If you’re ambitious and experimental, making your own ravioli is the way to go. You can make any sort of filling, with whatever you happen to have available. This recipe was really using the last of the last of what I had as far as groceries for the week. I had saved some pasta dough from the other day - I had made 2 servings (2 eggs and 2 cups semolina) but it was plenty for that day’s dish, as well as 20-24 ravioli. The ravioli dough is rolled out super thin, so it goes a long way. We use our Atlas pasta maker, which makes making sheets of dough really easy. I had a can of pumpkin open  - I had made a pumpkin bread loaf (add $1.69 to the grocery total) for some friends, and had about 1/3 cup left. I had also bought some ricotta this week at TJ’s. I wanted to bring more fall into our house and paired sage and toasted hazelnuts with the pumpkin flavor. It was great! You can also use wonton wrappers like we did for the mushroom ravioli if you don’t want to make your own pasta dough, or if you don’t have time, it’s a great way to get custom pasta flavors. Here’s what we did:

Makes 2-4 servings - depending on how hungry you are

Pasta Dough, rolled out into rectangles (or something like a rectangle) about a dime thick

Filling:

1/3 cup pumpkin - from the can, like you would use for pumpkin pie

1/2 cup ricotta

1 teaspoon fresh chopped sage

3-4 tablespoons fresh grated parm

salt and pepper to taste

1. Combine in a small bowl. Use a teaspoon to drop onto the bottom of the first sheet of pasta dough, about 1-2 inches apart. Using your finger, brush water in between the drops of filling. Carefully lay the second sheet of pasta dough on top, and sealing the ravioli (the water keeps the pasta sticking together) trying to get all the air out of pockets. With a ravioli cutter or just a paring knife, cut the raviolis and place on a pan with plenty of flour and let dry for about 2 hours. Note: if you find a lot of air in your ravioli, poke it with a fork and try to press out the air as much as possible.

2. Heat oven to 300F. Place 1/2 cup raw hazelnuts on a cookie sheet and toast for about 5-7 minutes, until they’re really fragrant. Rub off the brown skin as much as possible, then coarsely chop or run through a food processor.

3. Heat a large pot of salted boiling water and add ravioli. Cook for about 4-6 minutes, until they float to the top then carefully remove with a slotted spoon (they may be too fragile to dump into a colander, so it’s best to use a slotted spoon). Put on a serving plate and cover with foil to keep warm.

Sauce;

4. Heat a stick of butter in a saucepan for about 3 minutes until starting to brown. Add 1 tablespoon torn sage leaves and let fry. Salt and Pepper to taste.

5. Pour butter sauce over ravioli, toss with toasted hazelnuts, and grate fresh parm on top.

I was so inspired by my pasta class last weekend, I couldn’t let a week go by without testing out my new handmade pasta knowledge. One of my favorite pastas we made was with semolina flour ( I had always used all purpose) and translated into English, is badly cut pasta, or irregular pasta. It’s chunky, hearty, organic, and has a great hand touch feel and look. If I were making pasta for a party I wouldn’t send it through the perfect pasta press, I’d hand cut it, it’s like making each person their own dish of pasta by hand. I also tried my hand at Swiss Chard, which I’d never used before. I bought the pretty multicolored bunch, and it was a bit limp when I bought it, but I blanched it, then cooked it in a sauce for a bit, and it was fine. I wouldn’t buy this every week this season, but it was a nice colorful change. When cooking chard, cut the stalks from the leaves, as they cook for different times. Here’s my recipe for a hearty homemade fall dinner:

Pasta:

1 egg to 1 cup semolina flour ( I use the Jamie Oliver rule of 1 egg/person - so I made 2 servings)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Mix flour and salt together in a large bowl. Then make a well in the center to drop the eggs in.

2. Break egg(s) into the bowl and begin mixing with a fork. Keep working in the eggs, and if you need, add some water if the dough is not coming together or is too mealy. Once its doughy, turn it onto a floured surface and continue kneading until the dough is soft and has elasticity. The more you knead, the more gluten is released and the stronger your pasta is, and can withstand boiling and tossing.

3. Roll the dough into a sheet with a rolling pin (I like my old school wooden rolling pin - and it doesn’t stick). Make sure you keep the dough floured (with semolina) so it doesn’t stick to the work surface. Roll it out until it’s even, about 2 quarters thick. Cut length ways into 1/4 -1/2 inch noodles, or however you like. Set aside, and sprinkle with plenty of flour so they don’t stick together.

4. Bring large pot of salted water to a boil, and cook pasta for about 4-5 minutes, but make sure it’s al dente. Reserve a mug of pasta water. Drain and return to pot. Add a little pasta water so they don’t stick while you’re making the sauce.

Swiss Chard:

1. Cut stalks from leaves, removing any browned stems or leaves. Soak both in a cold water bath to remove any dirt or grit.

2. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to boil, and drop in stalks first for about 3 minutes, then cook with leaves for an additional minute. Drain.

Sauce:

4 Tablespoons butter

1 clove of garlic minced

1 glass white wine (I used a sweet German Riesling)

olive oil

1. In same saucepan as the chard, heat oil and butter, then add garlic over medium low heat. Let the garlic sauté for a couple minutes, but don’t brown it.

2. Add chard and sauté for a couple minutes. Add wine and let simmer and the alcohol cook off for a few minutes. It’s going to smell great.

3. Season with salt and pepper, and add sauce with chard to pasta pot. Toss and add more reserved pasta water if desired (I felt there was plenty of sauce with the wine added)

Serve with grated parm on top. Buon Appetito!

Here is the wonderful homemade pasta Johnathan made last night -I did the sauce though. The recipe from Bon Appétit instructs you to make a pasta with flour and olive oil, but Johnathan has perfected his own pasta with eggs from Jamie Oliver, so we went with what worked for us. Make sure you get the pasta thin enough, some of our pieces were a bit thick. The sauce was really sweet, as it was made with farmer’s market cherry tomatoes. This dish was good, but it was no edamame ravioli, so for all the effort, I’ll make that, or just use a jar of sauce - I’m partial to Newman’s Own….. There is also no menu for this week, or next. I’ll be going to Honolulu for a conference ( I know, it’s tough….) and then on to San Francisco with Johnathan, who is out there working for the week. I’ve scouted some farmer’s markets and restaurants, and my week in Cali is packed - Honolulu is a bit lacking on the gourmet side, but you bet I’ll be writing about the great drive-ins and dives. So stay tuned for some unusual posts, and when I get back I’ll be guest writing on Jamati.com about African cooking - another learning experience! Aloha and happy end of summer!

From the Alcatraz Ferry