Marios Baccala Ravioli Recipes

MARIO'S BACCALA RAVIOLI

Steps:

• Soak baccala in water for 2 days in the refrigerator, changing the water occasionally. Drain, and cut into 2-inch pieces.
• Mound flour in the center of a large board. Make a well in the middle, and add eggs and 1 tablespoon oil. Using a fork, beat eggs and oil until thoroughly combined. Begin to incorporate flour, starting with the inner rim of the well. The dough will come together when half the flour is incorporated. Keep working dough until all flour is incorporated.
• Start kneading dough using the palms of both hands. Once dough is a cohesive mass, remove it from the board; scrape up and discard any leftover bits. Lightly flour the board, and continue kneading for 6 minutes more. The dough should be elastic and slightly sticky. Wrap the dough in plastic, and allow to rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
• Place baccala in the bowl of a food processor, and pulse until it is broken up but not completely smooth. Transfer fish to a large bowl, and add riced potato, 3/4 cup olive oil, rosemary, and chives. Stir well to combine. Season with salt and pepper; set aside.
• Working quickly, roll out pasta to the thinnest setting on a pasta machine, and place on a lightly floured board. If using a ravioli pin: Cover the pasta with a 1/4-inch-thick layer of the fish mixture. Place a second sheet of pasta over it, and press down lightly with your hands. Lightly flour the ravioli pin. Carefully roll the two sheets together with the ravioli pin, forming the ravioli. Use the dull edge of a knife to seal the edges together. Cut ravioli to separate. Transfer to a baking sheet dusted with semolina.
• If not using a ravioli pin: Cut a single sheet of pasta at a time into 2-by-1-inch rectangles. Place a teaspoon of the fish mixture into the center of each rectangle, and fold the pasta to form a 1-inch square, pressing the edges to seal. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.
• Bring 8 quarts of water to a boil, and add 3 tablespoons salt. Drop in ravioli, and cook until tender, 6 to 7 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large saute pan, combine tomato sauce, thyme, red-pepper flakes, and mint. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons oil, and place over medium heat. Drain ravioli, reserving a cup of the cooking water; add ravioli to the pan with the tomato sauce, and toss to coat. Adjust the consistency of the sauce with cooking water, and serve immediately.

MAMA'S OLD FASHIONED RAVIOLI

Steps:

• Poach chicken: In a 1 1/2-quart saucepan bring water to a boil with garlic, whiskey, and salt. Add chicken and simmer, covered, 12 minutes, or until just cooked through. Transfer chicken to a bowl and chill, covered, 20 minutes.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook spinach for 30 seconds. Drop the spinach into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking, then drain well. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the spinach, onion, parsley, and basil. Cut the chicken into pieces and add them. Pulse until the ingredients are finely ground. Put this mixture into a bowl and add the eggs, breadcrumbs, and Parmesan and season with salt and pepper. Mix well, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• To form the ravioli, drop 1 tablespoon chicken mixture in the center of a wonton wrapper. Dip a pastry brush or your finger in water and lightly wet the edges of the wrapper. Top with another wrapper and press the ravioli closed. Repeat until all the filling is used. Cover with a damp towel until you are ready to cook.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Carefully drop in the ravioli in batches to avoid crowding the pot. Cook until the ravioli rise to the surface, about 3 to 5 minutes. Drain well.

FAUX BABBO RAVIOLI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place a large, ovenproof skillet over medium heat and add the oil. Add onion and celery and sauté until softened, about 10 minutes. Increase heat to high and (working in batches, if necessary) brown beef on all sides. Add the wine and deglaze the pan. Add tomatoes and rosemary. Season with salt and pepper. When the mixture returns to a boil, cover and place in oven until meat is fork-tender, 45 minutes.
• Remove pot from oven and allow to cool. Skim off excess fat, transfer to a food processor, and pulse until smooth. If the mixture seems dry, add a tablespoon of wine or 1 or 2 tablespoons of tomatoes. Taste and adjust seasoning.
• Cut sheets of pasta into 4-inch squares. Place 1 tablespoon beef filling into the center of each square. Wet edges of pasta with warm water, and bring two opposite corners of each square together to form a triangle. Press edges to seal. Put finished ravioli on a cookie sheet, cover with plastic and place in freezer until needed.
• Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Heat butter in a large sauté pan until it browns but does not burn. Add about half the chicken livers Toscani and sauté for 1 minute. Add 3 tablespoons of the salted water to loosen the sauce. Reduce heat to low and keep warm.
• Add the ravioli to the boiling water and cook until they float to the surface, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer ravioli to pan of chicken liver sauce. Add parsley and 1/4 cup grated pecorino. Toss lightly. Divide ravioli on four warm plates. Spoon extra sauce over each serving and top with cheese. Serve immediately.

