Ravioli as Nature Intended
Created | Updated May 26, 2013
Ravioli as nature intended
One of the striking features of modernity is the gulf between people and the origin of their food. It is saddening when people think apples grow in polystyrene six-packs, or that fish are born in oblong cans. It must be the job of the diligent food writer to address this ignorance. Today, I want to speak about ravioli.
Ravioli (plural, singular 'raviolo') are the mature seed-pods of Raviolus raviolanum, a relative of the walnut tree, which grows next to prodigiously hot vents deep on the sea bed. Due to the connection of all the underground pipes, they frequently surface in the vicinity of Vesuvius, Etna and Stromboli, where they are gathered by foragers. In this way, they have become a popular delicacy in Italy.
Now, it's not very often I'll say this. But owing to the hellish temperatures involved, true ravioli is unsuitable for home cultivation, so it is best to purchase it from the supermarket.
But read on, dear reader, and Auntie will show you how to make a tasty and eminently serviceable ravioli stand-in in the comfort of your own cozy kitchen.
Ingredients:
- 400g flour
- 4 eggs
Pour all these into a blender, and give them a spin for 2-3 minutes. The result should look like a jug full of breadcrumbs.
When that's ready, you'll need to give them a knead for a few minutes. Stretch, fold, refold, repeat, until they start to join together and form a lovely, stretchy dough.
Cover this with a damp tea towel, and leave to rest for about fifteen minutes. This time is best spent with a glass of wine and the 1812 Overture on the radio, as there is a known affinity between Tchaikovsky and pasta.
Now you'll need to roll it out. Do this in a few smaller lumps - it's much easier than trying to roll the whole thing out at once!
You'll really want this to be as thin as you can get it, without it falling apart. It stops the end product from being too stodgy.
The Filling
For the filling, you can let your imagination go wild. Raviolus raviolanum, in the wild, is very sensitive to changes in mineral content in the seas. The flavour can vary just as much as that in any two fine wines. Your fillings can run the whole spectrum to reflect this. Standard fillings include minced beef, or ricotta cheese. But I have tried a few others with great response from the other ladies in the Ivanhoe Circle.
Why not try:
- Salmon and scallop
- Ricotta and walnut
- Pumpkin and sage
- Cheese and mushroom?
There is one point it is worth stressing. The filling in ravioli should form a lovely, velvety paste which you can press luxuriously against the roof of your mouth. So harder ingredients, like walnuts, should be well-ground first. Gritty is not what we want here! Also, sometimes with sauce, less is more. Why not try just a drizzle of oil, maybe a sprinkle of grated cheese, and let your pasta speak for itself? It already has all that flavour on the inside!
The best part of this is that, once your ravioli are ready, they only take 2-3 minutes in boiling water to make a hearty dinner!
