Two-Toned Ravioli with Pom-Braised Mushroom Filling and Sauce Duo

For the entrée portion of the Pom Party, I decided to make pasta. I recently purchased a ravioli form which makes ravioli making much easier. These can be made by using cutters or a pizza slicer, but the ravioli form seems to seal the edges better, in my opinion.

To make these pom party worthy, I made half of the ravioli dough with pomegranate juice to create a pretty purple hue. I didn't know how sweet it would make the dough, so I went with half pom-infused and half regular egg dough. For the filling, I braised cremini mushrooms, garlic and shallots in pomegranate juice, then mixed it with parmesan and ricotta cheeses.

To make the ravioli really pop with flavor, I made two sauces. The first was a basil pesto, the second was a creamy roasted red pepper parmesan sauce. They were very well balanced and brought a lightness to the cheesy pasta dish. 

Two-Toned Ravioli with Pom-Braised Mushroom Filling

with Pesto and Roasted Red Pepper Cream Sauce Duo

Pasta:

6 cups flour, divided

4 eggs, divided

1 cup POM Wonderful 100% pomegranate Juice

2 tsp. salt, divided

1/2 c. EVOO, divided

1/4 c. water

Filling:

1 tbsp. EVOO

1 lb. mushrooms, any variety

1 shallot, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp. fresh minced rosemary

Kosher salt and black pepper

1/2 c. POM Wonderful 100% pomegranate juice

2 c. ricotta cheese

1/4 c. parmesan cheese

Pesto:

4 c. packed basil leaves

1/4 c. pine nuts

1/4 c. parmesan cheese

2 garlic cloves, smashed

Kosher salt and pepper

1/4 c. water

1/4-1/2 c. EVOO

Red Pepper Parmesan Cream Sauce:

2 roasted red peppers, fresh or jarred

1/2 c. vegetable stock

1 c. half and half

Kosher salt

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/4 c. parmesan cheese

Egg pasta: Beat together 3 eggs and 1/4 c. EVOO, add 3 cups of flour and 1 tsp. salt, whisk together with a fork. Add water 1 tbsp. full at a time to make a dough, knead with hands for 5 minutes, dough should be just a bit sticky. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

POM Pasta: Beat together 1 egg and 1 c. pom juice, add 3 cups of flour and 1 tsp. salt. whisk together with a fork. Add EVOO 1 tbsp. at a time to make a dough, alternately add flour if dough is too wet. Knead with hands for 5 minutes, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes. 

Use a pasta roller and roll dough into thin sheets, dusting with semolina flour as necessary. 

Filling: Add EVOO, mushrooms, shallots and garlic to a saute pan over medium heat. Toss and cook for about five minutes, until mushrooms are soft and onions are caramelized. Season with salt, pepper and rosemary. Add pom juice and reduce until evaporated. Cool mixture then add to a mixing bowl with ricotta and parmesan. Mix well. Refrigerate until you stuff pasta.

Pesto: Add all ingredients except EVOO to a food processor, pulse to get things moving, then run machine while steaming in EVOO to desired consistency. Served or wrap tightly and refrigerate.

Red Pepper Cream Sauce: Add red peppers and stock to a blender, puree until smooth. Add to a small soup pot, pour in half and half, parmesan cheese and cayenne. Bring to a simmer, reduce for 5 minutes, taste and adjust seasonings as necessary. Serve. 

Fettuccine with Heirloom Tomatoes and Capers

I've become the master of cooking for one. I understand the lack of motivation to cook a meal from scratch when you're single, but since I so frequently am faced with this scenario, I've grown to realize that there is no reason to not make a great meal for myself. In fact, I take the opportunity make the meals I know my husband won't be crazy about when he's gone, in this situation it's anything pickled! 

When I looked over this recipe, I knew the only change I would have to make was eliminate the anchovies. Because their salty bite was out, I doubled the capers and added another garlic clove. What made me most excited for this recipe was the thin slices of garlic cloves. I'm the girl who seeks out chunks of sautéed, roasted, or even raw garlic when I'm eating! 

