Rachael Ray's BLT Pasta

All you Rachael Ray haters don't know what you are missing!  Look how beautiful this pasta dish is! I made this dish for my parents this weekend and they loved it.  It has a delicious crunchy topping that I couldn't get enough of.  You can use any type of pasta you like, Rachael used Farfalle but I used Rigatoni.  It's so easy and it's a spin off of a BLT - Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato.  Instead of lettuce the recipe called for Arugula but if that's too spicy or bitter for you, I think spinach would be a fine substitute.

Turns out that due to the excessive cold weather tomatoes are hard to come by so supermarkets are jacking up the price.  My mom and I were in shock when we saw a little pint of grape tomatoes was $5!  That's double to the usual price.  Don't worry, we made it work with canned cherry tomatoes.  I never saw them canned before but they were so cute!  I added a sprinkle of sugar to the sauce to help sweeten them up and the taste was great!  You never would have known that the recipe was altered in any way.

BLT Pasta

by Rachael Ray

As seen on The Rachael Ray Show. 

Serves 4-6 (If you are using Rigatoni, this recipe will only serve 4)

Ingredients:

EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for drizzling, plus 2 tablespoons
12 slices good quality smoky bacon, cut into half-inch dice
1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
A handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
A couple of generous handfuls grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 small red onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped or grated
A pinch crushed red pepper flakes
2 pints cherry tomatoes
Salt and pepper
1 pound bowtie pasta
4 cups arugula, a couple of bundles, coarsely chopped
1 cup basil leaves, about 20 leaves, torn or coarsely chopped



Directions:

Heat a drizzle of EVOO in a skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add bacon and brown to crisp. Remove to plate to drain. Add Panko crumbs to the pan with the bacon drippings and toast to golden brown. Add parsley and a couple of handfuls of grated cheese. Toss to combine, turn off heat and reserve the crumbs.

Heat 2 tablespoons EVOO in a large skillet with tight-fitting lid over medium heat. Add onions and garlic, and cook to soften, 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add red pepper and cherry tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper, and cover pan tightly with lid. Cook, shaking occasionally, until tomatoes begin to burst, about 8 minutes. Remove cover and gently mash up the tomatoes a bit with a wooden spoon.

Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil for pasta. Salt water and cook bowties to al dente. Just before draining, add a cup of the starchy liquid to the cherry tomato sauce. Drain pasta.

Add arugula and basil to the tomato sauce, along with the reserved bacon and drained bowties. Season with black pepper and salt, and toss to combine. Garnish bowls of pasta with the seasoned crumbs and serve.

Click here for a printable version of BLT Pasta.

Rachael Ray's BLT Pasta

All you Rachael Ray haters don't know what you are missing!  Look how beautiful this pasta dish is! I made this dish for my parents this weekend and they loved it.  It has a delicious crunchy topping that I couldn't get enough of.  You can use any type of pasta you like, Rachael used Farfalle but I used Rigatoni.  It's so easy and it's a spin off of a BLT - Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato.  Instead of lettuce the recipe called for Arugula but if that's too spicy or bitter for you, I think spinach would be a fine substitute.

Turns out that due to the excessive cold weather tomatoes are hard to come by so supermarkets are jacking up the price.  My mom and I were in shock when we saw a little pint of grape tomatoes was $5!  That's double to the usual price.  Don't worry, we made it work with canned cherry tomatoes.  I never saw them canned before but they were so cute!  I added a sprinkle of sugar to the sauce to help sweeten them up and the taste was great!  You never would have known that the recipe was altered in any way.

BLT Pasta

by Rachael Ray

As seen on The Rachael Ray Show. 

Serves 4-6 (If you are using Rigatoni, this recipe will only serve 4)

Ingredients:

EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for drizzling, plus 2 tablespoons
12 slices good quality smoky bacon, cut into half-inch dice
1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
A handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
A couple of generous handfuls grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 small red onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped or grated
A pinch crushed red pepper flakes
2 pints cherry tomatoes
Salt and pepper
1 pound bowtie pasta
4 cups arugula, a couple of bundles, coarsely chopped
1 cup basil leaves, about 20 leaves, torn or coarsely chopped



Directions:

Heat a drizzle of EVOO in a skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add bacon and brown to crisp. Remove to plate to drain. Add Panko crumbs to the pan with the bacon drippings and toast to golden brown. Add parsley and a couple of handfuls of grated cheese. Toss to combine, turn off heat and reserve the crumbs.

