Making home made ravioli sounds scarier than it really is, and it is without any doubt most definitely worth the effort. Just imagining that this has been for centuries the every day activity for thousands of warmhearted Italian Mamas, makes me already feel encouraged to roll my sleeves and give it a try. What could be that difficult?
Making the pasta dough, is no issue at all. Soft and silky, it is indeed prepared for less then 15 minutes and is no challenge at all. Rolling the pasta tough however, without a special equipment could be posing more of a difficulty as its elasticity is making the dough shrink back in after every rolling attempt to keep it stretched to paper thin proportions. Once this has been mastered, the remaining steps of the ravioli making processes are extremely easy to follow.
Home made pasta takes loving care and inevitably good will and time, but nothing compares to the variety of delicious dishes and flavours that could be combined together as a result. Like these shiitake mushroom ravioli served with fresh parsley mushroom broth and drizzled with truffle oil – beautiful, earthy-rich, mouth-watering dish ready to be served in snowy winter nights, seated close to the cracking warm fire.
Ingredients
For the ravioli filling
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 200g minced meat
- 1 carrot, finely chopped
- 1 rib celery, finely chopped
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 cup of shiitake mushrooms, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp finely shopped fresh thyme, rosmarin and parsley
- 1 cup of beef stock
- salt and pepper
For the shiitake mushroom parsley broth
- 2 teaspoons oil
- 1 cup shiitake mushrooms thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1 cup of beef stock
- salt and pepper
For the ravioli
- 3 eggs
- 300g plain flour
- 1 tbsp truffle oil
Method
1. To make the ravioli dough: Sift the flour in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and the truffle oil. By hand, make a well in the center of the flour mix and dump the egg mixture. Working from the outside in with your hands or a large spoon, gather the flour over the eggs and work your way in until all the flour mix and liquids are mixed in. Gather the dough into a ball and use right away or keep well wrapped in the fridge until ready.
2. To make the ravioli feeling: In a medium saucepan, heat the oil and add the onion, carrot and celery stirring for about five minutes until softened. Add the minced meat and continue stirring for 8-10 minutes until the pink meat and changed colour and has become dark. Add the mushrooms and continue cooking for additional three to five minutes, seasoning with salt and paper and adding the beef stock and fresh herbs. Once cooked, take the pan from the heat and let it cool before filling in the ravioli.
3. To make the shiitake mushroom parsley broth: In a medium saucepan, heat the oil and saute the shiitake and garlic for a couple of minutes, add the parsley and the stock. Turn the heat down to low and simmer for about 30 minutes. Keep warm or reheat when ready to serve.
4. To make the ravioli: Cut the ravioli dough into two pieces, placing one piece over floured working surface, and keeping the other wrapped in the cling film. If you are making the dough by hand, roll each ball as thin as you can in between sheets of plastic wrap or parchment paper. Cut the rolled out pasta into disks using cookie cutters. Add about 2 teaspoons of the meat filling in the middle. Brush the edge of the disk with a little water and place another disk right on top, press down and drimp the edges with a fork. Place the ravioli over a floured surface and cover with damp tea towel to keep the pasta from drying until ready for boiling. Place a large stock pot of salted water over high heat and bring to a boil, add the ravioli and cook 4 to 5 minutes. Remove them with a slotted spoons and place in a serving dish.
5. Reheat the shiitake parsley sauce if necessary, pour it over the ravioli, drizzling over with truffle oil and serve.