KABOCHA RAVIOLI

Steps:

• For the fresh pasta dough: Pour the flour onto a clean work surface and create a well in the center. Add the eggs, oil and salt. Whisk the eggs with a fork until combined, starting to add a little bit of flour to the liquid at a time. Keep whisking until the liquid has combined with enough flour that you can incorporate the rest of the flour with your hands. Continue adding, folding and kneading the dough until everything has been combined, 5 to 8 more minutes. Form the dough into a ball and cover with plastic wrap. Place the dough ball in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to rest.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• For the filling: Sprinkle the squash with salt, pepper and olive oil in a 14-inch cast-iron pan. Roast until cooked through and roasted, about 30 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly. Put into a food processor with the ricotta, nutmeg, 1 egg and half the Parmesan. Place this mixture into a piping bag. Beat the remaining egg in a bowl for egg wash.
• Roll out the pasta dough according to the manufacturer's directions for ravioli sheets.
• With the piping bag, put heaping tablespoon-size dots of the filling at least 3 inches apart and 1 inch above the edge of the pasta sheet. Brush the edges with the egg wash and fold over the dough carefully, pressing out the air from the filling, allowing it to seal. Using a fluted cutter, cut between each of the ravioli to separate. Put the ravioli in the refrigerator to let them set while you wait for your water to come to a boil.
• Bring a pot of water to a boil and salt heavily. Add the ravioli in batches, and cook for 3 minutes, allowing the filling and pasta to cook through. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce.
• Put the butter in a large, high-sided saute pan and cook over medium-low heat until it reaches a noisette stage, when the butter is bubbling and starting to get a little bit brown. Throw in your crushed walnuts and sage and stir to combine. When the ravioli are cooked, scoop them out of the water and place them in the pan with the butter sauce, tossing to coat.
• Plate the ravioli and garnish with the remaining Parmesan.

MUSHROOM RAVIOLI IN A CREAMY MARSALA WINE SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and onion and saute until tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Add Marsala wine and garlic; bring to a boil. Boil for 5 to 6 minutes, adding salt and pepper to taste. Stir in cream and simmer until thickened and heated through, about 5 minutes.
• While the sauce is cooking, fill a large pot with about 4 quarts water. Set the burner to high and bring to a boil. Add ravioli to the boiling water. Cook until they float to the top of the water, 6 to 8 minutes, or according to package directions. Drain.
• Pour a generous amount of sauce over hot ravioli and top with fresh parsley.

SALT COD WITH TOMATOES AND CAPERS (BACCALà ALLA VESUVIANA)

Steps:

• In large bowl, combine cod with water to cover by 2 inches. Cover and refrigerate, changing water 3 times a day, 1 to 3 days (see cooks' note, below). Refrigerate until ready to use.
• In small bowl, combine capers with water to cover by 1 inch. Cover and refrigerate 1 day, changing water 3 times.
• Drain and rinse capers, then squeeze dry. Drain cod and pat dry, then cut into 4- by 2-inch pieces.
• In heavy 6- to 8-quart pot over moderate heat, heat 3 tablespoons oil until hot but not smoking. Add onion and sauté until softened and golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Add red pepper flakes, capers, tomatoes and juice, and salt. Using wooden spoon, gently crush tomatoes. Bring to simmer, then carefully add cod. Add parsley and 1/4 cup mint and gently spoon some of sauce over cod. Simmer, uncovered, until cod is tender and heated through, about 5 minutes.
• Using slotted spatula, transfer cod to serving platter. Remove pot from heat and stir in 3 tablespoons olive oil. Spoon sauce over fish, then sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon mint and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Serve warm or at room temperature.