Spinach Ravioli with Brown Butter & Sage Sauce

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Spinach Ravioli with Brown Butter & Sage Sauce

Made by Guest Cook (My Dad)

 

My parents came over for dinner the other night, and brought with them about 30 of these little guys, ready to cook. He provided me with his ravioli recipe and then we whipped up this impossibly delicious brown butter sauce together (read: I helped with my taste testing skills).

Raviolis

• 1 package frozen spinach, thawed
• 5 gloves minced garlic, sauteed
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• 500 grams ricotta cheese
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 2 eggs
• a scape (or pinch) of nutmeg
• 3 egg pasta
• 2 1/4 cups AP flour
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lukewarm water

Butter Sauce

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/4 cup fresh sage leaves, chopped
• 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

Directions: 

1. Make a well of measured flour and crack eggs into center. Break the yolks without disturbing the sides and add salt, olive oil and water.Whisk the eggs gently and incorporate some of the flour little by little. With your hands bring the flour from the outside of the well to the center and form a ball. If the ball is sticky, pick up with hands and mix further. Once dough feels soft and no longer sticky, knead for about 8-9 minutes until dough is smooth and shiny. Cover with tea towel and allow to rest for 15 minutes.
2. You can now roll out and create your raviolis. You may want to use a pasta machine to roll out your dough, or if you don't have one, use a rolling pin to roll out quite thin (1/8"). My dad used a press (which is why these look so annoyingly perfect) but since I don't have one, I general roll dough into long strips, lay one strip down, place tablespoons of filling(recipe to follow) about 2" apart, brush with an egg wash in a circle around filling and then top with second strip, trim and pinch to seal.
3. To create filling combine thawed frozen spinach, garlic, ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, eggs and nutmeg in a bowl and season with salt and pepper.
4. Once raviolis are made (alternatively, you may decide to buy fresh raviolis- You can find them in the refrigerated pasta section of the grocery store) it's time to make the Brown Butter Sauce. Start by heating the butter in a heavy saucepan over medium high heat.
5. Meanwhile bring large pot of salted water to a boil. Add raviolis and cook for 6-7 minutes if fresh, or according to the package if store-bought.
6. Watch & stir the butter carefully as it starts to foam and then subsides. At this point it should start browning. Add your sage now and continue to stir. Once the butter reaches a caramel color you want to remove from heat. You want it to be browned not burnt. Drizzle over raviolis and top with toasted pine nuts.
7. It seems like a lot of work, but you can make the raviolis in advance and freeze, allowing you to create this meal in about 10 minutes!

Sweet Basil Pasta

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Sweet Basil Pasta

My favourite dish to make when CK surprises me with guests and I don't have any groceries in the house! Easy to make as little or as much as you need-- its a unique flavour profile, the sugar cuts the tomatoes well and the dried basil packs a delicious punch. If you're ambitious try with homemade farfalle. 

• 1 can diced tomatoes 
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cups farfalle (bowtie) pasta
• Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add farfalle pasta and cook until al dente (approximately 10 minutes) 
2. In the meantime, in a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant. Add diced tomatoes, dried basil and brown sugar and simmer to reduce (10-15 minutes)
3. Drain pasta and toss with tomato mixture, top with freshly grated parmesan. 

Pasta Carbonara

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Pasta Carbonara

This is a great and simple dinner recipe. Traditional versions have the raw egg added directly to the pasta as it's served-- but growing up my mom would have my dad fry it up a bit after and I love the texture it creates!

• 8 strips bacon
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup parmesan cheese
• 12 ounces spaghetti
• cracked black pepper & coarse salt

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente (approximately 10 minutes) 
2. Cook 8 strips of bacon in a pan until lightly crispy. Let cool and crumble into back bit sized pieces. Reserve.
3. In the meantime, combine eggs, parmesan cheese, cracked black pepper and coarse sea salt in a bowl. Reserve. 
4. When pasta is done, drain well and put back into pot over high heat. Add egg mixture and bacon and combine. Heat through for 1-2 minutes.
5. Top with extra parmesan and serve.

Orecchiette with Italian Sausage & Rapini

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Orecchiette with Italian Sausage & Rapini

Recipe adapted from French Women Don't Get Fat

I love this meal for a one dish dinner. It's spicy and hearty and looks pretty impressive ;) If you usually aren't one for rapini take heed- the tomato sauce neutralizes much of bitterness creating a nice palate of flavours.  

• 2 cups Orecchiette (serves 4)
• 1 lbs rapini (stems trimmed & roughly chopped)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 1/2 lbs hot italian sausage split down the centre and removed from casing
• 1 cup plain tomato sauce
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup grated pecorino
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan 

Directions:

1. Cook the orecchiette in large pot of boiling salted water until they begin to soften (about 8 minutes). Add the rapini and cook until pasta is al dente (about 3 more minutes) Drain and reserve.
2. While pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium head. Add garlic and onion and cook until fragrant and softened (about 3 minutes) Add the sausage, breaking it up with a wooden spoon and cook until browned, 5-8 minutes.
3. Add the cooked pasta and broccoli rabe to the saute pan and toss until fully incorporated. Add the tomato sauce and cook for 1-2 minutes until heated through. Sprinkle with grated cheeses and salt & pepper and serve.