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Friday, April 23, 2010

Asparagus, pancetta and ricotta ravioli

asparagus-pancetta-ravioli (3)

I love making fresh pasta. I've got both pasta attachments for the Kitchenaid stand mixer which let me make everything from lasagne to rigatoni. Some days, I just don't feel like going to the difficulty, so I've found that wonton wrappers are a quick and easy substitute when making fresh ravioli. They're thin, which is just what I like for ravioli - it allows the flavors in the filling to shine through. And it's easy to experiment with different fillings - one of our favorites is prosciutto and sage. I've also made mushroom, plain cheese and plenty of others. This past weekend I decided on asparagus and pancetta - with cheese of course!

Asparagus and pancetta ravioli

1/3 cup diced pancetta
1/2 cup diced asparagus (see note)
1 cup whole milk ricotta
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup fresh grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Salt and pepper to taste
About 20-25 wonton wrappers

Note: For the asparagus.Trim the ends, then bundle the stalks together and thinly slice from the bottom - this way you can reserve the tops for another use.

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In a small pan, brown the pancetta. Remove to a plate lined with a paper towel to drain.

Bring a small pan of salted water to a boil, Blanch the asparagus for about 2-3 minutes. Run under cold water and let drain.

In a bowl, combine the ricotta, egg, parmesan, cooled pancetta, asparagus and salt and pepper to taste.

asparagus-pancetta-ravioli

Lay out the wonton wrappers on a lightly floured surface. Top each with a bit of the filling. Rub a bit of water around the edges, then fold over to seal. You can make these a few hours ahead, but dust them with flour and cover loosely with plastic wrap.

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When ready to serve, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Gently add the ravioli (the wonton skins are very tender!). Let boil for a few minutes - the ravioli will rise to the top. Give them about a minute or two after tehy've risen. Scoop them out into serving plates. Top with your favorite sauce, olive oil, or anything you choose!

asparagus-pancetta-ravioli (4)

To make this a complete meal (which means meat for my husband), I sauteed some veal scallopine in a little butter and olive oil. I also browned some extra pancetta and blanched the asparagus tops. Before serving, I heated the pancetta and asparagus together in a pan with a little butter and olive oil. I poured this over the ravioli and topped with the veal and some fresh grated Parm. Delish!

11 comments:

Gourmande in Osaka said...

That's a great and fresh idea for ravioli.

Liv Wan said...

wow....Asparagus, pancetta and ricotta!!
This combination just sounds superb!

Diary of a Smart Black Woman said...

I never thought to use wontons for homemade ravioli. That's a fabulous idea. These look so good. Thanks for sharing!

Ms. F said...

I love the ease of wonton wrappers. It's fantastic that you found a way to use the entire asparagus, I find that so often the ends go to waste.

kathy gori said...

how lovely. I agree wonton wrappers cure a variety of ills! I can't wait to try this.

Anonymous said...

Lovely recipe, I never have much success with wonton. coincidentally, I have also just made ravioli but ravioli have proven to be far too tender for ravioli, IMO. They are very wonderful fried though.

Anonymous said...

I mean wonton skins hahaha

Petes said...

Beautiful! Can't wait to try it out love the combo of ingredients

Mo said...

I just found you on Foodbuzz. Love your site so far!

And I totally agree about the wonton wrappers... such time-savers. :)

Nova Walsh said...

Wow! Beautiful! I'd love to try these ravioli. And I know exactly what you mean by making it a complete meal - my husband is the same way :)

BakingWithoutABox said...

Wonton wrappers! Ingenious. My Sicilian New York hubby will love this. Pasta really wasn't on my list of upbringing foods being from the south. Always looking for alternative ways to make the Italian dishes.

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