Heat 2 tablespoons EVOO in a large skillet with tight-fitting lid over medium heat. Add onions and garlic, and cook to soften, 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add red pepper and cherry tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper, and cover pan tightly with lid. Cook, shaking occasionally, until tomatoes begin to burst, about 8 minutes. Remove cover and gently mash up the tomatoes a bit with a wooden spoon.

Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil for pasta. Salt water and cook bowties to al dente. Just before draining, add a cup of the starchy liquid to the cherry tomato sauce. Drain pasta.

Add arugula and basil to the tomato sauce, along with the reserved bacon and drained bowties. Season with black pepper and salt, and toss to combine. Garnish bowls of pasta with the seasoned crumbs and serve.

Click here for a printable version of BLT Pasta.

Tomato Soup and Cheesy Garlic Toasts

We had a little tease of spring last week but were brought back to reality with torrential rain and wind that caused us to lose power on Saturday.   The weather left both Steve and I craving a hearty bowl of soup to warm us up.  Originally I planned on adding some spinach to the soup.  I added about a handful and then decided I really liked it as is.  Feel free to add it if you want but the soup was delicious without it.


Tomato Soup


Ingredients:

2 cans diced tomatoes
1 - 8oz can tomato sauce
4 cups (1 box) chicken stock
1 large onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
extra virgin olive oil
10 leaves fresh basil (frozen can be used in its place)
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp sugar

Directions:

Saute onion and garlic until softened in extra virgin olive oil. When onions are translucent add diced tomatoes and let cook over medium high heat for about 10 minutes.  Add sauce and stock and let it come to a boil. Season with salt, pepper and sugar and basil.  Reduce heat to medium and let cook for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Taste and season accordingly.  Blend with immersion (stick) blender until smooth.  Serve with grated pecorino romano cheese. 

Cheesy Garlic Toasts

Ingredients:

1 loaf of crusty Italian bread
2 tablespoons softened butter
2 cloves garlic, minced to a paste (chop garlic, top with a little salt and smash with side of knife)
2 tablespoons pecorino romano cheese
parmigiano reggiano cheese
piave cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  

Slice bread into 1/2 inch slices.  Combine butter, garlic and romano cheese.  Spread on bread slices.  Grate parmigiano and piave over each slice. 

Bake for 10 minutes or until bread is crispy.  If you want the cheese to have a little more color, turn the broiler on and broil for 5 minutes. ( Make sure you watch them so they don't burn.)

Click here for a Printable version of Tomato Soup and Cheesy Garlic Toasts.

Tomato Soup and Cheesy Garlic Toasts

We had a little tease of spring last week but were brought back to reality with torrential rain and wind that caused us to lose power on Saturday.   The weather left both Steve and I craving a hearty bowl of soup to warm us up.  Originally I planned on adding some spinach to the soup.  I added about a handful and then decided I really liked it as is.  Feel free to add it if you want but the soup was delicious without it.


Tomato Soup


Ingredients:

2 cans diced tomatoes
1 - 8oz can tomato sauce
4 cups (1 box) chicken stock
1 large onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
extra virgin olive oil
10 leaves fresh basil (frozen can be used in its place)
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp sugar

Directions:

Saute onion and garlic until softened in extra virgin olive oil. When onions are translucent add diced tomatoes and let cook over medium high heat for about 10 minutes.  Add sauce and stock and let it come to a boil. Season with salt, pepper and sugar and basil.  Reduce heat to medium and let cook for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Taste and season accordingly.  Blend with immersion (stick) blender until smooth.  Serve with grated pecorino romano cheese. 

