Crayfish ravioli
Ravioli con crostacei
This recipe for crayfish ravioli was inspired by a sunny Sunday visit to the seafood restaurant Meetings in Porto Cesareo.
Sundays when the sun is out the Pugliesi flock to the seaside to picnic or take a stroll along the promenade. At one in the afternoon the streets are deserted, as everyone seeks the shade of a restaurant, where they enjoy a full Italian meal.
I still cannot muster appetite for 3-4 courses in the middle of the day, but an appetizer or a pasta dish also make a terrific meal. At Meetings in Porto Cesareo one of the pasta dishes were crayfish ravioli in a mild, creamy tomato sauce, and they were so delicious I had to try making them myself.
Ingredients
For the pasta
120 g flour
2 eggs
For the filling
8 crayfish
2 tbsp ricotta
For the sauce
1 white onion
1 clove of garlic
100 ml white wine
6 tomatoes
4 tbsp ricotta
Olive oil, salt and pepper
Fresh thyme
Preparation
Make a volcano of flour with the eggs in the middle.
Stir the eggs with a fork and incorporate the flour in the mixture.
Knead the paste with the heel of your hand, when the fork is no longer useful.
Add a drop of water, if the pasta dough seems too dry. It should be elastic and not sticky.
Let the pasta rest in the refrigerator, while you prepare the filling.
Peel and chop the onion and fry it in olive oil with garlic and fresh thyme.
Add the crayfish to the onions and let them fry for 5 minutes.
Cover with white wine, and let the crayfish simmer for another 5 minutes.
Remove four of the crayfish and pluck out the meat. Save the juices for the sauce.
Chop the meat finely and mix it with ricotta to make the filling.
Cut a cross on each tomato and add them to the sauce.
Let the sauce simmer while you roll out the pasta.
Run the pasta dough through a pasta machine 10 time, then gradually decrease the width one step at a time.
When the pasta is appropriately thin, cut it in circles or squares.
Place a spoonful of crayfish and ricotta filling on half the pasta circles.
Trace the edge of the pasta circle with water and seal it with another pasta circle.
Set the crayfish ravioli aside for later.
Pass the sauce through a sieve and discard tomato skin and onions.
Keep the remaining crayfish for decoration.
Add ricotta to the sauce and blend it to obtain a smooth, creamy texture.
Cook the ravioli in boiling water for 3 minutes.
Serve crayfish ravioli in the creamy tomato sauce with a crayfish on the side.
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