This is my entry to this week's Hive top chefThe theme is dough. When I see the word dough I think bread. Well my oven is on the blink so that was out of the question. With that and a need for a pasta fix, I made ravioli. A stuffed pasta dough.
Ravioli is not something I have had many times in my adult life. I may have made it three or four times I don't remember. One thing I know is I have had it many times as a child. It was made by Chef Boyardee who provided me with many a canned lunch and dinner.
Although my father was a health nut, not buying white bread, white rice or sugar, he let the canned soup and pasta slip in without hesitation.
He raised me after my mother got sick and never hired babysitters when he worked. From the age of six or seven, our tenant upstairs would have my can of pasta or soup on a double boiler for me when I got home. I loved it. These cans of food were much tastier than anything my father would make.
Don't feel sorry for this latch key kid. I wouldn't change a thing. I loved my solitude. It was great to come home from school, watch cartoons and eat canned ravioli or whatever I chose for the day. The ravioli was stuffed with ground meat and looking back I realize it was pretty junkie. What a kid would like.
After reminiscing about that ravioli I got a craving for some. Now I don't eat meat so I was determined to make a more sophisticated ravioli then my childhood one.
I had purchased a butter squash with no plan for it. Many people make squash or pumpkin ravioli so that would be my plan.
I'm not someone who uses sage often. It seems to be something that goes well with meat which I don't eat, however this time I would add it to the squash. I like that combination.
The butter squash was steamed and was extremely dry. I liked that mealy texture to work with.
Ravioli filling
4 cups of squash
1 onion diced
Few leaves of fresh sage minced or use dry sage
1 cup vegetable broth or as needed
A squeeze of lemon juice
The zest of a lemon
Salt and pepper
This was a simple filling because I find that sage is quite powerful. Also the ravioli will end up in a sauce.
Brown the onions and sage, add squash stir in broth bit by bit until smooth and add lemon, lemon zest, pepper and salt to taste. Keep in mind there will be a sauce.
Ravioli dough
2 Cups flour and a little to knead the dough
1 tsp salt
4 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsps egg replacer
1 Cup water
The night before I planned to make ravioli, I was thinking about seeing if there was such a thing as a ravioli cutter. I didn't know if they existed. The next day I went to work and my kitchen manager pulled out a small box and asked me "do you want this?" I just about went into shock wondering if I actually manifested this with my thoughts. After being speechless for a few moments I told him yes I wanted it. I told him the story and he now says I have special powers. Nice thought.
The box had two cutters in it. One was round and one was square. I have never had round ones so I chose that.
After rolling and cutting all the circles I placed a spoon of mixture on top and then a circle on top of that, pressing the edges together.
If I had tried the cutters first I would not buy them after all. It was not more convenient then a cookie cutter and a fork. But at least I know I can score something if I think about it enough. I just can't expect it to happen. That's what I will believe anyway.
When they were complete I put them in the fridge for a while before I boiled them covered with water.
After they were cooked I put them in a hot pan and covered them with tomato sauce that I had made previously.
Tomato sauce
5 cups pureed tomatoes
1 carrot
1 stalk celery
1 small diced onion
4 cloves garlic
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon oregano
2 tablespoons tomato paste
a bit of sugar if the tomato sauce is too tart
Saute onions and garlic, add celery and carrots that are chopped. Add the rest of the ingredients. Simmer to reduce. Add a splash of wine if you want.
Blend until smooth.
I added some vegan parmesean that I made quickly and easily.
Vegan parmesean
1 cup sunflower seeds, cashews or almonds ground up
1 teaspoon onion powder
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
Salt to taste. I like this on the salty side.
I didn't cook them all. The other ravioli was put in the fridge with no sauce.
Marc loved these so much that I made them again the next day but had no tomato sauce left. So I made some sage, parsley and sunflower seed pesto with the sage I had left.
Sage and parsley pesto
1 cup of fresh sage leaves
1 cup of Italian parsley
1 cup of sunflower seeds, cashews or almonds
Juice of 1 lemon
3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
I added a dash of sweetener which was agave nectar. It's not necessary but I just like to balance the tartness of the lemon a bit.
The butter squash filling actually reminded me of the meat filling that I had in my childhood canned ravioli. Weird I know.
Well that was my ravioli fix for a while.
Thanks for stopping by folks!