I love making fresh pasta, mixing the egg in with my fingers, kneading the dough, running it through the roller and then cutter, it's so relaxing to see a few simple ingredients come together as perfect pasta strands. I have a basic $20 pasta roller with two cutting options, fettuccine or spaghetti. Because the capers, tomato and garlic had some chunk to them, I chose to make fettuccine because it's thicker and holds up to chunky sauces better. 

This pasta bowl was so delicious: well balanced in flavors, light but still hearty and filling, fresh and summery. Thanks to Joanne for this selection from Live to Cook for our Symon Sundays group.

Tips and Trades:

-Because this dish has so few ingredients, use the best quality available, such as fresh organic, free range eggs and plump, juicy, vine-grown tomatoes, it will make a big difference in flavor. 

-If you're not opposed to using anchovies, but don't want to use whole fish, try using anchovy paste, available on the Italian foods aisle of the grocery store.

Fettuccine with Heirloom Tomatoes and Capers

adapted from Chef Symon's Live to Cook

Serves 1

pasta:

1/2 c. unbleached all purpose flour

pinch of salt

1 egg yolk

1-3 tbsp. water, as needed

1 tbsp. EVOO

3 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced very thin

1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1 large Heirloom tomato, diced

2 tbsp. capers

5 basil leaves, torn

Salt and pepper

1 tbsp. coarse breadcrumbs (I smashed up a crouton!)

Place flour on a clean counter top, make a well in the center.

Add egg yolk and salt, whisk with fingers and incorporate flour into egg.

Add water as needed to make dough come together, it should be slightly sticky.

Knead for 5 minutes, set aside to rest for 10 minutes.

Using a pasta roller, roll into a flat sheet (I rolled on setting 3).

Use semolina flour, for dusting, if sticky.

Rest dough sheet for 5 minutes.

Run through the fettuccine cutter, set pasta aside.

Bring a pot of water to a boil.

Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat.

Add EVOO, garlic and crushed red pepper flakes.

Sauté for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.

Add tomatoes and capers, season with salt and pepper.

Drop pasta in salted, boiling water.

Cook pasta for 3-5 minutes, use tongs or a pasta spoon to transfer directly to skillet with sauce.

Add basil and toss pasta and sauce.

Plate, top with breadcrumbs.

Thank you to Joanne for selecting this week's recipe. You can see all of the Symon Sundays participant's pasta at their blogs.

Joanne: Eats Well with Others
Natashya: Living in the Kitchen with Puppies
Kim: Stirring the Pot

Symon Sundays: Sheep's Milk Ravioli with Brown Butter and Almonds & Roasted Dates with Pancetta, Almonds and Chile

This week's Symon Sundays recipes were chosen by Tasha at The Brick Kitchen. Please visit her site and the other Symon Sundays participants to read about their opinions on the dishes! You can find links to their blogs and the Symon Sundays schedule on the right blog column.

The first dish chosen is from the appetizers section of Live to Cook. I had been eying it for months, and even considered making it for a dinner party, but it slipped my mind. Because it was paired with a pasta dish, I decided to turn it into a salad. There were few ingredients in this dish, but they all are packed with flavor and had something to add to the final product. I would definitely make this as an appetizer in the future, or use the combination of a spin off a warm bacon-dressed spinach salad, just chop the dates so the sweet punch of flavor is in each bite. 

Please visit Tasha's blog for the recipe! 

Roasted Dates with Pancetta, Almond and Chile

The second choice of Tasha's was Sheep's Milk Ravioli with Brown Butter and Almonds. I searched for Sheep's Milk Ricotta, but it wasn't available. Since the recipe called for really thick ricotta, and because I couldn't find sheep's milk, I decided to make my own ricotta. While the ricotta came out extremely thick and delicious tasting, it wasn't really a money saver as I had hoped. A half gallon of organic milk is around $4, and a tub of organic ricotta is around $4.50, so by the time I factor in my time to make it, the price is the same. However, it was fun to know I literally made this entire dish from scratch!

For the ravioli, the dough is made from only egg yolks and white flour, but I substituted a whole egg and a white, and used half whole wheat flour and half unbleached all purpose flour to make it healthier. For the sauce, I couldn't bring myself to use 12 tbsp. butter, so I used 1 tbsp., the juice of the orange, and some vegetable stock. The recipe called for parsley, but I don't like parsley, and love rosemary paired with orange, so opted for that combination. I also served the ravioli with steamed broccoli for a little extra veg in the meal. 

