Apples & Thyme - Tallarines con Tuco de Carne

I don’t remember much of my childhood, but I do remember that I absolutely adored spending time with my “abuela” (that’s grandmother in Spanish). While most kids preferred to spend their time outside with a soccer ball (how boring and absolutely hideous, I still have an intense phobia of sports to this day), I much preferred to stay inside, watching and assisting my abuela prepare food for the family lunches we enjoyed every Sunday.

It would be true to say my Argentine born, paternal grandmother, Marta (pictured holding me above), influenced me most when it came to food and cooking. My appreciation of fresh pasta dishes is a direct result of observing her prepare various types of fresh pasta (click here for Mikes instructions on preparing fresh egg pasta). Canelones, lazañas, ñoquis a la crema, ravioles and tallarines are South American/Spanish names for the Italian dishes popular in Argentina and Uruguay. All of these dishes are sauced with a tomato flavoured sauce known as “tuco” (“tocco” is the Italian version).
Abuela Marta is the expert of traditional style pastas in my family, and luckily for me, she recently sent me a handwritten notebook containing recipes for many of the dishes she cooked for our family lunches. One trick I learned from watching her, all those years ago (which I have never seen in any Italian cookbook) is to combine the freshly boiled and drained pasta with butter, Pecorino cheese (or Parmesan cheese) and the sauce in a baking dish. The baking dish is then placed into a gentle oven for a few minutes, just enough time to fuse the pasta and sauce. This simple but important step acts by unifying all the flavours of the dish, and bringing all the elements together harmoniously.

For this month’s Apples & Thyme (hosted by Jeni at The Passionate Palate & Inge at Vanielje Kitchen) I’ve chosen to write about this particular dish, not because it unique in anyway, but because I feel that slow, family dishes such as these have gone out of fashion. I’ve never seen a recipe similar to my grandmother’s style of meat sauce. Pasta sauces nowadays tend to be either made with minced meat and tomatoes (like Bolognese or ragú) or a meatless, rustic tomato number (like Napoletana or Pizzaiola). I’m not saying one is better than the other, but sometimes it’s good to honour the past and remember how good those old, traditional dishes are. My grandmother’s version is fantastic, not only because the meat is cooked with the sauce thus lending its flavours to the sauce, but also because you get two separate courses- slow cooked tender meat, followed by the sauced, baked pasta.
If you like, you can substitute a large piece of beef (topside or silverside) instead of chicken. My abuela stuffs the beef with whole garlic cloves and herbs. Once tender, the meat is sliced thinly and enjoyed with a simple salad (dressed with a red wine vinegar dressing) and crusty bread.

Components
Olive oil
I kilo chicken leg portions (free range or corn fed) or beef (as described above)
½ red onion, very finely chopped
½ red pepper, very finely chopped
1 small carrot, peeled and very finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 dried chili, finely crumbled
1 tbsp thyme, finely chopped
1 tsp dried oregano (I like Greek oregano)
1 bay leaf
1 tsp Spanish sweet paprika (not smoked)
150ml wine (white or rose)
2 x 400g tins Italian tomatoes (chopped and mashed with a fork)
2 tbsp concentrated tomato puree
500ml chicken stock
1 tsp sugar
Sea salt
Fresh black pepper
Freshly prepared pasta, cut into thin noodles (300g tipo 00 flour and 3 free range eggs)
Melted butter
Pecorino cheese, freshly grated

Process
Heat a splash of oil in a large saucepan and lightly brown the chicken portions. If you are using a piece of beef, brown it on all sides.
Remove the meat to a plate and set aside.
Add the onion, red pepper, carrot, garlic, herbs and chili to the saucepan and gook gently for about 15 minutes or until lightly coloured.
Add the paprika and stir about for a few seconds.
Add the wine, followed by the tomatoes, puree and stock.
Add the sugar, and season lightly with salt and pepper.
Return the meat to the sauce. Simmer until the chicken is just falling from the bones (about 1 hour) or until the beef is tender (about 2 hours). The sauce should remain fairly liquid but concentrated in flavour. At this stage you can leave the meat in the sauce until you are ready to eat.
Heat the oven to 180c and gently re-heat the meat and sauce.
Boil your pasta until just cooked (literally seconds for noodles).
Drain the pasta and combine with melted butter, cheese and enough sauce to coat the noodles in a baking dish.
Place in the oven for 5 minutes and eat immediately. Any left over sauce can be spooned over individual portions, along with more cheese.
I like to serve the chicken or beef, after eating the pasta.
Enough for 4 generous serves.

