Most times memorable food experiences are predominantly related to one of your senses. Some dishes are pure eye candy, others are superbly fragrant, phenomenal taste-wise or have a very unique mouthfeel. But what to do when you hit jackpot and all your senses go wild? Simply enjoy!
If you’re up for a not so ordinary doses of ravioli, you’re in for treat: imagine a just runny egg yolk, its dark orange color which reminds of pretty sunflowers and bright sunshine and its velvety texture, warm enough to make your tongue feel comfortable, bedded on a deliciously seasoned ricotta & Parmesan mix and wrapped in thin home made pasta sheets, voilà , sunny egg ravioli.
Poached eggs require exact timing and therefor wouldn’t necessarily be my primary choice for a dinner with more than two guests – time consuming AND risky business. These guys however allow you to prep in advance, have them mise en place and serve them in perfection. I’ve had similar pasta before, filled with egg yolks and placed on a bed of spinach, but this combo can easily hold a candle to them: the herbed cheese mix is a wonderful creamy companion for the egg yolk and a worthy candidate to kick off any menu!
Sift the flour into a huge mixing bowl or on a chopping board. Make a well in the center, add a pinch of salt as well as the eggs, then incorporate the flour with your fingers and knead for about 5 minutes or until the dough comes together nicely. If the mix is too firm, add a little water, if it’s too soft, use a little more flour. Shape it into a ball, tightly wrap in cling film and let rest for at least 30 minutes on the counter.
Prepare the filling by mixing ricotta, Parmesan, chopped fresh herbs, olive oil and spices in a bowl. Season to taste.
Roll out the pasta dough into thin sheets (EDIT: I used the highest level my pasta machine offers = thinnest sheets), spoon tablespoons of the ricotta herb mix on it and leave enough space in between to ensure proper stamping out afterwards. Form the mix into little, equally shaped cups using a teaspoon or your fingers, their rims have to be high enough to keep the egg yolks from escaping.
Carefully divide the eggs (the egg yolks must stay whole) and place one yolk in the center of each ricotta cup. Take one of the unused egg whites and brush the pasta around the ricotta, in order to make the pasta sheets stick together well. Gently place another pasta sheet over the ricotta/egg yolk arrangements and tightly seal each one to avoid any air trapped inside. Stamp out the individual ravioli with a cookie cuter or the thin rim of a drinking glass. (The filling is also very suitable for normal filled pasta, without the extra egg yolk.)
Cook the ravioli in a large pan of salted, slightly boiling water for two to three minutes until just al dente, but with the egg yolks still runny. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a frying pan and brown for a few minutes if desired. Drain the ravioli using a skimmer, place in a warm serving dish, then top with the butter, freshly ground pepper and extra Parmesan and get ready for a new favorite food moment.
Sunny egg ravioli
Recipe source: own creation
Pasta dough, filling & ravioli shaping:: ~1 hour
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Ingredients:
for the pasta dough:
200 g flour, Italian Type 00
2 eggs
salt
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for the filling (by guess and by gosh):
200g Ricotta
1-2 tbsp olive oil
1 handful freshly grated Parmesan
chopped fresh herbs, mixed or single (like basil, parsley, thyme)
optional: 1 red chili, chopped
freshly ground black pepper, nutmeg, sea salt to taste
small egg yolks, preferably free range (amount depending on the number of egg ravioli you want)
egg white (to brush the pasta sheets)
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to serve: freshly grated Parmesan, hot butter, freshly ground black pepper
May 24th,
2007
wow, that looks amazing!! so imaginative; i've been meaning to make ravioli for a few weeks now, and ive just found my recipe. thanks!!