While I varied a great deal from the original recipe, and I'm sure a pool of brown butter would be amazing, my substitutions made this dish quite tasty! 

Sheep's Milk Ravioli with Brown Butter and Almonds

Making the ricotta:

Bring 1/2 gallon milk, 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. citric acid to 195*, rest for 5 minutes

Strain in cheesecloth for 5 minutes

Tie up and hang to strain in the fridge for a few hours, very thick ricotta!

Tasha's dates look fantastic! 

Joanne had the same idea and served hers over a salad, but used figs and added goat cheese and cranberries

Joanne also reduced her butter, and added some zucchini to her ravioli

Natashya added dill to her pasta, adding a nice punch of flavour! 

Pumpkin Ravioli with Cilantro Pesto and Artichokes

Last week, I made this delicious dinner, Pumpkin Ravioli in Broth with Vegetables and Beans. As I described in the post, I have a deep love of all things pumpkin, especially ravioli, but have a hard time finding sauces that aren't cream based. That recipe was a huge success, and I almost made it again with my leftover frozen ravioli!

But as I was making the ravioli that Saturday afternoon, I was brainstorming on what to do with the leftovers. See, ravioli making is a process, so when you commit to it, you might as well go all out and make a few batches. I'm hoping to one day locate ravioli forms, which do make it a bit easier, but for now, it's truly a from scratch, handmade affair.

My thoughts went from sauce to sauce, I didn't want something heavy, and since it was a weeknight, I needed something fast. Enter pesto. I absolutely love pestos of all kinds, from the flavorful fresh herbs to the variety of cheese and nut combinations, it's truly a clean out the fridge type sauce that seems elegant and is just so simple to make. One of it's downfalls though is though it's not creamy, it can still be very high in calories and fat. Though nuts and EVOO contain the 'good fats', and the calories are from a good source, it needs to be kept in check.

I like to make my pesto on the thicker side and use a bit of the starchy cooking water to thin it. I also opt for less nuts and cheese, and really pack it with herbs. The best part of making a pesto is it's foolproof. Keep adding the ingredients until you reach the consistency and flavor balance you want.

These ravioli would pair well with almost any herb, basil would highlight the sweet flavors, parsley would make it more earthy, spinach would also work well, but I chose cilantro. Pumpkin and cilantro are a common combination in Indian and Thai cooking, and they really complient eachother well. I chose to add some artichokes because I wanted more vegetables, but roasted red peppers would also be a nice addition!

I see another weekend of ravioli making in my future because it literally took just a few minutes to throw this dish together for an easy weeknight meal.

Pumpkin Ravioli with Cilantro Pesto and Artichokes

1 dozen Pumpkin Ravioli

1 can of quartered artichoke hearts

1 bunch of cilantro, about 2 cups, packed

2 garlic cloves, smashed

1/4 cup reduced fat feta cheese

Handful of almonds

1 tbsp. EVOO

Salt and pepper

1 tbsp - 1/4 cup reserved cooking liquid

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt and add ravioli.

Add cilantro, garlic, feta and almonds to a food processer.

Pulse to create small bits.

Season with salt and pepper, add EVOO, pulse again.

Use a measuring cup and spoon out some of the ravioli water, drizzle into food processor and pulse to create desited consistency.

Add half the pesto to a bowl, drain ravioli, add to the bowl, top with the remaining pesto.

Gently toss to coat, add artichokes, toss, top with extra feta and serve.

Pumpkin Ravioli in Broth with Vegetables and Beans

Pumpkin ravioli are one of my absolute favorite foods, but I don't have them often because it's hard to find a way to prepare them that doesn't involve some sort of creamy sauce or brown butter. Even if you make your sauce "light" with a cannelini bean, cottage cheese or tofu puree, it still has a tendency to overpower the pumpkin flavor.
Last week I was scrolling through the recipes on Herbivoracious and found this recipe for Pumpkin Ravioli in a light broth with vegetables and beans, it was perfect! A complete meal featuring pumpkin ravioli, but also with beans and vegetables in a simple broth - just what I was looking for.
Unfortunately it's not fall, and sugar pumpkins are not available, so I used canned pumpkin puree, which was a chore to find! I also decided to really pump up the pumpkin by making the ravioli dough with half pumpkin and half egg. Not only does this flavor the dough, but it makes it even healthier!
I loosely followed the recipes from Herbivoracious, and found this dish to be excellent! Though it may seem like a fall-like dish, the leeks and carrots and vegetable broth make it spring-frendly. I am looking forward to creating a dish with the other half of the ravioli I made and froze, and I've got a few ideas in mind!

