
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt water.
• Add the ravioli and boil until until they are cooked through, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes, drain.
• (Once ravioli rises to the top of the boiling water, give it another couple of minutes it is done).
• In a large heavy frying pan melt the butter over medium high heat until pale golden brown, about 4 minutes.
• Add the basil leaves and cook until crisp.
• Sprinkle with 1/2 teas. salt and 1/2 teas. black pepper.
• Add the cooked ravioli to the butter mixture, toss in pine nuts, sprinkle in basil leaves and top with some grated parm-reggiano.
• Place on plates or in a covered casserole dish for serving.
• Serve with grated cheese at the table.