Rigatoni with Pinenuts, Raisins, Ricotta & Tomato

Years ago, when I was managing a well-known Melbourne café, I worked with a Aussie-Italian chef. This was one of the more unusual dishes she did for the menu. The chef who was responsible for this dish was of Sicilian descent and apparently the combination of flavours is common over there. Dried fruits, honey, pine nuts and ricotta are characteristic ingredients in Sicilian cuisine, and not just for the desserts! I think in my collection of regional Italian cookery books, I’ve got a recipe for pasta with cocoa and sugar, too.
I wouldn’t usually make a dish like this during winter, but the weather has been so unseasonably warm that I’ve been inspired to look ahead to the coming summer (as much as I dislike the heat). And besides, I love the weird and wonderful combination of the sweet honey and fruits with ricotta, tomato and crunchy pine nuts. I serve this pasta with a simple salad so as to not overwhelm the palate with too many flavours.

Components
200g rigatoni
½ brown onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
Olive oil for sautéing and tossing the pasta
400g tinned Italian tomatoes, crushed
Fresh basil, oregano or parsley
I tablespoon honey
30g pine nuts, lightly browned.
30g raisins (or currants or sultanas)
Freshly grated Pecorino cheese
Ricotta, broken up into chunks
Sea salt
Black pepper

Process
Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil and sauté the onion and garlic until softened (about 10 minutes). Add the tomatoes and chosen herbs. Simmer for 20 minutes or until saucy. You may need to add water if the sauce becomes too thick. Depending on the flavour of the tomatoes, I sometimes add 1 tsp of sugar. Season with salt and pepper.
While the sauce is cooking, bring a pot of salted water to the boil and cook your pasta until al dente.
Combine together the pine nuts, raisins and honey.
Warm the ricotta chunks in the tomato sauce for a few moments.
Toss the pasta with the sauce and ricotta. Stir through the pine nut and raisin mixture (you may like to use more or else). If you have are using fresh basil, toss through some of that too.
Serve straight away with freshly grated Pecorino cheese. Serves 2.

Speedy Ragu

My favorite dish to cook and eat is Ragu alla Bolognese. I adore this rich meat sauce but there are times when I simply don’t have the time to make it. So, rather than deny myself the ultimate comfort meal, I have devised a shortcut recipe, which delivers all of the flavors that one expects from a classic ragu.
In this version, the sauce will be ready in 40 minutes rather than two hours. The secret is to use dried porcini mushrooms. This magic ingredient provides a savory depth of flavor, which mimics that of a long and slow stew. The mushrooms are chopped finely, so as the creamy sauce simmers away, they melt, imparting a deep earthy fragrance.
Porcini are notorious for harboring dirt. It is of great importance to inspect and rinse each piece of mushroom separately under a running tap. I once ordered “tagliatelle con porcini” in a restaurant, and much to my disappointment I was presented with a plate of dirty pasta. Literally! There is also the chance of finding insect larvae. I have encountered these vile tiny pests only once, and unfortunately the only solution here is to discard them
Porcini range in price, per kilo, from around AU$170 for trimmings, to AU$500 for meaty slices. For this recipe the cheaper trimmings are fine.

