Artisan Pasta Making Class
Amy and Robbie
February 1, 2015
Aperitif: Fennel Sausage and Fontina Crostini
2011 Beechwood Inn Viognier
Salad: Local Organic Micro-Greens, House-Made Pickles,
Aged Balsamic-Shallot Dressing and Extra Virgin Olive Oil
House-made Spinach Ravioli Filled with Mascarpone, Parmesan and Ricotta
Fresh Heirloom Tomato Sauce with Basil Chiffonade
Sour Dough Bread with Spring Ridge Creamery Butter
2010 Beechwood Inn Cabernet Sauvignon
Dessert: Raspberry and Rose Petal Sorbet
Fresh Brewed Coffee and Herb Teas
Fennel Sausage Crostini with Fontina
1/2 pound local ground pork sausage
1 teaspoon fennel seed, coarsely ground
1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme (or other
herbs such as sage or oregano)
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 ounces grated Fontina
Salt
24 slices baguette, cut into 3/8 inch wide serving pieces (we also use local organic herb bread cut into 3
inch pieces).
Preheat an oven to 350°F. Heat Sauté pan and toast fennel seeds over medium heat for about 3 minutes
until fragrant. Run the seeds through an herb grinder or mash them with a mortar and pestle. Crumble
the sausage in a bowl. Add the grated Fontina cheese, fennel seeds, parsley, red pepper flakes and salt
to taste (the local sausage we get from Blaylocks is seasoned already so we omit the salt and red pepper
flakes). Place about one tablespoon of sausage onto each baguette, distributing evenly with your thumb.
Spread the sausage mixture out to the edge of the bread as the sausage will shrink as it cooks. Try to
make sure you use the same thickness of sausage on each baguette so that all the Crostini cook evenly.
Place Crostini in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in the oven until golden and crispy, about 12
minutes. For a variation you can use different cheeses such as parmesan or gorgonzola. Another
variation is to use ground lamb instead of pork sausage.
Citrus Scented Garlic-Shallot Vinaigrette
Ingredients for the Garlic Shallot Vinaigrette:
2 tablespoons diced shallots
1 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon orange marmalade
1/4 cup aged vinegar high quality vinegar
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
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Place the aged vinegar and marmalade in a small bowl and stir to mix. Slowly drizzle the olive oil while
stirring with a whisk to emulsify the oil. Add the mustard, shallots, salt, pepper and garlic and stir again
to mix.
Spinach Ravioli with Tomatoes and Basil
Homemade ravioli is a fantastic special occasion treat. It is a lovely platform for your creative filling ideas
and it always comes out tasting wonderful. Pasta-making aficionados consider it therapeutic, relaxing,
calming, meditative, deeply satisfying, even sensual. There is undeniable culinary romance in the idea of
fresh pasta.
Filling:
6 oz ricotta
6 oz mascarpone
½ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
1 egg
2 egg yolks
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Add the ricotta, mascarpone, Parmigiano, whole egg, yolks, garlic and mint and stir together until well
mixed. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Place in the refrigerator until needed.
Tomato Sauce:
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
5 cloves whole garlic, peeled and crushed with the side of a knife
2 1/2 pounds tomatoes, about 4 cups, peeled, seeded and chopped, fresh or canned
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 inch sprig of fresh rosemary, leaves finely chopped
1 cup grated Parmagiano Reggiano
20 large basil leaves, cut into thin strips
For the sauce, warm the olive oil in a sauce pan over medium high heat. Add the garlic and cook stirring
frequently, until light golden, about 3 minutes. Remove the garlic with a slotted spoon and discard.
Reduce the heat to medium low; add the tomatoes and rosemary cook until nice and thick, about 2
hours for canned tomatoes and perhaps 3 hours for fresh tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper.
Spinach Pasta Dough
1/2 pound spinach stems removed
1 egg yolk
1 whole egg
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
Flour for rolling
Place the spinach, egg yolks and the whole egg in a blender and process until it is completely smooth. It
should measure approximately 1 cup. Place flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt on the work surface and make a
well in the center. Add the spinach mixture into the well. Using a fork or your thumb and first finger,
bring the flour in from the sides until the mixture thickens. If you run out of spinach mixture, add an
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additional 1 to 2 tablespoons of water as needed until the dough holds together in a ball. Then use a
pastry scraper to incorporate the remaining flour. The dough should be fairly dry but still hold together.
Turn the dough out onto a well-floured work surface and knead the dough for 2 to 3 minutes by forming
it into a ball. Knead it until it is smooth, kneading in additional flour if it sticks to your fingers or to the
work surface. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes.
Alternately this can be made in the food processor. If you are using this method, add 1 to 2 tablespoons
less of the spinach mixture and process until it looks crumbly in texture. Wrap the dough in plastic and
let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes, in the refrigerator for 1 day or in the freezer for 1 month.
This recipe makes about 1 pound pasta, enough for 40 to 45 ravioli.
Assembling Ravioli: Divide the pasta dough into 3 pieces. With pasta machine on thickest setting roll the
pasta dough through a couple of times to knead-it. Set the pasta machine for the next thinner setting
and run it through again. Roll the pasta through thinner settings until the piece of pasta is about 1/16
inch thick, or so you can almost see your hand through it. Place the piece of pasta on a floured surface.
Place one heaping tablespoon of the filling just below the center of the sheet. Place another heaping
tablespoon 1 ½ inches away. Continue all the way down the sheet. Each sheet should hold
approximately 10 mounds of filling. Spray a very light mist of water around the edges or use a pastry
brush to brush lightly with water. Fold the top over the filling to meet at the other side. With your
fingers, go around the filling to seal the ravioli. With a zigzag cutter cut to form square and place on a
baking sheet lined with towels and dusted heavily with flour. Repeat with the remaining two pieces.
In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the ravioli and cook
until al dente, approximately 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and toss with the butter. Place the ravioli on a platter
and spoon the tomato sauce over the top. Sprinkle with the grated Parmigianino and basil and serve
immediately. Makes about 40 – 45 ravioli and serves 6 – 8 as a main course.
Raspberry Rose Petal Sorbet
2 cups fresh raspberries
½ cup sugar
1 tsp cup fresh squeezed lime juice
½ teaspoon Guar Gum
2 tablespoons rose petal water
Run the raspberries through a Vita Prep until liquefied. Pass the juice through a fine mesh screen while
scraping with a spoon. Heat the juice in a sauce pan with the sugar until dissolved. Add the rose petal
water and lime juice. Transfer the juice to a container and refrigerate until cold. Put the ingredients in an
ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer instructions. Put in sealed container in the
freezer to harden for 2 hours or over-night. Serve with thin slices of organic rose petals as a garnish.
Authors Note: How to Make Your own Rosewater: Use aromatic roses. Pick freshly opened flowers in
the early morning or in the cool part of the day. Make sure they have not been sprayed with pesticides.
Detach the petals and place them in a bowl or strainer and rinse well. When detaching rose petals, pull
gently as they bruise easily. Fill a pot with clean rose petals. Pour boiling water over and cover with a lid.
Allow to stand. Place the cooled mixture in the refrigerator overnight. Strain. You'll have a beautifully
colored liquid that you can use in recipes that call for the addition of rosewater. Pour leftover liquid into
ice cube trays and freeze. Store ice cubes in a plastic bag for future use. Thaw the cubes each time you
need rose-flavored liquid.
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