Ravioli Dough and fillings

Ravioli Dough (Plain)

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup boiling water

Put the flour and salt in a food processor.
Add the butter and pulse until the flour has the texture of rough cornmeal.
With the machine running, slowly add the water.
Gather the dough into a ball and place on a floured surface.
Knead lightly, just until the dough is smooth.
Divide in half and keep one-half covered while you work with the other.

Cheese Ravioli Filling

1 (8 ounce.) container ricotta cheese
4 ounce mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 egg
1/2 tablespoon parsley, chopped
Pinch of nutmeg
Salt and pepper

Combine ingredients in a bowl.  Fill rounds of ravioli dough.
Serve with your favorite sauce.

Spinach Ravioli Filling
Use the recipe for cheese ravioli.
Omit the parsley and add 1 cup chopped fresh spinach or frozen spinach that has
been thawed and squeezed dry.

Meat Ravioli Filling

For the diced meat you may combine any 2 types of meat to equal 1/2 pound (pork and
chicken, beef and ham, pork and veal, chicken and prosciutto)
1/2 pound meat diced
1 tablespoon butter
1-1/2 tablespoons onion, finely chopped
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
1 egg yolk
Pinch of nutmeg


Sauté onion in butter over medium heat 1-2 minutes.
Add meat and cook until meat loses its raw red or pink color.
Transfer to a food processor and pulse a few times to chop.  Don't  allow it to puree.
Put mixture in a bowl and add remaining ingredients.  Combine well and fill ravioli

Crabmeat Ravioli Filling

1/2 shallot, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 (6 ounce) can lump crabmeat
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
2-3 tablespoons goat cheese
Salt and pepper


Sauté shallot and garlic in butter and olive oil. 1-2 minutes.
Add crabmeat and basil.  Stir to combine.
Remove from heat.
Stir in goat cheese and salt and pepper to taste.  Fill ravioli.

Chicken Ravioli Filling

2 tablespoons butter
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
8 ounces boneless chicken breast, cubed
2 tablespoons marsala wine
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Salt and pepper


Sauté celery, carrot, and onion in butter about 3 minutes.
Add chicken and sauté 3-4 minutes, until chicken starts to brown.
Add Marsala wine and cook additional 2 minutes.  Remove from heat.
Put chicken mixture in a food processor and pulse to chop.
Add egg yolk, cheese, salt and pepper.  Fill ravioli.

Mushroom Ravioli Filling

3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cups mushrooms, chopped
1/4 cup prosciutto, chopped
4 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated
2 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 egg
Salt and pepper


Saute onion and garlic in butter 2-3 minutes.
Add mushrooms and sauté until brown and most of the liquid has evaporated.
Add prosciutto and cook 1 more minute just to heat through.
Remove from heat and add remaining ingredients.  Fill ravioli.  

Potato, Leek, and Bacon Ravioli

12 ounces Yukon Gold potatoes (about 3 small potatoes)
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 ounces bacon, coarsely chopped
2 medium leeks, finely chopped (about 1-1/2 cups)
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Peel and cube the potatoes.
Cook in boiling water until cooked through.
Drain and mash the potatoes with a fork.
Set aside.

Heat the oil and bacon in a skillet over medium heat.
Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the bacon has rendered its fat but is not crisp.
Add the leeks and cook another 3 minutes until the leeks are wilted.
Add the bacon and leek mixture to the potatoes.
Season with salt and pepper
Add the grated Parmesan cheese and stir to combine all the ingredients.

PHOTO:cookingweekends.blogspot.com

Homemade Pasta Dough

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 tablespoon salt
4 eggs
1 tablespoon good olive oil
About 4 to 5 tablespoons of water (give or take)

1. Blend the flour and salt together.
2. Add the eggs, oil and half of the water.
3. Mix slowly, adding more water as needed until the dough can be formed into a ball that holds together. don't let it get too wet or it will be hard to work with.
4. Knead for about three minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic.
5. Wrap with plastic and little bit of oil so the dough doesn’t stick to the plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.
6. Divide the dough into 4 parts. Extra dough can be frozen for later use
7. Roll each part out on a lightly floured board so that it will fit through the #1 setting on your pasta maker.
8. If you are rolling by hand just roll each piece of dough out until it is as thin as you can get it and cut into the desired sizes.
9. Rub a light coating of flour on the dough.
10. Put the dough through the #1 setting about 5 times or more.
11. Change to a #2 setting and put the dough through that setting two or three times.
12. Change to a #3 setting and put the dough through that setting.
13. Continue to make the dough thinner until it is as thin as you want it.
14. Cut into desired shapes and allow to rest for a few minutes more.
15. Place in salted, rapidly boiling water and cook until done - 2 or 3 minutes.
    