Ingredients
30g dried porcini
500ml stock (fake is fine)
15g butter
1-2 tbsp olive oil
100g pancetta, finely chopped
20g red onion, finely chopped
20g carrot, finely chopped
20g celery, finely chopped
200g minced veal
200g minced pork
5 chicken livers, cleaned and finely chopped
125ml white wine
Freshly grated nutmeg
Sea salt
Fresh black pepper
125ml tomato passata
125 ml cream (35% milk fat)
1 fresh bay leaf
5ml balsamic vinegar
Freshly grated parmagiano or grana

Method
Soak the porcini with enough boiling water to just cover. Allow the mushroom slices to soften for about 15 minutes and then drain. Strain the soaking liquid through a layer of paper napkin. Reserve the strained liquid. Inspect the mushroom pieces for insect infestation and rinse each piece thoroughly under a running tap to remove dirt. Chop the porcini finely.
Over a low heat, sauté the pancetta, onion, carrot and celery for 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Turn up the heat and add the veal, pork and livers. Cook the meat for a few minutes, until it loses the raw pink color. Do not brown.
Add the wine, nutmeg, tomato, cream, bay leaf and porcini liquid. Simmer for 30 minutes..
Turn of the heat and add salt, pepper and the balsamic vinegar. Finish with a sprinkling of cheese, melting it into the sauce.
Toss with tagliatelle or a short pasta such as orrechiette. Makes enough for about 400g of pasta asciutta.

Taglierini al Pomodoro (Food of the Angels)

It would only be natural to follow up yesterdays post with a recipe for fresh ”taglierini”. There is so much drama written about making fresh pasta, but the simple truth is that it is easy and a child could do it. In fact I helped my grandmother do it every Sunday of my childhood. Perhaps that is why it is not daunting to me. But lets face it, you mix flour and eggs, knead for a few minutes and pass the dough through a machine that does all the hard work for you. Its not rocket science. A little time consuming, but worth the effort. My partner and I enjoy making fresh pasta together, and without trying to sound too corny, it is a bonding experience and gives us both a sense of satisfaction that only gorgeous food can provide.
There are many formulas for fresh pasta. Ideally you should use fine Italian “00” flour, which is milled especially for home made pasta. It is available from supermarkets and specialists food stores. (Tip- buy it from the supermarket, they charge half the price for exactly the same brand). Some recipes use whole eggs, while others egg yolk only. I have also seen recipes that use only egg whites. I have never tried the egg white only method, but I think I may as I currently have about 10,000 egg whites in the deep freeze!
My preferred formula is with egg yolks. I find it has a better flavour and texture, and looks a prettier shade of yellow (like blonde angels hair!).

Ingredients
200g fine Italian flour (Tipo “00”)
6 egg yolks (the absolute freshest and best eggs you can afford)

Method
Put the flour and egg yolks in a bowl. Mix until it comes together, to form a dough. If it seems a bit dry, add a bit of water. Or you can add more egg yolk. For this amount of flour, I have read you can add up to a total of 10 egg yolks. Obviously the more egg yolk you add the richer your pasta will be. And if it seems too sticky, add a bit more flour. Let your eyes and hands be the judge.
Knead the dough on a flat surface, until it is smooth, like a babies bottom (about 10 minutes) Wrap in cling film and allow to rest for 30 minutes in the fridge.
Remove the dough from the fridge. Cut it in half and keep the portion you are not using immediately wrapped in cling film to prevent it from drying out.
Clamp your pasta machine down to the bench and get someone to help you- one person can crank the handle and the other can feed the dough through the rollers.
Feed the dough through the thickest setting of the machine 10 times. Fold it into threes, each time, so it is easier to put through the machine. Add a bit of flour from time to time to prevent the dough from sticking.
Now you can reduce the machine settings and begin to thin out the dough. Don’t fold in threes this time though. You may need to cut the sheet in half as it gets longer and thinner, so it is easier to handle. I roll mine to the second last setting. Lay the pasta sheets on a well floured surface, and repeat the above rolling procedure with the remaining dough.
The pasta is ready to cut into “taglierini” once the edges have begun to dry a little. Trim the edges and ends of the dough with a sharp knife, so your pasta is nice and neat. Now feed it through the taglierini cutters (finer) or tagliatelle cutters (thicker). Roll the strands into little nests and leave them on a floured tea towel, until you are ready to cook.