Cheesy Garlic Toasts

Ingredients:

1 loaf of crusty Italian bread
2 tablespoons softened butter
2 cloves garlic, minced to a paste (chop garlic, top with a little salt and smash with side of knife)
2 tablespoons pecorino romano cheese
parmigiano reggiano cheese
piave cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  

Slice bread into 1/2 inch slices.  Combine butter, garlic and romano cheese.  Spread on bread slices.  Grate parmigiano and piave over each slice. 

Bake for 10 minutes or until bread is crispy.  If you want the cheese to have a little more color, turn the broiler on and broil for 5 minutes. ( Make sure you watch them so they don't burn.)

Click here for a Printable version of Tomato Soup and Cheesy Garlic Toasts.

Olive and Sundried Tomato Palmiers

If you are in need of a quick appetizer try this one!  There are only four ingredients (okay, 5 if you count the egg wash) but they are packed with flavor! Change up the fillings to suit your taste but remember this is supposed to be a quick and asy recipe so don't make it too complex.

If you are a frequenter of  Trader Joes, be sure to pick up a jar of their Olive Tapenade.  You all know how much I love my olives and therefore try different brands of tapenade often.  This is by far my favorite. 


Olive and Sundried Tomato Palmiers

Ingredients:

1 sheet of puff pastry
1/2 jar olive tapenade
Approx 1/2 cup sundried tomatoes packed in oil, sliced
1 cup shredded mozzarella

Egg wash - 1 egg plus 1 tbsp water, beaten

Directions:

Defrost puff pastry according to package directions.  Roll out pastry into approx a 14 x 11 inch rectangle.  Spread the tapenade over pastry, scatter the sundried tomatoes over the tapenade and then top with shredded mozzarella.  Starting with the short side, fold both sides of the pastry to the center.  Gently press both sides together so they stick.  Brush with egg mixture and slice into 1/2 inch slices.  Place cut slices on baking sheet and brush with egg mixture.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Click here for a Printable Version of Olive and Sundried Tomato Palmiers.

Olive and Sundried Tomato Palmiers

If you are in need of a quick appetizer try this one!  There are only four ingredients (okay, 5 if you count the egg wash) but they are packed with flavor! Change up the fillings to suit your taste but remember this is supposed to be a quick and asy recipe so don't make it too complex.

If you are a frequenter of  Trader Joes, be sure to pick up a jar of their Olive Tapenade.  You all know how much I love my olives and therefore try different brands of tapenade often.  This is by far my favorite. 


Olive and Sundried Tomato Palmiers

Ingredients:

1 sheet of puff pastry
1/2 jar olive tapenade
Approx 1/2 cup sundried tomatoes packed in oil, sliced
1 cup shredded mozzarella

Egg wash - 1 egg plus 1 tbsp water, beaten

Directions:

Defrost puff pastry according to package directions.  Roll out pastry into approx a 14 x 11 inch rectangle.  Spread the tapenade over pastry, scatter the sundried tomatoes over the tapenade and then top with shredded mozzarella.  Starting with the short side, fold both sides of the pastry to the center.  Gently press both sides together so they stick.  Brush with egg mixture and slice into 1/2 inch slices.  Place cut slices on baking sheet and brush with egg mixture.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Click here for a Printable Version of Olive and Sundried Tomato Palmiers.

Lidia's White Meat Sauce

Here's another recipe from one of the cookbooks I received for Christmas, Lidia Cooks from the heart of Italy by Lidia Bastianich.  There are some very unique recipes in this book, most of which you won't find in every other Italian coobook.  Check it out next time you go shopping!
When everyone is hungry and waiting to eat there isn't any time to get a photo of the plated dish.  So you'll just have to take my word that this recipe is wonderful.  The title is a little deceiving because this isn't exactly a white sauce in the way that a bechamel is a white sauce.  I know what Lidia means by it.  This isn't a heavy tomato based sauce but it does have a bit of tomato in it.  The recipe calls for beef, pork and veal but I just left out the veal and used two pounds beef and one pound pork.  It was a wonderful combination.

