Herbed Ricotta Ravioli with Chanterelle Marsala Sauce

Herbed Ricotta Ravioli with Chanterelle Marsala Sauce
Makes 16 large Ravioli

Pasta Dough: Filling: Sauce:
Make the Pasta Dough:

Sift together the flour and salt to form a mound on the work table. Make a well in the middle of the flour mound and break the eggs into the well. Gently stir the eggs with a fork, slowly starting to incorporate the flour as you mix. When the mixture becomes too stiff to stir, use your hands to knead the dough until all the flour is incorporated and the dough is smooth and uniform. Add more flour if the dough is sticky. Wrap the dough in plastic and allow it to rest at room temperature while you make the filling.

Make the Filling:
Heat a large skillet over high heat until hot. Add the olive oil and then the mushrooms and sauté over high heat until they are well browned. Add the shallot and garlic and reduce the heat to medium high, cooking for two minutes more. Remove the pan from the heat and let the mushroom mixture cool to room temperature. In a large bowl combine the parsley, tarragon, ricotta and Parmigiano Reggiano. Add the cooled mushroom mixture and mix until uniform. Season the filling to taste with salt and pepper. Whisk together the egg and water until uniform and set aside until you’re ready to assemble the ravioli.

Make the Ravioli:
Remove pasta from the plastic wrap and knead it for 5 minutes on a lightly floured work table. Cut the pasta into 4 pieces and roll the pieces into balls. Let the pasta dough rest for 5 minutes. Take one of the pasta dough balls and flatten it enough to fit in the largest setting of the pasta roller. Roll the dough through the pasta roller at progressively lower settings until it is the desired thickness (setting 6-7 on Atlas pasta machine). Lay one pasta sheet on a floured work surface a and place 8 large spoonfuls of filling, evenly spaced, on the dough. Brush the entire outside edge of the pasta sheet and in between each filling mound with egg wash. Place another pasta sheet on top of the filling and press all around the edges and in between the filling mounds to seal the ravioli. Cut the ravioli apart with a pizza, pastry cutter or a sharp knife. Place the ravioli on a floured baking sheet until you are ready to cook them. Repeat the filling and sealing process with the remaining pasta sheets and filling.

To cook the ravioli, fill a large, deep pot two-thirds full of water and place on high heat. Prepare the sauce while the water comes to a boil.

Make the Sauce:
Heat a large skillet over high heat until hot. Add the olive oil and then the mushrooms and cook over high heat until the mushrooms are golden brown. Reduce the heat to medium high and add the shallot and garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more. Add the marsala (be careful, it might flame up) and simmer until it is reduced by half. Add the stock and cream and simmer until it is thickened enough to coat the pasta. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste and hold on low heat until you have cooked the pasta.

Cook the Pasta and finish the dish:
When the water has reached a boil, add a generous amount of salt to it. Drop the ravioli in the simmering water. Don’t crowd the pot or the ravioli will stick together. Stir them gently with a slotted spoon until the pasta is cooked, about 4 to 8 minutes depending on the pasta’s thickness. Remove the cooked ravioli with a slotted spoon and arrange in a serving bowl. Spoon the hot sauce over the top and serve immediately.