Taglierini will only take 1 minute to cook in boiling water. Drain them and toss gently with butter and extra virgin olive. Serve this delicate pasta in a large serving dish dotted with tomato sugo and homemde ricotta . Sprinkle over basil leaves, parmagiano and black pepper. I like to keep all the elements whole and separate, rather than combined, so you can taste all the flavours individually and not mask the delicate nature of the fresh pasta. This is definitely food of the angels. This amount of pasta is enough for 2 people. The recipe can be easily multiplied.

Tagliatelle with Mushroom and Ham

Sometime during December, I was presented with a brand new pasta machine. I’m not quite sure for which celebration that was though. Was it my birthday, or Hanukah, Christmas, my partners and I anniversary or New Years Eve? Yes, they all fall in December, and for this reason, that month will remain a fuzzy memory of debauched acts. My brain cells have only just recovered…
As a child, I was more acquainted with fresh, homemade pasta than I was with the dry packet version. That’s not to say, one is better than the other. They are just different. Dry commercial pasta is sturdy and bold and combines well with aggressive flavours, like extra virgin olive oil. “Pasta fatta in casa” is lighter and more delicate, elegant but rustic at the same time. It needs little to bring out these beautiful qualities and I prefer it with simple butter based sauces, like the following:



Ingredients
150g mushrooms (wild or cultivated, whatever you can get)
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced or finely chopped
50g ham, chopped
60g unsalted butter
A slash of extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt
Fresh black pepper
Parsley, chopped
200g homemade tagliatelle
Fresh Parmesan

Method
Wipe the mushrooms clean and slice them 1cm thick.
Over a low heat, melt half the butter with the garlic and ham and a splash of olive oil. Cook gently for a couple of minutes. Do not allow the garlic to brown.
Throw in the mushrooms and cover the pan. Allow the mushrooms to braise gently in their own juices until cooked through. Mine took about 15 minutes, but that will depend on the type of mushroom you are using. Season well. Keep warm.
In the meantime, cook the tagliatelle in plenty of boiling, salted water until just al dente. Fresh, homemade pasta will take about 2 minutes.
Drain quickly and tip into the pan with the mushrooms.
Add the parsley and the rest of the butter and toss everything together.
Check for salt and pepper and serve immediately with Parmesan cheese.
A dish with honest flavours and exquisite textures. Serves 2.

Wild Pigeon Ragu

Last nights dinner was a moment of culinary perfection in my kitchen, and at my table. Eating food like this makes you realize why Italians love their food so much and, in my view, excuses their chauvinist behaviour. This is the best dish I have cooked all year.


Ingredients
2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive
1 wild squab pigeon (you can used farmed, of course)
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped (I used spring garlic)
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh sage
200 ml fortified wine (Sherry, Marsala, Madeira etc)
400g can Italian tomatoes, chopped
200ml reduced stock (I used pigeon)
Sugar
Sea salt
Fresh black Pepper

Method
Check around the wing joint for any stray plumage and remove with tweezers.
Chop of the head, if still attached. Wash the bird under running water, to remove all traces blood. Pat the pigeon dry with a kitchen towel.
Heat the oil in a saucepan and brown the bird lightly all over. This will only take a few minutes. Remove the bird to a plate.
Over a low heat, sauté the garlic and sage, just until the garlic turns white. Do not allow the garlic to colour in any way.
Deglaze the pan with your chosen wine and reduce until syrupy.
Add the tomatoes, stock and pigeon.
Add water until the bird is 2/3 submerged.
Cover the pot and simmer gently, turning the bird every 30 minutes or so, until the bird is tender and the leg pulls away easily from the body. Mine took 2 ½ hours to reach this point. The older the bird, the longer the cooking time. I do not mind in the slightest, being held hostage in the kitchen by these birds as they braise. It is well worth the end result. From time to time, you will need to add water to the pot to prevent the braising liquid reducing too quickly.
Allow to cool.
Remove all the meat from the bones. Discard the bones and skin.
Throw the meat back into the sauce. Season with salt and plenty of pepper. Add a touch of sugar to balance the acidity level, and reduce until you are satisfied with the depth of flavour and consistency.
Toss this divine sauce with the freshest and best quality tagliatelle and some butter. Serve with fresh Parmesan cheese.
This amount of sauce should be enough to coat about 300-400g fresh tagliatelle.