Photo:pastadoughrecipes.com

Roasted Garlic

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Peel away the outer layers of the garlic bulb skin, leaving the skins of the individual cloves intact. Using a knife, cut off 1/4 to a 1/2 inch of the top of cloves, exposing the individual cloves of garlic.

Place the garlic heads in a baking pan; muffin pans work well for this purpose. Drizzle a couple teaspoons of olive oil over each head, using your fingers to make sure the garlic head is well coated. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 400°F for 30-35 minutes, or until the cloves feel soft when pressed. 
 
Allow the garlic to cool enough so you can touch it without burning yourself. Use a small small knife cut the skin slightly around each clove. Use a cocktail fork or your fingers to pull or squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of their skins.

Other ideas: Can be spread over warm French bread, mixed with sour cream for a topping for baked potatoes, or mixed in with Parmesan and pasta.

Photo: noshtopia.com

Noodles and Company Mac and Cheese

1 lb. elbow noodles
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
3 cups half and half
1/2 tsp salt
3 Cups Monterrey Jack (or Colby Jack)

Cook pasta according to package directions.

In large saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour making a roux. Gradually stir in half and half whisking until thickened. Stir in salt. Remove from heat. Add cheese, stir until cheese melts. Top with fancy shredded mild cheddar cheese.

Source:momslikeme.com

Black Kettle Pasta with Garlic Butter

 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1/8 cup white wine
1 tablespoon freshly-squeezed lemon juice
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
1/16 teaspoon white pepper
1/16 teaspoon garlic salt
1 tablespoon freshly chopped chives
1 1/2 pounds fresh angel hair pasta, cooked
fresh Parmesan cheese (to garnish )

Melt butter in medium saucepan. Add all remaining ingredients except cheese and pasta and heat through. Ladle over warm fresh pasta. Garnish with cheese and parsley.

Makes 8 servings.

Source: Black Kettle Restaurant - Milwaukee, Wisconsin photo:copykat.com

Macaroni Grill Penne Rustica

2 teaspoons butter

2 teaspoons garlic, chopped

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon rosemary, chopped

1/2 cup Marsala wine

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

3 cups heavy cream

1 ounce pancetta or bacon

18 shrimp, peeled and deveined

12 ounces grilled chicken breast, sliced

4 1/2 cups sauce

12 ounces penne pasta, cooked

3 teaspoons pimento

6 ounces butter

1 teaspoon shallots, chopped

1 pinch salt and pepper

1 cup Parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon paprika

6 sprigs fresh rosemary

For gratinata sauce: Saute butter, garlic , and rosemary until garlic begins to brown. Add Marsala wine and reduce by one-third. Add mustard, salt,cayenne pepper, and heavy cream. reduce by half of original volume. Set aside.

Penne Rustica: Saute pancetta until begins to brown. Add butter, shallots, and shrimp. Cook until shrimp are evenly pink but still translucent. Add chicken, salt, pepper, and mix thoroughly. Add gratinata sauce and 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese and simmer until sauce thickens.

In a large bowl, combine shrimp and chicken mixture with precooked pasta. Place this mixture into single serving dishes or one large casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese and pimientos and sprinkle with paprika. Bake at 475 degrees F for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove and garnish with fresh rosemary sprig.

Photo: thegirlwhoateeverything.blogspot.com Original recipe:recipelion.com

ALFREDO SAUCE

1/2 cup butter

1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese

1 cup half and half

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

1 tsp. garlic

pepper, to taste

In a medium saucepan, melt butter.

Once butter is almost melted, add the package of cream cheese. Cut into cubes, for faster melt down times.

Once butter and cream cheese are mixed well together, add the cup of half and half, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and then shake pepper on top. Stir all together until well mixed.

Once it's mixed well and sauce like, take it off the burner and set aside so it can thicken up. Stir every few moments. Pour over favorite pasta.

photo:http://www.fiberstar.net