Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Chocolate Ricotta Ravioli with Garlic Sauce



adapted from "Cooking with Chocolate" by Avner Laskin

For the dough:

Flour - 1 1/2 cups
Cocoa powder, unsweetened - 1 tablespoon
Eggs - 2
Olive oil - 1 tablespoons
Salt - 1/2 teaspoon

For the filling:

Egg - 1
Ricotta cheese - 1/2 cup
Parmesan cheese, grated - 1/4 cup
Hazelnuts, ground - 1/2 cup
Nutmeg, ground - 1/4 teaspoon
Garlic, chopped - 2 cloves
Salt - 1/2 teaspoon

For the sauce:

Oil - 1 tablespoon
Garlic, finely minced - 2 cloves
Chicken stock - 1/2 cup
Cold butter - 1 tablespoon
Cilantro, chopped - to taste
Salt, pepper, cayenne pepper

- For the dough: Place all the ingredients for the dough in a food processor, and process until the ingredients form a ball of dough.
- Wrap the dough in a plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
- While the dough is chilling, prepare the filling. Place all the ingredients for the filling into a bowl and mix well until the mixture is uniform.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator and transfer to a floured work surface. Roll out the dough as thin as possible. Cut into two equal portions.
- Place spoonfuls of the filling 3-4 cm apart on one half of the dough.
- Brush a thin layer of water on the dough around each spoonful of filling.
- Place the other half of the dough on top of the first half. Press the dough around each filling to seal.
- Using a cookie cutter or a knife, cut around each pocket of filling.
- In a large pot, boil water with a generous amount of salt. When the water is boiling, drop the ravioli in the water and cook for 6-8 minutes. Strain.
- For the sauce: In a small pot, heat some oil and add minced garlic to it. Saute for about 1 minute on medium heat. Make sure that the garlic does not burn.
- Add the chicken stock and let boil for a minute.
- Add the butter, reduce the heat to medium-low and let the sauce bubble for a few minutes until it thickens a little bit.
- Add the chopped cilantro.
- Pour the sauce over the ravioli and serve immediately.

Comments:
- Cocoa only gives the dough colour, it does not effect the taste much.
- Do not over mix the dough or it will become tough.
- Make sure the dough is rolled very thinly.
- The original sauce called for 1/2 cup of butter and some sage leaves which I didn't have. This sauce is really really tasty and not as fattening. I had to make a double batch of the sauce it was soooo good!

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