Pasta and Beans

Pasta e Fagioli is a traditional Italian soup with beans, pasta and salted pork. My tastebuds find this combo a bit too austere, so I like to fortify mine with tomatoes, sweet peppers and lots of herbs. Today, I am adding coriander because I have a bunch hanging around in the kitchen. But if you are a purist and the inclusion of this very non Italian herb offends, then just leave it out. It is nice though- it gives this soup a Mexican feel. Perhaps I should change the title to Fideos y Frijoles!

Ingredients
200g dried borlotti beans (or any type of bean)
100g bacon or prosciutto, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 red onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 dried red chilli, chopped
Fresh sage, rosemary and thyme, chopped
15 g butter
400g can Italian tomatoes, tomatoes
750ml stock (fake is fine)
Soup pasta (I do not bother to measure. Just add as much as you like)
1 tbsp of cream (35% milk fat)
Lots of fresh coriander, chopped roughly
A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt
Fresh black pepper.

Method
Soak the beans overnight in a bowl of water. The next day, drain away the liquid. Place the beans in a saucepan, cover with fresh water and bring to the boil.
Boil for one minute and then drain them again. Reserve the beans.
In a soup pot, sauté the bacon, garlic, onion, red pepper, chilli, herbs and the butter for about 20 minutes, or until softened.
Add the beans, stock and tomatoes with their juice.
Bring to the boil and simmer for 60 minutes.
Allow to cool a little and then puree one ladleful of the soup.
Bring back to the boil, add the pasta and cook until al dente.
Check the soup does not become too thick as the pasta cooks. This soup likes to stick to the bottom of the pot, so give it a stir every few minutes. Add some boiling water from time to time, keeping in mind the final result should be on the thick side.
Finish with the cream (the cream will soften the tomato. Add more if you think it needs it), coriander, salt and pepper.
Drizzle some olive oil into each bowl as you serve. This is good with some crusty bread.

Spagetti with Clams, Garlic Butter & Zucchini

There is one food that I am a total snob and completely fussy about and that is pasta. I must admit that I never order pasta when I eat out because past experiences have almost always been bad. There have been few exceptions to this, (mainly fine Italian restaurants) but these have been few over the years. These days I prefer to cook and eat pasta at home, where I am in control and I can cook it the way I like it.

These are a few points which I think are crucial to creating a good dish:

1. Pasta has to be cooked right. Soft pasta is revolting. It reminds me of food you would serve to an old man with no teeth. The whole point of pasta is the texture. Most cooking times on the packet are too long but not always. I find that taking about 2 minutes of the time specified works about right. But always check- the pasta should be firm, but not chalky to the bite. I can tell if pasta is overcooked just by looking at it. Try it this way. If you think its not cooked enough, your palate will adjust over time and you will realize that pasta isn’t simply a bland carrier for a meat sauce. Al dente pasta (firm pasta) will shine with the simplest of sauces because you haven’t robbed it of its texture.
   
2. As soon as the pasta is ready, drain it immediately. You need to work fast. Pasta keeps cooking as you dress it and if you are slow doing this the pasta will be overcooked by the time you get it to the table. Which is another good reason to cook it a bit firmer than most people are used to. When you drain the pasta in a colander, give it a few firm shakes leaving it a bit moist. If you drain it too dry, the pasta will absorb too much sauce. Put the pasta back into the saucepan you used to cook it and drizzle immediately with olive oil. Tossing it in olive oil will prevent the pasta from sticking together. It will glisten and remain separate, rather than a glutinous mass on the plate. Give it a good toss and then add the sauce. Sometimes it is better to add the pasta to the sauce (i.e aglio olio, vongole etc.)
   
