Goat Cheese Ravioli With Ramp Pesto Recipe

Food Republic April 23, 2015

From Doug Psaltis, chef and partner of RPM Italian in Chicago, here’s a ravioli recipe that takes full advantage of one of our favorite seasonal ingredients: ramps! Bright, earthy and bold, these spring shoots, which taste like a combination of onions, garlic and awesome, won’t be around for long. Grab a bunch, pair with creamy goat cheese and put your fresh pasta dough to work.

Goat Cheese Ravioli With Ramp Pesto Recipe

Prep Time: 1 hour plus resting time
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Serving Size: 4

Ingredients

For the goat cheese ravioli filling

4 ounces fresh goat cheese, at room temperature
4 ounces ricotta impasta, at room temperature
Kosher Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the ravioli

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 whole egg
2 egg yolks
semolina, for resting

For the ramp pesto

1 cup basil leaves
1 cup parsley leaves
3/4 cup arugula
2 raw ramps, trimmed and sliced
3/4 cup high-quality extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt, to taste

For cooking and serving the ravioli

8 uncooked goat cheese ravioli (see recipe below)
1 teaspoon garlic oil
1 tablespoon fresh ramps, sliced
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons pasta cooking water
Kosher salt, to taste
1 tablespoon parmesan, grated
2 tablespoons ramp pesto (see recipe below)
1 teaspoon Caprino Stagionata (aged goat cheese), finely grated
6 small parsley leaves
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

To make the goat cheese ravioli filling:

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip together goat cheese and ricotta on medium-low speed until well blended.
Season to taste with salt and pepper and mix again to incorporate.
Place goat cheese mixture in a piping bag and reserve to fill pasta.

To make the ravioli:

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the flour with the olive oil and whole egg on low speed, for about 1 minute.
Slowly drizzle in the egg yolks and continue mixing on low for another 3-5 minutes.
Divide the dough into 2 equal portions. Roll out the dough into 2 large sheets of equal size, each 1/8 inches thick.
Using the rounded side of a cutter, gently mark 32 ravioli portions onto one of the pasta sheets.
Dollop roughly 1 tablespoon of the reserved goat cheese mixture onto each of the 32 portions.
Place the remaining sheet of pasta carefully over the filling, lining up the edges.
Using the rounded side of the cutter, gently seal the dough around the filling, pressing to adhere.
Using the sharp side of the cutter, stamp out the 32 individual ravioli.
Place the ravioli on a semolina-covered baking sheet and let rest for 20 minutes before cooking.

To make the ramp pesto:

Using a food processor, pulse all ingredients together until smooth.
Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.
Set aside for serving with the goat cheese ravioli (yields 1 1/2 cups).

To prepare the goat cheese ravioli with ramp pesto:

In a large pot of gently boiling, salted water, cook the ravioli until al dente and floating, about 3 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the garlic oil and sliced ramps and cook until the ramps soften.
Add the butter and pasta cooking water to the skillet and stir to combine.
Add the cooked ravioli and toss to coat.
Season the ravioli with salt and grated Parmesan.
Place the ramp pesto in the middle of a serving plate and arrange the ravioli on top of the pesto.
Finish the ravioli with the aged goat cheese, parsley leaves and freshly ground black pepper.

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