Pasta I Heart You

Thank you to: My well Heeled Host!

Cheese Ravioli with Cherry Tomato Sauce

For optimum flavor, seek out vine-ripened cherry tomatoes and fresh basil at your local farmers’ market to create the simple sauce for these cheese ravioli.

Ingredients:

3/4 oz. grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1 cup ricotta cheese

3/4 oz. grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1 tsp. minced fresh thyme

1/3 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

1/2 tsp. minced lemon zest

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

1 egg, separated

1 batch classic fresh pasta, rolled out 1/16 inch thick (see related

recipe at left)

Semolina flour for sprinkling

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 Tbs. minced garlic

1 pint assorted cherry tomatoes, stemmed and halved

2 Tbs. thinly sliced fresh basil

In a bowl, stir together the ricotta, Parmigiano-Reggiano, thyme, parsley, lemon zest, salt, pepper and egg yolk. Put the egg white in a small bowl.

Using a 3-inch biscuit cutter, cut out rounds from the pasta sheets, spacing them as close together as possible; you should have at least 36 rounds.

Lay half the pasta rounds on a clean work surface and brush off any excess semolina flour. Using a pastry brush, brush the edges of the rounds with the egg white, then place a heaping 1 tsp. filling in the center. Top each with a plain pasta round and seal with your fingertips, pressing out any air bubbles. If desired, crimp the edges of the ravioli with the tines of a fork. Place the ravioli in a single layer on a baking sheet sprinkled with semolina flour.

In a large sauté pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and sauté, stirring occasionally, until they begin to blister and brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, reduce the heat to low and keep the sauce warm.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the ravioli and simmer until tender, about 12 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the ravioli to the sauce, add the basil and stir to coat evenly. Serve immediately. Makes about 18 ravioli; serves 4.

Preheat an oven to 350°F.

In a bowl, stir together the ricotta cheese, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, egg, salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

In a large sauté pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the sausage and cook, stirring and crumbling with a fork, until lightly browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage to a colander set over a bowl and let drain, then transfer the sausage to a clean bowl.

Add the mushrooms to the sauté pan, increase the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Transfer the mushrooms to the bowl with the sausage, add the parsley and stir to combine.

Spread 1 cup of the pasta sauce on the bottom of a large baking dish.

To start the layering process, cover the sauce with one-fourth of the lasagna noodles in a single layer. Spread one-third of the ricotta mixture over the noodles. Spread 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese over the ricotta mixture. Pour 1 cup of the sauce over the mozzarella. Sprinkle one-third of the sausage mixture over the sauce. Repeat the layering twice, finishing with a layer of sauce. Then top with a final layer of noodles and 1 cup of the sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella. Cover and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake until the lasagna is golden and bubbling, about 30 minutes more. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.