3. Please don’t over sauce the pasta. Toss the pasta with just enough sauce to cling to it. It shouldn’t be swimming in sauce and there should be more pasta than sauce. As I serve the pasta I like to top each dish with a spoonful of sauce. Check for salt before serving, as under seasoned pasta is vile.
   
4. And a final point- Parmesan cheese doesn’t go with all pasta dishes. I don’t like it with oily sauces (it interrupt the slipperiness) or sauces where chilli is a prominent flavour (Parmesan cheese and chilli clash. Pecorino may be a better option here).
   
   

Ingredients
200 g long thin pasta (spaghetti, linguine etc)
100g tiniest zucchini you can find (mine where 5cm long)
1 garlic clove, crushed but whole
2 parsley sprigs
Vegetable oil for deep frying
300g clams
40g butter
40ml extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped (extra)
Lots of coarsely chopped parsley
Salt
Fresh white pepper

Method
Heat the vegetable oil in a small saucepan with the whole garlic clove and the parsley sprigs. Do this over a medium heat, rather than a high heat. That way the oil heats evenly. You don’t need a huge quantity of oil. The amount of zucchini is small, so as long as they are submerged it will be fine.
When the oil is hot, discard the garlic and parsley and add the whole zucchini (including the flowers, if they are still attached).
Fry until golden brown. This will only take a few minutes. Drain them on a paper towel and set them aside.
Bring a large pot of water to the boil.
While the water is heating, very gently cook the chopped garlic in the butter and olive oil. Watch the garlic doesn’t burn.
When the water has boiled, salt it well and add your pasta. Cook it as described above.
Now turn the heat up a bit in the pan with the garlic, add your clams and cover. The clams are ready as soon as they open. This will take only a few minutes.
Turn the heat off. If you have timed this right the clams should be ready waiting for the pasta.
Add the drained pasta and the zucchini to the pan and toss it all about. Check the seasoning and add plenty of parsley. Serves 2. And please, no cheese here.

Heart Attack on a Plate

You may have noticed this recipe here before. I am re-posting it today with some changes to the method.This is my most favourite thing in the world to cook and eat. But it must be made with love and the best ingredients. It must also be made full of fat and cream because this is the nature of the dish. It is loaded with reduced cream and salted pork fat. I only use one third of the fat used in the original recipe, and it is still very rich. You will feel like a fat pig the next day, but it is worth it as the flavour and texture of the sauce is divine. Salted pork fat is difficult to find. If unavailable substitute pancetta but use 250 g to make up for flavour and richness.
Don’t even bother making a low fat version of this. You will be missing the point. I have tried and it was not at all satisfying. This is what I call heart attack food!

Ingredients
125ml 35% fat cream, reduced for a few minutes until thick and yellow
100 g salted pork fat, blanched for 3 minutes, and then very finely chopped
1 carrot, very finely chopped
1 celery stalk, very finely chopped (use the paler stalks from the center of the bunch)
1 red onion, very finely chopped
500 g minced meat(beef, pork or veal)
125 ml wine (red or white, depending on the type of meat you are using)
30g tomato paste
250 ml stock(fake if you like, but real is better)
250 ml full fat milk (I use unhomogenized, organic)
Black pepper, from the grinder

Method
Sauté the pork fat and vegetables gently in a deep saucepan. Some of the fat will melt and turn translucent. The vegetables will soften and begin to caramelise. This should take about 30 minutes.
Now add your chosen meat and sauté, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon. Do not brown any of the above ingredients. You want the flavours to be gentle. This is supposed to be a graceful sauce. Fat, but graceful.
Add your wine and reduce until not much is left.
Then add the stock, tomato paste and grindings of black pepper.
Reduce the heat to very low and simmer for around 1 hour.
From time to time add a couple of spoonfuls of milk to keep it moist.
The end result should be pinky brown, pale & glossy. Definitely not red. If its red, you have used too much tomato. You should barely be able to taste tomato in the finished sauce.
Toss with al dente tagliatelle and serve with some greens tossed in butter. Or just a green salad. And good Italian bread.

