Crab Ravioli With Lemon Cream Sauce
There was absolutely no question that this week's CorkPopper recipe had to involve fresh pasta. Even more than the famous Argentinian beef, J and I fell in love with the delicate, handmade pasta we found at so many of the restaurants we visited, especially the ravioli (which they sometimes call sorrentini). Argentina, you see, experienced a large influx of Italian immigrants in the 19th and 20th centuries, and (at least according to Wikipedia) around 60% of Argentina's population have some degree of Italian descent. What this means, of course, is not only delicious pasta and ice cream but also that yours truly, a non-Spanish speaker who once lived in Italy, actually understood the Argentine Spanish accent better than some Spanish-speakers do at first. Ha! So, back in Los Angeles and in need of a recipe for this week's CorkPopper dinner, J and I came up with the following recipe for crab and ricotta ravioli with a light cream sauce. The sweetness of the crab and delicate flavor of the ricotta are sure to pair nicely with the Dona Paula Tupungato Sauvignon Blanc, and the cream sauce lends just enough weight to make the dish satisfying and comforting on a nice January evening. Yummmmm.....
Total Steps
27
Ingredients
13
Tools Needed
11
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 0.5 pounds lump crab meat
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 3 large shallots, minced
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Freshly ground pepper
- Sea salt
- 2.5 cups heavy cream, room temperature
- 0.5 cup fresh lemon juice
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 cups Parmiggiano, grated
- 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
- 1 pinch nutmeg
Instructions
Step 1
Put about 2 cups all-purpose flour in a mixing bowl.
Step 2
Slowly add ice cold water, combining thoroughly before adding more.
Step 3
Once the dough is soft but not mushy, stop adding water.
Step 4
Roll the dough into a ball, put it back in the bowl, cover with a kitchen towel, and place it in the fridge to set.
Step 5
While the dough is chilling, heat about a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
Step 6
Add the shallots to the skillet and saute until translucent.
Step 7
Remove shallots from heat and allow to cool.
Step 8
Dry the crab meat of any excess liquid.
Step 9
Make the ravioli filling by combining the crab meat and ricotta cheese, breaking up any extra large pieces of crab as necessary.
Step 10
Add the cooled shallots to the filling mixture and season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
Step 11
Cover the filling and refrigerate until ready to assemble the ravioli.
Step 12
Heat a large pot of salted water.
Step 13
Take a palm-sized amount of dough and roll it out to about 1/8 inch thick using a pasta roller or a rolling pin.
Step 14
Dust your work surface with flour to prevent the dough from sticking.
Step 15
Place small dollops of the filling a few inches from the edge of the rolled-out dough, spaced appropriately for ravioli.
Step 16
Fold the dough over the filling, taking care not to trap any air inside (this prevents the ravioli from exploding in the water).
Step 17
Press the edges of the ravioli together with your fingers and cut the dough with a knife or a ravioli cutter.
Step 18
Once all the ravioli are made, gently place them into the boiling water.
Step 19
Ensure the heat is turned down so the water is at a gentle simmer, not a rolling boil.
Step 20
Once the ravioli rise to the surface, they are cooked.
Step 21
While the pasta is cooking, in a heavy large skillet over medium heat, stir 2 cups of the heavy cream and the fresh lemon juice to blend.
Step 22
Add the unsalted butter and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter melts.
Step 23
Remove the skillet from the heat.
Step 24
Add the remaining heavy cream and the grated Parmiggiano to the sauce, along with the finely grated lemon zest, nutmeg, sea salt, and freshly ground pepper.
Step 25
Stir over low heat until the sauce thickens slightly.
Step 26
As the ravioli finish cooking, gently remove them from the water with a slotted spoon and add them directly to the sauce to coat.
Step 27
Transfer the coated ravioli to pasta bowls or deep plates and garnish with fresh basil leaves and lemon zest for color.