Pumpkin Pasta

2 1/2 - 3 cups Unbleached All-Purpose flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. EVOO

Add 2 1/2 cups of flour to the bowl of a mixer, make a well in the middle.
Add eggs, pumpkin puree, salt and EVOO.
Attach dough hook, mix dough on low speed for 5 minutes.
If it is wet and sticky, sprinkle in more flour, if it is too dry, add warm water 1 tbsp. at a time.
Remove from mixer, knead for a minute, roll into a ball and rest for 10 minutes.
Divide dough into fourths, run through a pasta roller to create long, thin sheets.
Let dough rest again.
Yield enough dough for 3 dozen ravioli with leftover scraps.

Pumpkin Ravioli Filling

adapted from Herbivoracious

1 cup pumpkin puree
1 tbsp. butter
1/2 onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon chili flakes
3 leaves fresh sage, chiffonade or 1 teaspoon dried
1/4 cup grated parmesan or romano cheese
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat a saute pan over medium-low, add the butter, onions and garlic.
Season with salt and pepper, saute for 4-5 minutes, until translucent.
Spoon into a mixing bowl.
Add chili flakes, sage, parmesan, nutmeg and pumpkin puree.
Stir to combine.

Scoop 1 tsp. mounds of mixture onto pasta sheets, place another sheet on top, press air out around filling, press edges to seal, slice off rough edges and cut pasta.
Place on a flour dusted baking sheet and place in the freezer, continue until finished.
Yield about 2.5-3 dozen ravioli.

Simple Broth and Beans

adapted from Herbivoracious, serves 2

2 large leeks, white parts only, cleaned and sliced thin

1 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 onion, minced

3 medium carrots, fine dice

3 cloves garlic, minced 

2 bay leaves

1/2 cup white wine

1 15 oz. can cannelini beans or other white beans

4 cups vegetable stock

Salt and pepper to taste

Grated parmesan cheese and chili flakes for serving

Heat a soup pot over medium heat.

Add EVOO, leeks, carrots, onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper.

Cook for 5-10 minutes, until vegetables are slightly caramelized.

Add white wine, reduce by half.

Add stock, bay leaves and beans.

Simmer for 20 minutes.

While broth simmers, bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Season with salt, drop in ravioli (I made 1 dozen for 2 servings), cook for 5-7 minutes, until ravioli float to the top.

Remove from water with a slotted spoon and add to the broth.

Ladle broth and vegetables into a bowl, add ravioli, top with parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes.

Pasta with Sweet Tomato Sauce and Baked Ricotta

Growing up in New York, my mom always used Polly-O cheeses, specifically the ricotta and mozzarella. Having tasted and used many other brands, I completely share her devotion to Polly-O. When we moved to Ohio, it was no longer available. My mom would stock up every time we went back to New York, and have my grandma bring her some when she visited from Florida. It's just that good.

Now that I'm living in Florida, the elusive Polly-O is widely available in my grocery store! Whenever I see it on sale, I stock up. Cheese freezes exceptionally well, so I always have some on hand. When I saw this recipe pop up in my google reader from Cate, one that really showcases ricotta, I knew my Polly-O was destined for greatness! I absolutely loved the way the ricotta tasted when baked. It was still sweet, but had a little bit of crunch.

Since the dish has so few ingredients, I really wanted to use great flavor and high quality, so I picked up a can of whole San Marzano tomatoes, and I made fresh whole wheat pasta. This dish was so clean in flavors, and simple, but so delicious! I'm not one to eat whole cooked tomatoes (I prefer to use crushed), but when you spear a pasta noodle with a chunk of ricotta and a piece of tomato, it's heaven.

