Laminated Wild Mushroom Ravioli with Parmesan Sauce

There are few things more satisfying in life than eating a delicious bowl of fresh pasta – even more so if you’ve made, rolled and filled it yourself.

You need little equipment; a worktop, a rolling pin, a sharp knife and lots of elbow grease. A pasta machine will make life easier, particularly if you’re making thin sheets for ravioli. Never do I make pasta dough in a food processor.  Placing the ingredients on a work surface and making it by hand is all part of the enjoyment and you get a much better idea of the texture of the dough.

I particularly like wild mushrooms as a filling for ravioli, a blend works well.  If you struggle to get hold of them, dried are always available.  If this is the case I would use chestnut mushrooms and mix with a few dried, reconstituted ones. They’ll add so much flavour.

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Laminated Wild Mushroom Ravioli with Parmesan Sauce

Serves 8 as a starter, 4-6 as a main course.

Prep Time1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Cook Time25 minutes mins

Resting time1 hour hr

Course: Lunch/Dinner

Cuisine: Italian

Equipment

• Pasta machine, rolling pin, pastry (5.5cm) or ravioli cutter.

Ingredients

Pasta dough

• 400 g OO Flour
• 4 large eggs
• 2 ½ tbls Olive oil
• Fresh parsley leaves
• Young, soft thyme leaves (if they’re woody they will break the pasta dough)
• Edible petals I used marigolds
• fine semolina flour for dusting

Filling

• 550 g wild mushrooms or 30g bag dried wild mushrooms + 520g chestnut mushrooms, finely chopped
• 1½ butter
• 1 tsp plain flour
• 2 banana shallots finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1 sprig thyme
• 2 tbls chopped parsley
• 2 tbls mascarpone
• 2 tbls double cream
• 3 tbls Parmesan freshly grated
• salt and pepper to season

Sauce

• 175 ml chicken or vegetable stock add in some of the dried mushroom liquor if using
• 30 g butter
• 25 g grated parmesan extra to sprinkle on the pasta

Instructions

• Place the flour on a work surface, make a well in the middle and add the eggs and olive oil, with your fingers or a fork slowly mix together the flour and eggs to form a smooth dough. You need to really work at this, knead for several minutes. This will result in a much smoother dough.  Wrap and let rest for one hour.
• In the meantime make the filling. (If you’re using dried mushroom, place them in a bowl and cover with freshly boiled water. Leave for 15 minutes). Drain the mushrooms, keeping the liquor, chop.
 In a large pan melt the butter and add the garlic, shallots and thyme, saute for 3-5 minutes without colour. Add the chestnut mushrooms and wild mushrooms, increase the heat and cook for 5-8 minutes or until all the liquid has evaporated and it starts to catch at the bottom of the pan. Add the flour and stir, now add the double cream and mascarpone. Cook on a medium heat for several minutes to cook out the flour. Make sure the mixture isn't too wet, cook for a little longer if it is. Add the grated parmesan and season with salt and pepper. Add the parsley and stir. Remove the sprig of thyme. Place into a bowl to cool. (it must be cold before using).
• Now cut the dough into 8 even sized pieces. Wrap 6 and leave 2 to work with. Dust with semolina flour or OO flour and roll one piece of dough on the widest setting (No.1) fold into 3. Give it a quarter turn and pass it through the machine again. Repeat this 4-5 times so the gluten in the pasta is thoroughly worked. Then move up to No 2, roll several times, then move to No 3, repeat. Repeat with the second piece. When you have 2 pieces the same thickness and size, place them on the work surface. On one sheet add parsley and thyme leaves and edible petals if using. Now place the second sheet on the top and roll gently with a rolling pin. Now turn the pasta roller back to No 2 and roll the sheet through several times. Then move up to No 3, then 4, and finally 5. You now have the required thickens for the ravioli. Now place a teaspoon of the filling at equal distance from each other, brush with a little water, then fold over. Cup with your hand to remove any air. Cut with a pastry or ravioli cutter, Sprinkle with a little fine semolina. Repeat with the other sheets and fill.
• Have a large saucepan filled with boiling salted water at the ready. Add the ravioli and simmer for 3-5 minutes, until al dente.
• Meanwhile, in a large pan melt the butter and add the stock, simmer for 2- 3 minute.  Add the ravioli, parmesan a couple of tablespoons of pasta water, and toss to cover and coat the ravioli. Continue to cook for 30 seconds.  Serve immediately with freshly grated parmesan cheese.  Enjoy!

Notes

*Substitute the Parmesan with a mature cheddar if you’re vegetarian.

Tips:

• Of course the recipe works just as well without the inclusion of the herbs & petals.
• Make sure the mushroom mixture isn’t too wet, if it is the ravioli will stick on the underside.
• Use soft herbs such as flat leaf parsley, young thyme, tarragon and basil.
• Edible petals are also pretty.  Use marigolds, cornflowers and dandelion.
• The dough will keep in the fridge, wrapped well for up to 5 days.