Tonight im serving this with salad leaves tossed with Balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

Although this is not traditional you may add very small amounts of herbs (in a bouquet garni) and aromatic spices:

• With beef, try cinnamon and parsley.
• Rosemary, and sage go with pork.
• Veal works with parsley, rosemary and sage. When I use rosemary, I only use the woody stalks without the leaves and discard it before serving.

Enjoy this dish. Tomorrow you may regret it, but you have been warned…..

Sprinkle with freshly grated Parmagiano or Grana Padano at the table.

Potato & Basil Ravioli

In hindsight, I think my happiest childhood memories are the ones I have of my grandmother. There isn’t much I actually recall of my childhood but I do remember making fresh pasta with her. As a child, this was definitely better than playing outside with the other kids. If I wasn’t helping then I was watching her for hours as she prepared delicious foods for the family. Every Sunday, we ate fresh pasta- tagliarni, tagliatelle, ravioli, cannelloni, or sometimes lasagne. The stuffed pasta was almost always filled with spinach, ricotta and meat. And was dressed with tomato sugo in which chicken or beef had been simmered until tender. The meat was served as a separate course. My grandmother made everything from scratch and as a child, I guess she just seemed like some sort of kitchen goddess (thanks Nigella).Not much has changed with me. I know what I would like to be doing (even on a nice day) and that’s cooking beautiful food. I made these yesterday. I found stuffing the pasta to be relaxing and very satisfying. But I don’t think I would attempt this for a crowd of people. My grandmother may be a goddess in that respect, so I leave that up to her. Cooking fiddly food for many people makes me very nervous indeed. But when making this for 2, it isn’t very involved or too time consuming. You can prepare them in advance and cook them when you are ready. And please do not be tempted to drown these in tomato sauce. You will kill the subtle flavours. All they need is a green, peppery olive oil and some parmesan cheese.

Ingredients
200g red skinned potatoes, whole and unpeeled
200g ricotta
10 g fresh basil leaves, finely chopped.
Fresh black pepper
Fresh white pepper
Salt
Extra virgin olive oil
Wonton wrappers (from asian food stores)
Freshly grated parmesan cheese

Preparing the filling
Start by steaming the potatoes, over boiling water until they are tender. About 30 minutes should do it.
In the meantime fork the ricotta in a bowl. Add to it the basil. The basil is crucial in this dish. Think of it as a main ingredient rather than a flavouring. You need plenty. I guess you could add as little or as much as you like but keep in mind that the potatoes and the ricotta are both bland and the basil offers a wonderful fragrant taste.
When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel them and then mash.
Add to the ricotta and season well with plenty of salt and both peppers. Once again, be generous with the seasoning and then finish it off with a splash of olive oil. You can make this filling as coarse or as smooth as you like. Mine was fairly smooth.
Allow to cool.

Assembling the ravioli
You will need 2 wonton wrappers per ravioli.
Place one wrapper on your work surface and with your finger wet the edges. Place one teaspoon of the filling in the center. Cover over with the second wrapper and using your hands press the edges together, expelling any air at the same time.
Using a fluted pastry wheel, trim the edges. If you don’t have a pastry wheel, just trim the edges with a knife. The finished parcel will be a 7 cm square, but you can make them any size. The smaller they are, the less filling you need.
Place them on a tea towel dusted with flour. I make 10 of these per person.

Cooking the ravioli
Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Add salt to the water and a splash of oil.
You may need to cook these in batches, depending on how many there are and how big your pot is. If that is the case, preheat your oven to the lowest setting. Boil the ravioli for about 1 minute once the water returns to the boil.
Lift them out with a perforated skimmer (do not pour them into a strainer) and tip them into an oiled ovenproof dish and keep warm in the oven whilst you cook the rest of the ravioli. Repeat as above until all are cooked.
Serve on individual flat plates, drizzled with olive oil and with sprinkles of pepper and parmesan cheese.
Note-If you are making this for 2 people you will definitely have left over filling and wrappers. Both freeze well.