Pasta with Sweet Tomato Sauce and Baked Ricotta

via Cate, by Jamie Oliver

1 15-ounce container ricotta, drained in a cheesecloth-lined strainer for a few hours

2 tbsp olive oil, divided
salt and pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes in juice
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp sugar (I didn't use b/c of the San Marzano's tomatoes natural sweetness)
1 pound wide pasta, such as pappardelle
a handful of fresh basil, torn (I used fresh oregano)
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan (omitted)

After you’ve drained the ricotta, preheat the oven to 400F.
Put a piece of foil on a baking sheet and put the ricotta in the center.
Flatten it so you have a 1″ thick disk.
Rub all over with 1 tbsp olive oil, then sprinkle with oregano, salt and pepper.
Bake for about 15 minutes, then remove and set aside.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil to cook the pasta.
Heat the other tablespoon of olive oil in a large saucepan.
Add the onion and garlic and cook over medium until soft, 3 or 4 minutes.
Add the tomatoes and simmer for about 15 minutes, then crush the tomatoes with a spoon.
Taste and add sugar (optional), salt, pepper, and balsamic vinegar.
When the pasta is cooked, drain and reserve some of the pasta water.
Toss the cooked with the sauce and a tablespoon or two of pasta water and the tomato sauce, and basil. Crumble up the ricotta and add to the pasta with the parmesan cheese.

We nibbled the edges while waiting for the sauce...

Expensive, but so worth it!

Linguini and Vegetables in Saffron Broth

A few weeks ago at a restaurant in Bloomington I had a dish similar to this. My only compaint was it didn't have enough veggies! The sauce was also a cream sauce, so I took the cream out and left it in the broth. It was a bit slurpy, but absolutely delicious. For the pasta, I tried a 3:1 whole wheat to all purpose, which turned out much better than I anticpated!

Linguini with Vegetables in Saffron Broth

1 c. whole wheat flour

1/3 c. AP flour

2 eggs

8 oz. cremini mushrooms, quartered

2 c. vegetable stock

1/2 tsp. saffron threads (a hefty pinch)

4 c. baby spinach leaves

1 15 oz. can artichoke hearts, halved

1 roasted yellow bell pepper, peeled and sliced

1/2 c. halved cherry tomatoes

1/2 c. crumbled feta

salt and pepper

Follow this guide on how to make fresh pasta with the first 3 ingredients listed

Heat a deep saute' pan over medium heat.
Add 1 tbsp. EVOO and mushrooms.
Sweat for 4-5 minutes, add broth and saffron.
Bring to a simmer.
Add the spinach and wilt into the broth (or to remove a bit of the biterness, saute' in a seperate pan and then add to the broth).
Cook pasta, drain, add to the broth along with peppers and artichokes.
Plate with a slotted spoon, add a splash of broth over top.
Top with cherry tomatoes and feta.

Italian Pasta Salad

I love to bring pasta salads to cookouts. They're so versatile and everyone loves a good pasta salad. I like to put in tons of veggies to really bulk it up. Usually I use some sort of fun pasta shape, or tortellini. I think everyone loves tortellini pasta salad more than regular, and I aim to please!

I like to add the warm tortellini to the onions to take a bit of the bite of raw onion, and the warm tortellini really sucks up the dressing well.

Italian Pasta Salad

2 lbs. fresh or frozen tortellini

1/2 diced red onion

1 english cucumber, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1/2 c. chopped sun dried tomatoes

1 15 oz. can artichoke hearts, diced

4 oz. goat cheese, crumbled

dressing:

1/2 c. balsamic vinegar

1/4 c. EVOO

handful of parsley

2 tbsp. fresh oregano leaves

10 fresh basil leaves

salt and pepper

1 tbsp. honey

2 tbsp. grated parmesan cheese

Cook tortellini according to package directions.

Add onion to a large bowl.

Add warm tortellini.

Blend dressing ingredients, pour over tortellini while still warm.

Refrigerate until chilled.

Add diced vegetables, toss, top with goat cheese and gently stir to combine.

Serve chilled.

White Wine Summer Pasta

Ever see a recipe, mean to make it, and it just keeps getting postphoned? That's what happened with this dinner for the past year! My buddy Liv, who used to have an awesome blog (but since has gotten a house and is pregnant, good reasons to take a blogging break!) made this dinner last spring. I am so glad I remembered it because it was delicious. I made a few changes, additions, etc, but the concept of meal is the same. I made my own pasta, I ran the dough through the pasta roller but then cut it freehand to get wider ribbons. I also added a pinch of minced rosemary to the dough.