The changes I will make the next time is to definitely drain the fat out of the meat completely.  I only spooned it off because I was afraid that it would be dry.  It's definitely not dry and definitely does not need all that fat.  The second change I would make is the type of pasta I serve this with.  Lidia paired it with fresh pasta and that's what I did as well but I don't like scooping up the pasta with tongs and then needing a spoon to get the meat.  I rather use a tubular shaped pasta such as rigatoni or penne.  In the future I may add a little bit of nutmeg to the sauce since there is milk in it and I have learned that milk based sauces benefit from a hint of nutmeg.  All in all this recipe is a winner!  I hope you give it a try!

Lidia's White Meat Sauce

From Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy

by Lidia Bastianich.

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef

1 pound ground pork

1 pound ground veal

2 medium onions, cut in chunks

1 medium carrot, cut in chunks

1 medium stalk celery, cut in chunks

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp. butter

4 tsp kosher salt

1 cup white wine

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 1/2 cups whole milk

6-8 cups very hot chicken or veggie broth

2 fresh bay leaves

Directions:

1.  Put the ground meats together in a bowl; loosed crumble and toss the meats together with your fingers.

2.  Drop the onions, carrots and celery chunks into a food processor and mince fine to an even textured paste.  Pour oil and drop butter into a large saucepan and set over medium high heat.  When the butter has melted scrape in the paste (pestata) with one teaspoon of salt.  Cook and stir the pestata until it has dried out and is beginning to stick, about 5 mins.

3.  Quickly crumble all the meat into the pan, stir with the pestata, sprinkle over it 1 more teaspoon of salt and cook, tossing and stirring occasionally, until the meat starts to release its juices.  Turn up the heat a bit, and continue cooking and stirring the meat as the juices evaporate, about 10 minutes, taking care that the meat doesn't brown and crisp.  *See Michele's Note

4.  When the juices have disappeared, pour in the white wine, bring it to a bubbling simmer, and cook until evaporated, 2 or 3 minutes.  Meanwhile, stir the tomato paste into the milk until blended. **See Michele's Note. When the wine has cooked away, pour in the milk and cook, stirring until it has cooked down.

5.  Now ladle 2 cups or more of hot stock into the pan, just enough to cover the meat.  Stir in the bay leaves and the remaining salt, and bring the liquid to an active simmer.  Cover the pan, adjust the heat so the liquid is steadily bubbling (not rapidly boiling), and cook for 15-20 minutes, as the broth gradually reduced.  Stir in about 2 more cups hot stock, just to cover the meat again, then give another 20-minute period of covered cooking and reducing.  Stir in a final addition of 2 cups stock, and cook, covered until the ragu is thick and concentrated, 20 minutes or so.  (The sauce should have cooked for at least an hour and incorporated 6-8 cups of stock in total.)

6.  Taste the ragu and adjust the seasoning.  Toss with hot pasta. ( If you've prepared the ragu in advance, let it cool, then refrigerate and freeze as you wish.)
Michele's Notes

*Here is where I would drain the fat off the pasta.  Lidia said the juices will evaporate but all that fat just sits there.  Instead, drain the meat and return it to the hot pan. 

**I find it completely unnecessary to combine the paste with the milk.  If you know a reason for this please share.  I just added the tomato paste to the meat and let it cook for a minute, then I added the milk.

Click here for a printable recipe of Lidia's White Meat Sauce.

Lidia's White Meat Sauce

Here's another recipe from one of the cookbooks I received for Christmas, Lidia Cooks from the heart of Italy by Lidia Bastianich.  There are some very unique recipes in this book, most of which you won't find in every other Italian coobook.  Check it out next time you go shopping!
When everyone is hungry and waiting to eat there isn't any time to get a photo of the plated dish.  So you'll just have to take my word that this recipe is wonderful.  The title is a little deceiving because this isn't exactly a white sauce in the way that a bechamel is a white sauce.  I know what Lidia means by it.  This isn't a heavy tomato based sauce but it does have a bit of tomato in it.  The recipe calls for beef, pork and veal but I just left out the veal and used two pounds beef and one pound pork.  It was a wonderful combination.

