Impress the Guests

Two of my west coast dance friends came over for dinner on Sunday night. To both impress them (hopefully it worked) and to test out our new pasta attachment for our KitchenAid mixer, we thought we would try our hand at making ravioli. It turned out pretty well, although in we made a mistake in the final steps. All throughout the process, the recipe warns not to let the pasta dough get dry and tough. So, following those directions, we put the ravioli on wet paper towels. Inevitably, the ravioli all stuck to the paper towels and ripped when we tried to remove them. We were able to triage the majority of them. In the end, the pesto-ricotta and wild mushroom ravioli with a garden tomato sauce came out wonderfully tasty. We topped the dinner off with a variation on cheesecake bars. All-in-all, the meal was a success.

Fresh Egg Pasta for Ravioli (The Complete Book of Pasta and Noodles)

2 cups all-purpose flour
3 large eggs, beaten

1. Pulse the flour in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade to evenly distribute and aerate. Add the eggs, process until the dough forms a rough ball, about 30 seconds. (If the dough resembles small pebbles, add water, 1/2 tsp. at a time; if the dough sticks to the side of the work bowl, add flour, 1 Tbs. at a time, and process until the dough forms a rough ball.)
2. Turn the dough ball and small bits out onto a dry work surface; knead until the dough is smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for at least 15 minutes and up to 2 hours to relax.
3. Cut about one-sixth of the dough from the ball and flatten into a disk; rewrap the remaining dough. Run the dough through the widest setting of a manual pasta machine. Bring the ends of the dough toward the middle and press down to seal. Run the dough, open side first, through the widest setting again. Fold, seal, and roll again. Without folding, run the pasta through the widest setting 2 more times, until the dough is smooth. If at any point the dough is sticky, lightly dust with flour. Continue to run the dough through the machine; narrow the setting each time, until you use the last setting on the machine, and the outline of your hand is visible through the dough sheet. Lay the sheet of pasta on a clean kitchen towel and cover it with a damp cloth to keep the pasta from drying out. Repeat the process with the remaining pieces of dough.

Pesto and Ricotta Filling (The Complete Book of Pasta and Noodles)

I have to say that we just used the leftover pesto we had in the fridge from another meal, but I'm sure that this filling recipe would be wonderful as well, or you could use premade pesto and simply add the ricotta and egg yolk. In addition, we halved this recipe and the other filling to match with the one batch of pasta. There was enough for 6 meals.

1/4 cup pine nuts, walnuts, or almonds
3 medium garlic cloves, threaded on a skewer
2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
2 Tbs. fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves (optional)
7 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
pinch salt
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups ricotta cheese
1 large egg yolk

1. Toast the nuts in a small, heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until just golden and fragrant, 4 to 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Lower the skewered garlic into the water; boil 45 seconds. Immediately run the garlic under cold water. Remove from the skewer; peel and mince.
3. Place the basil and parsley (if using) in a heavy-duty, quart-size, sealable plastic bag; pound with the flat side of a meat pounder until all the leaves are bruised.
4. Place the nuts, garlic, basil, parsley, oil, and salt in the work bowl of a food processor; process until smooth, stopping as necessary to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Transfer the mixture to a small bowl, stir in the cheeses and egg yolk, and adjust the salt. (The filling can be covered and refridgerated overnight.)


Wild Mushroom Filling (The Complete Book of Pasta and Noodles)

2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
10 oz. fresh wild or domestic mushrooms, stems trimmed and minced
1 oz. dried porcini mushrooms, rehydrated in 1 cup hot water, strained, and minced
1/4 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
salt and ground black pepper
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 large egg yolk

1. Heat the oil in a medium skillet. Add the garlic and saute over medium heat until golden, about 2 minutes. Add the fresh mushrooms and cook until wilted, about 4 mintues. Stir in the porcini, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook until the liquid evaporates, about 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and transfer contents to a medium bowl. Cool slightly.
2. Stir in the remaining ingredients. (The filling can be covered and refrigerated overnight.)

Ravioli Preparation (The Complete Book of Pasta and Noodles)

1. Use a pizza wheel or sharp knife to cut pasta sheets into long rectangles measuring 4 inches across. Place small balls of filling (about 1 rounded tsp. each) in a line 1 inch from the bottom of the pasta sheet. Leave 1 1/4 inches between each ball of filling.
2. Fold over the top of the pasta and line it up with the bottom edge. Seal the bottom and the two open sides with your fingers.
3. Use a fluted pastry wheel [or knife] to cut along the two sides and bottom fo the sealed pasta sheets.
4. Run the pastry wheel between the balls of filling to cut out the ravioli.
5. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Add 1 Tbs. salt and half the pasta. Cook, lowering the heat if necessary to keep the water at a gentle boil, until doubled edges are al dente, 4 to 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the ravioli to warmed bowls or plates; add some sauce. Meanwhile, put the remaining ravioli in the boiling water and repeat cooking and saucing process. Serve immediately.


Garden Tomato Sauce (The Complete Book of Pasta and Noodles)

1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes packed in juice
3 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 small onion, minced
1 medium carrot, peeled and minced
salt
2 Tbs. minced fresh basil or flat-leaf parsley leaves

1. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the onion and carrot; cook over medium heat until the vegetable soften, but do not brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and 1/2 tsp. salt; simmer until thickend slightly, about 10 minutes. Stir in the basil and adjust the seasonings. (The sauce can be covered and refrigerated for 2 days. Reheat before serving.)

Raspberry Cheesecake Bars (Cooking Light, March 2005)

So, I must admitt that we didn't read these directions very well before starting the preparation. We thought that these bars didn't have a crust; therefore, we decided to make an Oreo crust with Oreos and butter. Then, while mixing, we realized that we were making the crust. We added the second crust on top. I would choose to stick with just the Oreo crust next time, but perhaps if you follow the recipe all the way through the top crust would have been better.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. salt
3 1/2 Tbs. butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract, divided
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light sour cream
1 tsp. grated lemon rind
1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1 (8-oz.) package 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
cooking spray
1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries [or blackberries]

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combi9ne flour and salt, stirring with a whisk.
3. Combine butter, brown sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla, and eggs in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Add flour mixture to butter mixture; stir just until moist.
4. Place 1/2 tsp. vanilla, granulated sugar, and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until fluffy.
5. Line a 13 x 9-inch baking pan with foil that extends 1 inch beyond sides; coat foil with cooking spray. Spread half of batter into pan. Pour cream cheese mixture over batter in pan, and spread evenly over batter. Sprinkle with raspberries. Drop remaining batter by Tbs. over raspberries. Swirl batter, cream cheese mixture, and raspberries together with a knife.
6. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack. Remove from pan by lifting foil. Remove foil; cut into 30 bar cookies.