White Wine Summer Pasta

Fresh Pasta:

1 c. organic unbleached flour

1 egg

1/4-1/2 c. water

pinch of salt

1 red onion, sliced

1 carrot peeled thinly with a vegetable peeler

1 zucchini peeled thinly with a vegetable peeler

1 yellow squash peeled thinly with a vegetable peeler

10 sun dried tomatoes, sliced

1/2 c. white wine

1/2 c. vegetable stock

1/2 tsp. dried Italian seasoning

salt and pepper

1 ball of fresh mozzarella, cubed

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt and drop in pasta.

Cook for 5 minutes, or as packaged directs.


Heat a large nonstick pan over medium, add 1 tbsp. EVOOl.

Add onions, carrots, zucchini and squash.

Season with salt and pepper, saute' for 5 minutes.

Turn heat to high, add wine, stock and tomatoes.

Reduce liquids by half, add Italian seasoning and pasta.

Toss to combine, add the cheese, toss.

Light Fettuccini Alfredo

I can't remember the last time I had fettuccini alfredo because I know it's not exactly healthy... so when my sister asked if I could come up with a light fettuccini alfredo recipe, I had to really think about it. I didn't wan't to use nonfat half and half... because I don't know half the stuff that's in it. I didn't want to just thicken milk with a roux or cornstarch, so I did a little research. I found that in my Moosewood Lowfat Cookbook, they use pureed cottage cheese as a thickener in sauces, so there was my answer! This was very creamy, very rich, and something that I'd eat a side of, but maybe not a giant bowl of again.
I love adding big flavors from herbs and spices to compensate where fat and calories are cut, so I add 3 cloves of roasted garlic, but that's optional as it is a bit of work to prepare. However, it's easy to pop it in the oven and let it roast while you make the pasta.
I made the pasta by hand, it was simple and delicious.
Now the results - A dinner portion of Olive Garden's Fettuccini Alfredo is 800 calories and 48 g. fat, my version is 382 calories and 5.5 g. of fat!

Light Fettuccini Alfredo

Pasta:

1/2 c. AP flour

1/2 c. Whole Wheat Flour

2 egg whites

1 tbsp. EVOO

Warm water

1/4 tsp. Salt

1/2 tsp. dried Basil (optional)

Sauce:

1 c. Light Cottage Cheese

1/2 c. 2% milk

1/4 c. Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish

Salt and pepper, to taste

Ground nutmeg, optional

Roasted Garlic cloves, optional

In a standing mixer, add flours, spices and salt. Make a well in the center, add egg whites and EVOO. Mix for 2-3 minutes, or until dough comes together (if it's in little pebbles, add warm water until it comes together). Knead for 2-3 minutes. Place in the refrigerator and rest for 10 minutes. Roll with a pasta roller, then cut. Rest another 10 minutes.

Drop in heavily salted boiling water, cook 4-5 minutes.

Drain.

In a blender or food processor, blend/puree milk and cottage cheese until smooth.

Heat a skillet over medium-low. Add milk and cottage cheese. When it just comes to a bubble, add in cheese, pepper, and roasted garlic, if using. Whisk until cheese is no longer lumpy. Taste for seasoning, add salt if necessary.

Add drained pasta to the skillet, toss pasta around, plate and top with extra cheese.

A Year Ago: Goat Cheese and Apple Salad with Cider Viniagrete, Pumpkin-Cider Soup, Guiness and Malt Wheaten Bread

Gnocci with Fake Sauce, Peas with Pancetta

I love gnocci, so I immediately knew I'd make this dish, even though it had 'fake sauce'. I read that people of Tuscany believe any sauce that isn't a Bolognese is a fake sauce. I think this sauce pairs very well with the gnocci. It's very light, and the tomato compliments the potato. The acidity brings the earthy potato to life, rather than covering it in a thick bechamel sauce as gnocci often is.

As I've said a million times, I love peas and pancetta, so any recipe combining the two, basic as it is, wins me over every time!