The changes I will make the next time is to definitely drain the fat out of the meat completely.  I only spooned it off because I was afraid that it would be dry.  It's definitely not dry and definitely does not need all that fat.  The second change I would make is the type of pasta I serve this with.  Lidia paired it with fresh pasta and that's what I did as well but I don't like scooping up the pasta with tongs and then needing a spoon to get the meat.  I rather use a tubular shaped pasta such as rigatoni or penne.  In the future I may add a little bit of nutmeg to the sauce since there is milk in it and I have learned that milk based sauces benefit from a hint of nutmeg.  All in all this recipe is a winner!  I hope you give it a try!

Lidia's White Meat Sauce

From Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy

by Lidia Bastianich.

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef

1 pound ground pork

1 pound ground veal

2 medium onions, cut in chunks

1 medium carrot, cut in chunks

1 medium stalk celery, cut in chunks

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp. butter

4 tsp kosher salt

1 cup white wine

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 1/2 cups whole milk

6-8 cups very hot chicken or veggie broth

2 fresh bay leaves

Directions:

1.  Put the ground meats together in a bowl; loosed crumble and toss the meats together with your fingers.

2.  Drop the onions, carrots and celery chunks into a food processor and mince fine to an even textured paste.  Pour oil and drop butter into a large saucepan and set over medium high heat.  When the butter has melted scrape in the paste (pestata) with one teaspoon of salt.  Cook and stir the pestata until it has dried out and is beginning to stick, about 5 mins.

3.  Quickly crumble all the meat into the pan, stir with the pestata, sprinkle over it 1 more teaspoon of salt and cook, tossing and stirring occasionally, until the meat starts to release its juices.  Turn up the heat a bit, and continue cooking and stirring the meat as the juices evaporate, about 10 minutes, taking care that the meat doesn't brown and crisp.  *See Michele's Note

4.  When the juices have disappeared, pour in the white wine, bring it to a bubbling simmer, and cook until evaporated, 2 or 3 minutes.  Meanwhile, stir the tomato paste into the milk until blended. **See Michele's Note. When the wine has cooked away, pour in the milk and cook, stirring until it has cooked down.

5.  Now ladle 2 cups or more of hot stock into the pan, just enough to cover the meat.  Stir in the bay leaves and the remaining salt, and bring the liquid to an active simmer.  Cover the pan, adjust the heat so the liquid is steadily bubbling (not rapidly boiling), and cook for 15-20 minutes, as the broth gradually reduced.  Stir in about 2 more cups hot stock, just to cover the meat again, then give another 20-minute period of covered cooking and reducing.  Stir in a final addition of 2 cups stock, and cook, covered until the ragu is thick and concentrated, 20 minutes or so.  (The sauce should have cooked for at least an hour and incorporated 6-8 cups of stock in total.)

6.  Taste the ragu and adjust the seasoning.  Toss with hot pasta. ( If you've prepared the ragu in advance, let it cool, then refrigerate and freeze as you wish.)
Michele's Notes

*Here is where I would drain the fat off the pasta.  Lidia said the juices will evaporate but all that fat just sits there.  Instead, drain the meat and return it to the hot pan. 

**I find it completely unnecessary to combine the paste with the milk.  If you know a reason for this please share.  I just added the tomato paste to the meat and let it cook for a minute, then I added the milk.

Click here for a printable recipe of Lidia's White Meat Sauce.

