Ravioli Caprese

I have had this dish bookmarked for nearly 5 years.  It came from Every Day Italian with Giada DiLaurentis.  I saw it back when I watched the Food Network.  Which never happens anymore.  My fear of home made pasta got the best of me and I have never made it, even though several times, I've put it on my menu for the week.

It's a dish full of simple ingredients.    I wanted all those simple flavors to have big impact, so I chose to use the freshest of everything.  I typically always use fresh herbs over dried herbs, so using fresh basil was not new for me.  But I decided to make my own ricotta instead of using store bought.  I was really glad I did.

If you've never made your own ricotta cheese (and trust me, its one of the easiest things you can do.) its important to remember that the consistency is not going to be anything like the kind you buy in the store.  Store bought has the consistency of play-doh.  Home made is somewhere between yogurt and sour cream.  The longer you let it set, the thicker it will get. In this case, making it at home was a last minute decision.  So I only had 2 hours to let it set.   Because of that, I doubled some of the ingredients in the ravioli filling to thicken it up.   I'll post below what the original recipe called for, but if I put an asterisk (*) next to an ingredient, it means I doubled it for mine.  Just in case you get the itch to make your own ricotta.

Having never made my own rolled pasta before (I've made gnocchi, but those don't get rolled thin), this was much easier than I expected.  I now have the huge desire to run out and buy a pasta roller.  I want to make my own pasta from now on.  The recipe is simple, and so much easier than I anticipated.  And while this took a lot longer than your standard pasta dish, it was so worth it.  When the ravioli cooked up, the flavor of the filling brightened.  The basil and lemon sauce tossed with the finished ravioli was light and refreshing.  Nico, who is not in love with all things lemon like I am, loved this.

If I wanted this to be a simple, quick dinner I'd do a few things.  Maybe I'd make the ravioli but not the ricotta.  Or maybe I'd just buy store bought cheese ravioli (but good quality, not the bulk freezer ones) and toss the shredded chicken in with the sauce.  Of course, it could be a lovely vegetarian dish with the omission of the chicken altogether.
Ravioli Caprese
Ravioli recipe courtesy of Every Day Italian, Giada DiLaurentis
Ricotta recipe courtesy of smitten kitchen

For the ricotta:
3 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon course ground sea salt
3 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice (this was 2 lemons for me)

For the dough:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 cup very hot water

For the filling:
3/4 cup whole milk ricotta
1 egg
1/2 cup finely shredded store bought rotisserie chicken*
1/4 cup grated parmesan*
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

For the sauce:
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

If making your own ricotta, begin by adding the milk, cream and salt to a non-reactive pan fitted with a candy thermometer.  Bring the mixture up to 190 degrees, stirring occasionally so it does not scorch.  Once it reaches the desired temperature, remove it from the heat, add the lemon juice and stir to combine.  Let it sit for 5 minutes.

Pour the ricotta mixture into a strainer lined with cheesecloth (in a pinch I used paper towels) that has been placed over a bowl.  Let the liquids (whey) drain from the solids (curds) for no less than 1 hour.  After 1 hour, it will be the consistency of yogurt.  After 2 hours, it'll be the consistency of sour cream.  If you let it sit longer (preferably covered overnight) it will get thicker.

To make the dough, in a large bowl, combine the flour and water.  Using a wooden spoon, stir to combine into a large ball.   Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the filling.  Combine all the ingredients into a medium bowl and stir to combine.  Set aside while you roll the dough.

To form the ravioli, cut the dough into 4 equal sized pieces.  The dough will be sticky to the touch.  Add extra flour as needed for rolling.  Flour the work surface and the rolling pin.   Working with 1 piece of dough at a time, roll out into a 4 by 19-inch rectangle.  (I did not measure my rectangles.  I just rolled until it seemed like it was too thin to roll out any more.   Aren't I so exacting?)   Place rounded teaspoons of filling on the dough, 1 inch apart, down the length of the dough.  Using a ravioli cutter, cut the ravioli, sealing the filling inside.  If you don't have a ravioli cutter, you can just cut square around the filling and seal the ravioli by pressing around the edges with your fingers.   Place the finished ravioli on a baking tray sprinkled with flour and continue forming the remaining dough.

Bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat.  Add salt and cook half the ravioli for 3-4 minutes.  Remove from the water with a slotted spoon or strainer and set aside.  Continue cooking the remaining ravioli.

In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon zest, basil, salt and pepper.  Gently toss with the cooked ravioli and serve immediately.

The original recipe says this should serve 4-6 people, but Nico and I polished this off in one sitting.


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