solar pumpkin

solar pumpkin

If you have ever made homemade ravioli, you know it's quite a chore! First you must make the dough and then roll it paper thin. This is not easy if you don't have a pasta maker. Even with a pasta maker it can be very messy and time consuming. Since, I love great ravioli and find it difficult to find quality ravioli in any west coast supermarket, I decided to make my own from scratch.

Don't worry, I'll show you a fast way of making your pasta dough. Go out to your local grocery store and buy some Won Ton Wrappers! They work great!

I have tried many different ways of making these delicious morsels of stuffed pasta squares. You can get real creative in choosing your fillings for your ravioli. I've tried pumpkin and various combinations of meats and cheeses, but my most recent creation is my favorite.

Here is my recipe for "Portabella Mushroom Ravioli with a Creamy Basil Garlic Sauce.

Ingredients:

1 package of Chinese won ton wrappers

32 oz or Ricotta cheese

1-2 tablespoons black pepper

¼ cup of chopped parsley

¼ cup of mixed Parmigiano-Reggiano and Romano cheese

¼ cup of mozzarella cheese

2 large Portabella mushrooms

¼ cup of sherry wine

2 cloves of fresh garlic minced

1 tablespoon of butter and olive oil

1 egg

First slice your mushrooms and saute' in the butter and olive oil. Turn up the heat a little and add the sherry until it evaporates. Place all the mushrooms in a food processor.

Put all the other ingredients, accept the won ton wrappers, into a food processor and pulse until chopped and blended. Your won ton wrappers should be at room temperature before you start.

When you're ready, take two won ton wrappers and wet the ends with water. Put a spoon full of the mixture in the center. Place the second wrapper on top and press close with your fingers. Use a fork or a pie crust edge roller to seal the edges.

Boil the ravioli for 5 minutes or until the ravioli all float to the top. Top with your sauce

Creamy Garlic Basil Sauce

1-2 large cooked (boiled) peeled potatoes

1 -2 cups of milk or half and half

3-4 cloves of garlic chopped

1 tablespoon of olive oil

1 tablespoon of butter

Black pepper to taste

Grated nutmeg to taste

A hand-full of some chopped parsley

½ cup of grated Romano (Asiago, Parmigiano-Reggiano) cheese

1-2 tablespoons of fresh chopped basil

Combine half the milk and the two potatoes in a blender and blend until smooth. Add more milk if you need it. Saute' the garlic in the olive oil and butter. Add all the other ingredients accept the Romano Cheese and stir until the sauce thickens. About 10 minutes. Add more milk if your sauce evaporates too fast. Add all the cheese right before you serve and stir into the hot creamy mixture

I hope you love it!

Chef Vinny DiLeo is very passionate about pizza and Italian cooking. You can find some of his award winning recipes at his website at:http://www.perfecthomemadepizza.com

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