Heart Beet Ravioli
Happy Valentine’s Day! It’s been cold and snowy in Maine for the last few weeks, much like the rest of the country. Personally, I love snow once it’s been shoveled and I can go play, which is exactly what Anthony and I have been doing lately. The Kennebunk Land Trust has miles and miles of trails to explore and they’re only a quick drive from our home in Biddeford.
We’ve been doing more than just hike lately too. Now that we’ve been married for a couple yeras now and together for almost a decade, we’re ready to start a family. For the unintiated, that means a lot of money, time, and patience. We’re interviewing surrogacy agencies, ivf clinics, and lots and lots of attorneys. Who knew it was so much work to make a baby.
In case you forgot, tomorrow is also Valentine’s Day. Anthony and I just happened to buy a new mattress this winter and it is due to arrive today. What timing!
Anthony loathes Valentine’s Day and I am lukewarm on it as well. I love festivity though so I usually send valentine’s cards to family and make something special for dinner. Nothing crazy, just you know, some heart shaped ravioli.
I admit this is not the most photogenic food I’ve ever made but the flavor is there and the shape is unmistakable. Even better, they are relatively simple to make and come together in about an hour so you don’t have to slave over a stove all day. I like to use a cookie cutter to get even, consistent shapes but you do you. If you want, you can cut them freeform with a knife or pastry cutter. I’ve even seen some make rose-shaped ravioli. GO WILD, PEOPLE.
The ravioli is stuffed with a simple herbed ricotta filling with parsley, mint, fennel, and a touch of goat cheese to give the creaminess some tang.
This recipe makes about 3 dozen ravioli so either prepare accordingly, invite some friends over, or freeze them for another day.
Heart Beet Ravioli with Herby Ricotta Filling
Ingredients
For the dough
8 oz beets, scrubbed and trimmed
2 teaspoons olive oil
coarse salt
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
2½ cups flour, plus more for dusting
For the Filling
1 cup parsley (packed)
¼ cup chives
2 garlic cloves
2 cups ricotta cheese
2 oz goat cheese
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375. Toss the beets with olive oil and salt. Wrap tightly in foil and roast until tender, about 45 minutes. When the beets are cool enough to handle, rub the skins off with a paper towel and puree in a food processor.
Add the eggs and egg yolk to the beet mixture and process until evenly combined. Add the flour, 1 teaspoon salt, and process until the dough comes together, about 20 seconds.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, 5 - 10 minutes. This part takes some muscle but don’t give up! Wrap the dough in plastic wrap or parchment and refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 12 hours.
While the dough is resting, make the filling. In the food processor, combine the parsley, garlic, and chives. Process until everything is finely minced. Add the goat cheese and ricotta and mix until evenly mixed. Transfer to a piping bag or ziplock bag and chill.
When you’re ready, remove the dough from the refrigerator and cut it into 8 equal pieces. Working with one piece of dough at a time, flatten the dough until it is slightly fatter than your pasta machine’s widest setting. Dust dough lightly with flour and feed through the machine. Continue doing this until you reach a thickness just less than ⅛ inch - this is 4 on my KitchenAid attachment.
Move the pasta sheet to a work surface and spread the filling over the pasta sheet in an even layer about ¼ - ½ inch thick. Place another sheet of pasta on top of the filling and gently press to smooth it all out. Using a cookie cutter, cut the ravioli out in whatever shape you want. Transfer the ravioli to a plate and repeat the process for the remaining dough.
To serve, bring a big pot of salted water to a boil and cook the ravioli until they float. Transfer to a skillet with melted butter and season with salt, pepper, and parmesan cheese.
Spiced Sesame Noodles
Keep this recipe where you can access it quickly because it is THAT good. These noodles have become a staple in my house over the last year. Reminiscent of Dan Dan Noodles, these are noodles are meaty, hearty, and spicy. Like most things, this recipe started as one thing and evolved with time into its present version. Don’t be afraid of the amount of chili paste this recipe calls for, though it does pack some heat, the other spices, and sugar mellow out the fire so it lingers gently without burning your head off.
Spiced Sesame Noodles
Ingredients
¼ cup sambal oolek
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
¾ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced ginger
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons Fish sauce
2 tablespoons Brown sugar
2 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
1 lb ground beef
1 onion, minced
1 shallot, minced
8 oz dry spaghetti
Fresh cilantro, for garnish
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
Directions
In a small bowl, combine the sambal oolek, through the balsamic vinegar. Whisk until the sugar is dissolved and set aside.
Add the beef to a large, nonstick skillet and cook over medium heat until browned, about 5 minutes. Add the onion and shallot and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger, stirring until fragrant - about 30 seconds. Add the sambal mixture and stir well.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta as instructed on the box. Reserving some of the pasta water before draining. Add the cooked pasta to the beef mixture and toss until well mixed. If necessary, use the reserved pasta water to thin out the sauce so it coats everything.
Cover the noodles and cook over medium-low heat for 3 minutes. To serve, sprinkle sesame seeds and cilantro over the top.
Fresh Pasta Dough
Fresh Pasta Dough
I use this dough recipe for all my pasta dishes. It is versatile, sturdy and comes together easily. Don’t stress too much about the proportions. If the dough seems to wet, add a little flour, if it seems a little dry, add some water. Letting it rest for an hour will allow the dough to really bind well and absorb any excess flour and egg. I use my stand mixer but you can easily make this by hand.
Ingredients
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
4 egg yolks
1 tablespoon olive oil
Directions
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment, combine the flour and salt.
Whisk the eggs, egg yolks and olive oil in a separate bowl.
Slowly add the egg mixture with the dough hook on low. Scrape down the sides and continue mixing until a dough ball starts to form.
Once most of the flour is absorbed, dump the whole thing out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until all the flour is absorbed. The dough should be smooth and firm. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for one hour or up to 12.
Fettuccine with Sausage, Fennel and Ricotta
As the days get shorter and the nights get cooler, I want something more substantial than what I’ve been eating through the hot summer. Something fresh but filling. Last week, it was particularly cool and I settled in on this dish. Its creamy, filling and satisfying without being overbearing and heavy. You could swap the sausage for mushrooms and have a wonderful vegetarian main or you can leave the sausage if you’re feeling carnivorous. Either way, you’ll love how creamy and starchy this dish is and how easy it is to prepare.
Ingredients
1lb Fettuccine
1lb ground Italian sausage
1 fennel bulb, cored and sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 red Fresno chili, seeded and sliced
1 C ricotta
Directions
1. Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
2. In a large skillet, brown the sausage over medium high heat, remove from pan and set aside. Add some olive oil and heat over medium high heat and saute the fennel until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the pepper and garlic and cook another 2-3 minutes. Return the sausage to the skillet and mix.
3. Combine 1/2 C of the reserved pasta water and the ricotta and stir until smooth. Add to the fennel mixture and toss with pasta, adding more pasta water if necessary.