Homemade Meat Ravioli

I love Valentine's Day and not because it's a commercial holiday for giving gifts and spending money. During our busy lives and schedules of work, family, friends, entertaining and all the little things that keep us on our toes, we tend to forget to make time with our partners. Sure we see them every day, we do things together but it's usually not without tv, cell phones, distractions, etc. Valentine's Day reminds us to take out that time for our sweethearts and that's just what we like to do. Steve and I don't exchange gifts, only cards and we don't spend a lot of money going out to dinner. We've done it but it just never felt like it was worth it. There was no meaning to spending twice the amount we'd usually spend at a restaurant with a limited menu, an overly crowded dining room and timed seating. I understand that some people may enjoy going out and that's great. It just hasn't worked for us. For the past two years Steve and I decided that it would be fun if we spent Valentine's Day preparing a special meal together. We want it to be something that we don't usually make at home, something that requires two people to make and takes a bit of time. I have to say it's worked out wonderfully and I am really proud of our accomplishments. Last year we made gnocchi with bolognese sauce. This year we made meat ravioli. If you're wondering why we chose meat...well, that's because Steve doesn't really like cheese ravioli. I can't say I understand it but that's okay, I like meat ravioli too. Believe it or not, I couldn't find a recipe for meat ravioli so I just followed my instincts and I'm proud to say that it really worked well for us. I used the recipe for the dough from an old cookbook that I have called Biba's Taste of Italy by Biba Caggiano. I am really looking forward to trying ravioli again with different fillings. I'm thinking a basil pesto would be fabulous! Any suggestions?

Meat Ravioli

Yield: Approx. 32 ravioli

Pasta Dough by Biba Caggiano

Ingredients:

3 cups unbleached all purpose flour
5 large eggs

Directions:

1.  In bowl of stand mixer beat eggs and salt. Attach dough hook and add flour a little at a time, beating well after each addition. Increase the speed and knead the dough for 5-6 minutes, until smooth, soft and pliable.

2.  Transfer the dough to a lightly floured wooden board of other work surface. Flour your hands lightly and knead the dough for a minute or two. If the dough seems too firm, wrap it in plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for 20-30 minutes, then knead the dough again for about a minute.

Biba's tip: Making the dough with a machine requires a little less flour than making it by hand. Reserve 1/2 cup or so of the flour called for in the recipe. After the dough has been kneaded, touch it. If it is silky and slightly moist, it is ready; if it is too sticky, work in the reserved flour.

To roll out the dough with pasta attachment:

Set the rollers of the pasta machine at their widest setting (1 - for Kitchen Aid) Cut off a piece of dough about the size of a large egg and flatter in under the palm of your hand. Keep the rest of the dough wrapped in plastic wrap. Dust the flattened piece of dough lightly with flour and run it once through the machine. Fold the dough in half, pressing down on it with your fingertips, and run it through the machine again. Repeat this step four to five times, dusting the dough lightly with flour if needed, until the dough is smooth and no longer sticky; the dough will become firmer since the machine is actually kneading the dough. Do not skimp on this step, or, as you think the pasta, it may stick to the rollers.

Adjust the rollers to the next setting and run the dough through once; do not fold the dough again. Adjust the rollers to the next setting and run the rollers once; continue to adjust the rollers and roll the pasta through the machine until it reaches desired thinness. (I ran the dough through the first setting twice and then once through each setting #'s 2-5, it was then thin enough but thick enough to hold the filling)

If you are making stuffed pasta, cut and stuff the dough immediately, before rolling out another piece. For string pasta or ribbon noodles, roll out the remaining dough and allow the sheets to dry before cutting them into noodles.

Meat Filling by Michele

1 pound 85% lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 small carrot, grated
1/2 stalk celery, diced
1/4 cup pecorino romano cheese, grated

1/4 gup parmigiano reggiano cheese, grated

1 tsp nutmeg (or to taste)
1/2 tsp allspice (or to taste)
salt and pepper to taste
extra virgin olive oil
1 egg


Directions:

1.  Sweat onion, garlic, carrot and celery in oil.  Once vegetables soften add grown beef, using a potato masher to break up the meat.  Cook until browned and cooked through.  Drain fat from beef, once beef is cool discard fat drippings.  Add mixture to food processor, pulse until smooth.  Add egg and pulse until combined.

Marinara Sauce

Ingredients:

2 cans Tuttorosa crushed tomatoes (use whatever brand you like)

1 medium onion, diced
3-5 cloves garlic, minced
fresh basil, to taste (dried or frozen can also be used)
1 tsp. Italian Seasoning
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (if you like more spice add more)
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tsp. sugar (optional)
extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

1. Saute onion and garlic in oil. Add crushed red pepper, Italian seasoning and basil. Stir to combine.

2. Add crushed tomatoes and stir. Fill about 1/3 can with water and swish around to clean tomatoes from sides and then pour into next can and do the same thing. Add to pot. Stir and add sugar, salt and pepper.