This meal was surprisingly light but filling! The gnocci are a bit of work, but very much so worth it.

Gnocci with Fake Sauce

& Peas with Pancetta

Gnocci:

2 lbs. yukon gold potatoes

1 egg yolk

1 1/2 c. all purpose flour

salt

Fake Sauce:

2 tbsp. EVOO

1 onion, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 c. crushed tomatoes

Salt and pepper

Steam potatoes over high heat for 30 minutes in their skins. Prepare sauce.

Peel and put through a potato ricer or mash very finely.

When still warm, add 1 c. flour, egg yolk, and salt. Mix and form into a dough ball. If still sticky, add more flour.

Roll into long logs. Cut into 1" pieces.

Bring water to a boil, salt. Drop gnocci in 20 at a time. Drain and immediately drop into sauce.

Serve immediately.

To make sauce: In a stock pot over medium heat, sautee garlic and onions in EVOO. Add tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Simmer over low while waiting for the gnocci.

Peas with Pancetta:

1 lb. spring peas

1 onion, sliced

1/4 lb. pancetta, minced

1 tsp. sugar

Salt and pepper

1/2 c. chicken stock

Sautee pancetta and onions until golden over medium-high heat. Drain. Add stock, sugar and peas, season with salt and pepper. Cook off stock, about 5 minutes.

Fettucini with Roquefort, Lemon and Rosemary

I found this simple pasta recipe in a cookbook I got to guide me in my French cooking by Patricia Wells, a chef who is known for her French cuisine. It looked basic, really showcasing the flavors of the star ingredients. When I read through the ingredients, I was a bit curious how so many strong flavors would go together, but it was delicious.

Patricia calls for dry fettuccini in the pasta, but I made a fresh whole wheat blend pasta. I had a tough time finding Roquefort, and I think any blue cheese could be substituted.

Fettucini with Roquefort, Lemon Zest and Rosemary

Adapted from At Home in Provence

1 lb. fettuccini

1 tbsp. EVOO

1 tbsp. butter

1 tbsp. Fresh Rosemary, chopped

Zest of 1 lemon

½ c. crumbed Roquefort

1 tbsp. fresh grated nutmeg

½ c. reserved pasta water

Fettuccini:

¾ c. whole wheat flour

¾ c. all purpose flour

2 eggs

Prepare pasta by mixing flours and making a well in the center. Crack in eggs and mix to combine. Knead, add flour or water to reach desired consistency. Let dough sit for 10 minutes.

Roll through a pasta roller into long strips of dough, let the dough rest again for 10 minutes.

Roll through the cutters into fettuccini, or roll into a log and slice into thicker ribbons.

Toss with flour and set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt heavily.

Drop in pasta, and cook for 4 minutes. Drain pasta, reserving ½ c. of the water.

Drop back into the pot, add remaining ingredients (set some aside for garnish if desired) except pasta water. Toss to incorporate, if dry, add some of the pasta water. Plate and serve immediately.

(I ate this with my Ratatouille)

Fresh Chive Pasta

I have been wanting to make fresh pasta for a long time. It's something that is very easy to do, but makes a huge impression! The taste is also out of this world! I'm very excited that I know how, because I plan to make different kinds weekly from now on!
This week I decided to make it with chives because they were growing nicely in my aerogarden.


The basic recipe is 3/4 c. flour to every egg you use. If vegetable puree is used to flavor the pasta, more flour will be needed. It can be made eggless with EVOO, and I plan to try subbing in whole wheat pasta next week.


First, make a well in the center of the flour. Add eggs and any add-ins. Whisk the eggs and pull in flour until it's incorporated, then knead with hands until mixed. If dry, add water, if wet, add more flour. Let the pasta sit for 15 minutes covered by a damp towel. Next, divide the dough into a few pieces. Flatten it a bit, and run it through the pasta roller on the largest setting, fold over, and run through again, getting smaller and smaller as you go.


Run pasta through the cutter.

Lay pasta out and toss with flour. Let it dry out for another 15 minutes. Cook right away in boiling water for 3 minutes, or refrigerate for no more than a day.

If refrigerated, be sure to seperate the pasta before cooking. Also, toss with a bit of extra flour before placing in a tupperware dish.