Ingredients
- 12 ounce sheep's or cow's milk ricotta, drained in a colander for at least 1 hour
- 1 cup grated pecorino romano, plus a bit more for topping
- 10 tablespoon cold butter, cut into small pieces
- 2 teaspoon finely minced shallots
- 1 pound wild mushrooms, such as honshimeiji, (whole) or shiitake (whole caps, or sliced if large), morels (split), or chanterelles (split, or sliced if large) as a substitute, stems trimmed, washed and dried well on kitchen towels
- 2 cup washed and coarsely chopped bibb or boston lettuce
- 2 tablespoon water
Preparation
Baking Directions:
1.Prepare the pasta according to the master recipe, but using the ingredients given above.
After the dough has rested, roll it out, either by hand or machine as finely as you possibly can.
Have the dough cut into long, equal-sized rectangles, and keep the rectangles covered with a damp cloth while you work.
2.Combine the ricotta and pecorino in a food processor and process until smooth.
Add the salt to taste, black pepper, and half the mint and blend until well-combined.
Adjust the seasoning.
Spoon the filling into a piping bag if available, and reserve in the refrigerator.
3.Have ready 2 round, (not ruffle-edged) ravioli cutters, one with a diameter of 2-inches, the other 1 and three-quarter -inches.
Very important: you will be using the non-cutting, or rounded side of the ravioli cutters on the dough! Use a kitchen towel or glove to protect your hand when you press down on the cutting side.
With the larger of the cutters, lightly mark one sheet of the dough at even intervals to denote where the filling will go.
Remember to use the rounded, reverse side of the cutter, and do not cut through the dough completely at this point.
Pipe or spoon about 1 and one-half teaspoons of the ricotta filling onto each of the circles described on the dough until all the circles you have marked are filled.
Carefully place a second sheet of dough onto the first one, and align the edges.
Using the smaller of the cutters, again, rounded side down, position the cutter so that the mound of ricotta is centered in it, and press the ring down around the mound, fusing the top and bottom layers of dough Since you are not using the cutting edge, it may take a moment to press and very gently shift the round, edgeless raviolini away from the sheet of dough, but be patient.
Repeat the process for all the mounds of ricotta and then lift the dough scrap away from the closed raviolini As you complete one sheet of dough, carefully slide or place the raviolini onto a cookie sheet that you have sprinkled liberally with semolina or cornmeal.
Continue the process until all the sheets have been finished.
Refrigerate the raviolini if you intend to use them that day.
If not, pack them carefully (not touching one another) and freeze them for up to 2 weeks.
4.Bring one gallon of water to a boil in a large saucepan, and add two tablespoons of kosher or sea salt.
Over medium-high heat, melt about 2 tablespoons of the butter in a skillet large enough to hold all the raviolini.
Add the minced shallots and cook until they have softened, without any color at all.
Add the mushrooms to the pan, and cook, stirring often with a wooden spoon or heat-resistant spatula, until they have begun to soften.
Add the lettuce to the pan and allow it to wilt, stirring occasionally.
Seaon the contents of the pan with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, and pour in the wine.
Bring to a boil and allow most, but not all of the wine to evaporate.
Add the water, and begin adding the remaining butter, piece by piece while constantly stirring, until you have finished all the butter.
Do not allow the sauce to come to a hard boil at this point.
If the sauce seems like it is "breaking", or the butter is not holding together, add a small amount of boiling water to bring it back.
Stir in the remaining mint and adjust the seasoning.
Add the raviolini to the boiling water and cook them for 45 seconds to one minute.
They should float to the top of the pot.
Note that if you have frozen the raviolini, I recommend that you do not defrost them before cooking.
Rather, place them for 20 seconds in a microwave oven to defrost the filling, then cook them for about one minute in the boiling water.
Carefully drain the raviolini (you might want to cook them in a basket that lifts straight out of the cooking water) and add them to the pan with the butter sauce.
Warm the pan over medium heat, then serve the raviolini on a heated platter, topped with extra Pecorino cheese if you like.