3. Let sauce come to a boil, stir gently. Reduce heat and let sauce simmer for 1 hour stirring frequently. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. If using fresh basil add some more at the end right before serving.

Assembly

Lay the pasta sheet out on a floured surface.  Place meat mixture about  2 inches or so apart on one half of the sheet.  Biba says to use 1 tablespoon of filling for ravioli but I used a little less than that as you can see from the pictures. If you want to make bigger ravioli use more filling. Once you start making them you will know how much to put in.   Place the unused portion of the dough sheet over the half with the meat.  Press out all the air from around the meat and press down lightly on the dough to seal.  Cut with a round biscuit cutter or cut into squares. 

Make sure you save all your scraps of dough (cut them into strips - don't worry if they aren't uniform in size). Nanny always used the strips of dough in soup or served with sauce for lunch that day. Just cook it in salted boiling water for about 3 minutes or until tender.

 

To Freeze:

Sprinkle a baking sheet lightly with cornmeal.  Place ravioli on the baking sheet in a single layer.  Place in the freezer for about an hour or until frozen through.  Place in large freezer bags and lay flat.  The purpose of freezing them flat first is so you don't end up with all your ravioli stuck together.  Now you can take out as many as you'd like at a time.

To Cook:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Carefully add the ravioli (if they were frozen you do not need to defrost) to the pot and stir.  When ravioli float to the top they are ready. 

Serve with your favorite sauce.

Click here for a printable version of Homemade Meat Ravioli. 

Homemade Meat Ravioli

I love Valentine's Day and not because it's a commercial holiday for giving gifts and spending money. During our busy lives and schedules of work, family, friends, entertaining and all the little things that keep us on our toes, we tend to forget to make time with our partners. Sure we see them every day, we do things together but it's usually not without tv, cell phones, distractions, etc. Valentine's Day reminds us to take out that time for our sweethearts and that's just what we like to do. Steve and I don't exchange gifts, only cards and we don't spend a lot of money going out to dinner. We've done it but it just never felt like it was worth it. There was no meaning to spending twice the amount we'd usually spend at a restaurant with a limited menu, an overly crowded dining room and timed seating. I understand that some people may enjoy going out and that's great. It just hasn't worked for us. For the past two years Steve and I decided that it would be fun if we spent Valentine's Day preparing a special meal together. We want it to be something that we don't usually make at home, something that requires two people to make and takes a bit of time. I have to say it's worked out wonderfully and I am really proud of our accomplishments. Last year we made gnocchi with bolognese sauce. This year we made meat ravioli. If you're wondering why we chose meat...well, that's because Steve doesn't really like cheese ravioli. I can't say I understand it but that's okay, I like meat ravioli too. Believe it or not, I couldn't find a recipe for meat ravioli so I just followed my instincts and I'm proud to say that it really worked well for us. I used the recipe for the dough from an old cookbook that I have called Biba's Taste of Italy by Biba Caggiano. I am really looking forward to trying ravioli again with different fillings. I'm thinking a basil pesto would be fabulous! Any suggestions?

Meat Ravioli

Yield: Approx. 32 ravioli

Pasta Dough by Biba Caggiano

Ingredients:

3 cups unbleached all purpose flour
5 large eggs

Directions:

1.  In bowl of stand mixer beat eggs and salt. Attach dough hook and add flour a little at a time, beating well after each addition. Increase the speed and knead the dough for 5-6 minutes, until smooth, soft and pliable.

2.  Transfer the dough to a lightly floured wooden board of other work surface. Flour your hands lightly and knead the dough for a minute or two. If the dough seems too firm, wrap it in plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for 20-30 minutes, then knead the dough again for about a minute.

Biba's tip: Making the dough with a machine requires a little less flour than making it by hand. Reserve 1/2 cup or so of the flour called for in the recipe. After the dough has been kneaded, touch it. If it is silky and slightly moist, it is ready; if it is too sticky, work in the reserved flour.

