Thursday, September 30, 2010

Ravioli inspired by Hell's Kitchen

     I love cooking shows and I very often I get excited at the thought of trying to prepare what I have seen the chefs create.  I was inspired by this week’s episode of Hells kitchen, specifically their ravioli task. 

     Ravioli does not have to be synonymous with hours of labor-intensive preparation. Today I am serving a home made ravioli with a Swiss chard ricotta and Parmesan cheese stuffing.

First I sauté the chard 
Chard from our garden
Oil & butter for the pan $.30
4 leaves Chard cut in ½ inch pieces 
(from the garden)
2 scrapes Lemon zest
2 cloves Garlic $.35

Saute the above then cool

When cool I added
1 cup ricotta $1.00
And ½ cup Parmesan and chill 
  
Then I make the pasta
1 cup AP flour $.25
1 egg  $.50
½ tsp salt
Enough water to get it into a ball 1/8- cup or so.

I tried the food processor this time to compare with hand rolling.
It worked wonderfully and being that I am short on time it was perfect.
I must admit that there is a joy in hand kneading the dough that I missed using the machine.

After the pasta rests for at least a half hour roll it out
Into a long strip place the filling as shown and cover with dough
I press down to get the air completely out
And brush the edges with water to seal
ready to top with dough
 I used a cute roller cutter for a decorative edge but that’s totally optional.

Then I cook quickly in boiling water and I finish in a pan sauce.
I had a wonderful time making this sauce. I added minced onion and sun dried tomatoes to tomato sauce and a bit of half and half as well. Then I tossed in a little wine and some red pepper flakes and went to town creating and playing. I think the sauce turned out well
Total Under $ 3.50 for the whole meal

TIP OF THE DAY: Don’t be afraid to create your own sauce. There will be times that your hunches do not work out, but by and by you will get a knack for what flavors pair well and work for you. I had such a wonderful time inventing this simple little sauce that I thought I’d share it as a tip. Enjoy…make sauce…

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