Sweet Potato Ravioli

Saturday 14 January

We had some sweet potatoes sitting around from markets previous, and also the tail end of a can of pumpkin that our cat-sitter had left us from her weekend here.  The solution seemed to be to stuff a set of ravioli.

We based the filling on Lidia Bastianich's Cappellacci di zucca, cut by a third, and adapted for what we had.  There are a lot of other opinions on the perfect recipe out there, which you can read if you want the amusement, and to practice your Italian.

Our actual procedure was:

1 lb. sweet potato and a mite of leftover canned pumpkin

olive oil

Enough maple-hazelnut biscotti  (which Holt made for Joanna and Ian's wedding) to make 1/3 cup crumbs.  These would normally be amaretti crumbs.

1/4 cup grated parmesan

pinch of grated nutmeg

2 teaspoons lemon zest

salt

Cut the sweet potato into chunks, toss with a mite of olive oil, and bake on a tray in a 350º oven until tender and a bit wizened but not browned, maybe 40 mins.  Let cool, and start grinding up in the robot-coupe: the biscotti, parmesan, and sweet potato.  Mix in nutmeg and lemon zest.  Taste, add salt if needed, and set aside.

Mix up a batch of fresh pasta in the robot coupe, according to Beard on Pasta:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose, unbleached flour

Pinch of salt

2 whole large eggs at room temperature

1 tablespoon oil.

Add the flour and salt to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Process to blend, then add the eggs and oil through the feed tube. Continue to process until the dough begins to form a ball. If the dough is too sticky, add a tablespoon or two of flour. If it's too dry, add a tiny amount of water. Process only until it forms a ball.

Turn the dough from the food processor out onto a floured board. Dust your hands with flour, and knead by hand for about 5 minutes. Make a ball and then slightly flatten it. Wrap it in plastic wrap, and let it rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes - an hour is better.

Cut rested dough into four parts; roll first with rolling pin on a floured board, then roll out in the pasta roller from levels 1 to 5 - we only did it to 4 this time, so it was a mite thick.  Fit into the ravioli press, fill with the zucca filling - should make 2-3 sets - and cover and press.  We made 2 1/2 sets or 30 ravioli, and there was still a ramekin of filling left over.  Boil in abundant boiling water until they rise to the surface, and nibble an end to make sure the pasta's done.

We served the ravioli with sage butter, made by toasting some fresh chiffonaded sage leaves in melted butter; and sprinkled with Malden sea salt.

We were so full and happy that dessert had to wait until later: Michael Clarke's preserved pears topped with biscotti crumbs.