To roll out the dough with pasta attachment:

Set the rollers of the pasta machine at their widest setting (1 - for Kitchen Aid) Cut off a piece of dough about the size of a large egg and flatter in under the palm of your hand. Keep the rest of the dough wrapped in plastic wrap. Dust the flattened piece of dough lightly with flour and run it once through the machine. Fold the dough in half, pressing down on it with your fingertips, and run it through the machine again. Repeat this step four to five times, dusting the dough lightly with flour if needed, until the dough is smooth and no longer sticky; the dough will become firmer since the machine is actually kneading the dough. Do not skimp on this step, or, as you think the pasta, it may stick to the rollers.

Adjust the rollers to the next setting and run the dough through once; do not fold the dough again. Adjust the rollers to the next setting and run the rollers once; continue to adjust the rollers and roll the pasta through the machine until it reaches desired thinness. (I ran the dough through the first setting twice and then once through each setting #'s 2-5, it was then thin enough but thick enough to hold the filling)

If you are making stuffed pasta, cut and stuff the dough immediately, before rolling out another piece. For string pasta or ribbon noodles, roll out the remaining dough and allow the sheets to dry before cutting them into noodles.

Meat Filling by Michele

1 pound 85% lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 small carrot, grated
1/2 stalk celery, diced
1/4 cup pecorino romano cheese, grated

1/4 gup parmigiano reggiano cheese, grated

1 tsp nutmeg (or to taste)
1/2 tsp allspice (or to taste)
salt and pepper to taste
extra virgin olive oil
1 egg


Directions:

1.  Sweat onion, garlic, carrot and celery in oil.  Once vegetables soften add grown beef, using a potato masher to break up the meat.  Cook until browned and cooked through.  Drain fat from beef, once beef is cool discard fat drippings.  Add mixture to food processor, pulse until smooth.  Add egg and pulse until combined.

Marinara Sauce

Ingredients:

2 cans Tuttorosa crushed tomatoes (use whatever brand you like)

1 medium onion, diced
3-5 cloves garlic, minced
fresh basil, to taste (dried or frozen can also be used)
1 tsp. Italian Seasoning
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (if you like more spice add more)
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tsp. sugar (optional)
extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

1. Saute onion and garlic in oil. Add crushed red pepper, Italian seasoning and basil. Stir to combine.

2. Add crushed tomatoes and stir. Fill about 1/3 can with water and swish around to clean tomatoes from sides and then pour into next can and do the same thing. Add to pot. Stir and add sugar, salt and pepper.

3. Let sauce come to a boil, stir gently. Reduce heat and let sauce simmer for 1 hour stirring frequently. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. If using fresh basil add some more at the end right before serving.

Assembly

Lay the pasta sheet out on a floured surface.  Place meat mixture about  2 inches or so apart on one half of the sheet.  Biba says to use 1 tablespoon of filling for ravioli but I used a little less than that as you can see from the pictures. If you want to make bigger ravioli use more filling. Once you start making them you will know how much to put in.   Place the unused portion of the dough sheet over the half with the meat.  Press out all the air from around the meat and press down lightly on the dough to seal.  Cut with a round biscuit cutter or cut into squares. 

Make sure you save all your scraps of dough (cut them into strips - don't worry if they aren't uniform in size). Nanny always used the strips of dough in soup or served with sauce for lunch that day. Just cook it in salted boiling water for about 3 minutes or until tender.

 

To Freeze:

Sprinkle a baking sheet lightly with cornmeal.  Place ravioli on the baking sheet in a single layer.  Place in the freezer for about an hour or until frozen through.  Place in large freezer bags and lay flat.  The purpose of freezing them flat first is so you don't end up with all your ravioli stuck together.  Now you can take out as many as you'd like at a time.

To Cook:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Carefully add the ravioli (if they were frozen you do not need to defrost) to the pot and stir.  When ravioli float to the top they are ready. 

Serve with your favorite sauce.

Click here for a printable version of Homemade Meat Ravioli.