That warm filling

Freshly made ravioli is festive and inviting and not difficult to make at home.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
That warm filling (photo credit: Anatoly Michaelo)
That warm filling
(photo credit: Anatoly Michaelo)
Chef Gaby Pinchasov of Marco – Italian Kitchen in Tel Aviv uses quality Italian flour for the fresh pasta and fresh ingredients for the fillings. He says that ravioli is the perfect comfort food on a cold winter night.
If you prepare the dough and filling in advance and prepare the sauce in advance, you’ll have less than half an hour of cooking before your guests arrive.
Ravioli DoughMakes 4 servings
✔ 500 gr. flour (5 cups + 2 Tbsp.)
✔ 8 egg yolks ✔ Pinch salt
Pour the flour onto a clean work surface and form a hole. Pour the egg yolks in the hole and season with a little salt. Knead until the dough is smooth. Divide the dough into four pieces and wrap each piece in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least half an hour.
Swiss Chard and Ricotta Filling With Rose Sauce
For the Filling ✔ 500 gr. Swiss chard (mangold), finely chopped ✔ 4 Tbsp. olive oil ✔ 2 cloves garlic, minced ✔ 250 gr. salty ricotta ✔ 100 gr. grated Parmesan cheese
For the sauce ✔ 200 gr. crushed tomatoes ✔ 150 ml. cream ✔ 2 cloves garlic, minced ✔ Salt ✔ White pepper ✔ 2 Tbsp. olive oil ✔ Pinch nutmeg ✔ 4 basil leaves, chopped
In a deep pot, sauté Swiss chard and garlic in olive oil until cooked. Season with a little salt, drain and cool. Transfer to a bowl, add the ricotta and Parmesan and mix well.
Roll out the pasta dough to a thickness of 2 mm. Cut into circles and place 1 Tbsp.of filling on each circle. Fold one corner to the other and form a triangle. Press and seal well.
To make the sauce: In a saucepan, cook garlic in olive oil, add the crushed tomatoes and cook for about 15 minutes. Add cream and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, season with salt, white pepper and nutmeg. Cook for about 10 minutes and add the chopped basil. Cook the ravioli in boiling water until they float (about 5 minutes) and transfer to the pan with the sauce. Mix well and serve with grated Parmesan.
Root Vegetables and Cheese Filling With Alfredo Sauce
For the filling ✔ 1 peeled celery root, diced ✔ 1 peeled parsley root, diced ✔ Medium sweet potatoes, cubed
✔ 2 leeks, washed thoroughly, thinly sliced ✔ 200 gr. Parmesan cheese ✔ 200 gr. salted ricotta
For the sauce ✔ Basket of champignon mushrooms, quartered ✔ 2 cloves garlic, finely sliced ✔ 250 ml. cream ✔ Salt ✔ White pepper ✔ Pinch nutmeg ✔ Olive oil
To prepare the filling: Cook the root vegetables in a pot of salted boiling water until soft. Drain, puree the vegetables in a food processor; season with salt and pepper and let cool. Add the cheeses and stir.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and process in a pasta machine or roll out by hand on a floured surface to a thickness of 2.5 mm. Cut the ravioli with a ring or a glass. Add 1 Tbsp. of filling to each piece and fold and press the edges until well sealed.
Fill a large pot with water. Add a little oil and salt. Bring to a boil.
When the water is boiling, drop the ravioliinto the water and cook about 5 minutes.
When the ravioli float to the surface, they are ready.
To prepare the sauce: Fry the garlic slices in a little olive oil until golden. Add the mushrooms and sauté until half done. Add the cream and bring to a simmer. Season with salt, pepper and a little nutmeg. Place the ravioli in the sauce. Continue cooking for 2 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly. Serve.
Mushroom filling in tomato sauce
For the filling ✔ Handful fresh wild mushrooms, finely chopped (use the Tekoa mixed bag of dried mushrooms for risotto or soup) ✔ 1 basket of champignon mushrooms, finely chopped ✔ 2 Portobello mushrooms, finely chopped ✔ ¼ cup white wine ✔ 2 sprigs thyme ✔ 150 gr. ricotta cheese ✔ 2 cloves of garlic, crushed ✔ Olive oil
For the sauce✔ 4 ripe tomatoes, crushed (you can use canned crushed tomatoes) ✔ 5 ripe cherry tomatoes, halved ✔ 4 cloves garlic, finely sliced ✔ Olive oil ✔ Handful fresh basil leaves ✔ Salt ✔ Pepper Sauté the mushrooms in a skillet with a little olive oil.
 If using dried mushrooms, prepare according to instructions, drain and chop.
Add the garlic, thyme and white wine and cook until sauce is reduced.
Season with salt and pepper to taste and let cool. Add the ricotta and mix well.
To prepare the sauce: Sauté garlic slices in olive oil until golden. Add the cherry tomatoes and continue cooking for 2 minutes.
Add the crushed tomatoes and cook for half an hour on low heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. While the sauce is cooking, prepare the ravioli.
Roll out the dough in a pasta machine to a thickness of 2.5 mm. Cut circles. Place the filling in the center. Fold the ravioli in half and twist the two ends of the pasta together with the tips of the fingers. Boil 1 liter of water with 2 heaping Tbsp. of salt. Cook the ravioli until they float. Drain and add the ravioli to the sauce. Cook a few minutes until sauce is reduced and thickens. Serve with fresh chopped basil.
Veal Cheek, Beef and Root Vege Table Filling in Bolognese Sauce
For the filling ✔ 300 gr. veal cheek, coarsely diced ✔ 2 carrots, sliced into rings ✔ 2 celery roots, diced ✔ 1 white onion, finely chopped ✔ 2 handfuls celery leaves, finely chopped ✔ 1 leek, finely chopped ✔ 1 glass red wine ✔ 2 sprigs fresh thyme ✔ 4 Tbsp. olive oil ✔ ½ cup water ✔ Salt and pepper to taste
For the sauce ✔ 300 gr. lean beef, ground ✔ 3 ripe tomatoes, chopped ✔ 1 leek, chopped ✔ 1 white onion, finely chopped ✔ 2 carrots, diced ✔ 1 celery root, cut into small cubes ✔ 1 glass red wine ✔ 4 Tbsp. olive oil ✔ 2 cloves garlic, finely sliced ✔ Salt ✔ Ground black pepper In a saucepan with a little olive oil, sauté onion until golden. Add the meat and continue cooking a few minutes. Add all the vegetables and cook for 6-7 minutes.
Add the thyme, red wine and half a cup of water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 75 minutes. Let cool, transfer to a bowl, chop the cooked meat and vegetables. Roll out the pasta dough to 2 mm. thick. Cut circles and place 1 Tbsp. of the filling on each circle of dough. Fold in half in the shape of a crescent and press firmly.
To prepare the sauce: Sauté onion in olive oil until golden. Add the ground beef and cook until crumbly. Add the vegetables and sauté for 6-7 minutes. Add the red wine, tomatoes and sliced garlic and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper, lower heat and simmer for about 40 minutes until the sauce is thick and rich.
Cook the ravioli in boiling water until they float (about 5 minutes). Serve the ravioli in a deep dish with about 3-4 heaping Tbsp. of the sauce.
Recipes and photos courtesy of Marco, 39 Gordon Street, Tel Aviv, (03) 529-1775. Open Sunday to Saturday, 8 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Not kosher.
That warm filling (Anatoly Michaelo)
That warm filling (Anatoly Michaelo)