Spinach Ravioli with Mushroom Cream

Fresh Ravioli are not at all difficult to prepare and your guests never need to know that! The combination of Spinach and Mushrooms and Buttery Cream is classic and can be served as an appetizer, a pasta course or as a main course dish. And the variations possible by adding some type of seafood, poultry or meat are almost endless. (I’ll make some suggestions in the Tips and Trending section at the end of the recipe.)

If a dish like this is on the menu, I usually order it as soon as I see it just because I need to taste it. Seriously, I can tell by this one dish how good the rest of the meal is going to be and if you’re dining out with me, you will be in on the tasting too. If the dish is good, we’ll know we can order anything else that sounds appealing and be completely happy. If it’s one of those extra special “OMG!” versions, we’ll probably all be ordering at least one more portion.


Spinach Ravioli with Mushroom Cream
Yield: 24 Ravioli      Preparation Time: 20 Minutes      Cooking Time: 20 Minutes


Ingredients

• ½ Pound Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese

• ½ Cup Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• ⅛ Teaspoon Grated Nutmeg

• 1½ Teaspoons Kosher Salt

• 1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• 10 Ounces of Fresh Spinach, cooked, well drained and finely chopped

• 12 Ounce Package of 3”x3” Wonton Wrappers
• 2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter

• 4 Cloves Roasted Garlic, mashed

• ½ Teaspoon Dried Sage or 1 Teaspoon Fresh, chopped

• ¼ Cup Sweet Onion, diced
• 8 Ounces Baby Portobello Mushrooms, cleaned and sliced about ¼” thick
• 1 Tablespoon Madeira Wine

• 1 Cup Heavy Cream


Preparation Steps

Step 1. In a small bowl, mix the Ricotta, Egg, Cream, Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, Nutmeg, 1 teaspoon Salt and ½ teaspoon Black Pepper together until blended. Stir in the cooked Spinach. Set aside.



Step 2. Lay out half of the Wonton Wrappers and put 1 teaspoon of the filling in the center of each Wrapper. Use your finger to wet the edges of the wrappers and lay another wrapper on top of each.  Press down on the edges with a fork to seal and put the assembled raviolis on a baking sheet, lightly dusted with flour. Avoid stacking the raviolis. Cover loosely with a clean linen towel while you prepare the sauce.


Step 3. While preparing the sauce, bring a Dutch oven with four quarts of generously salted water to a boil.

Step 4. Melt Butter in a large sauté pan over low heat. Stir in the Roasted Garlic, Sage and diced Onion and cook until the Onions wilt.

Step 5. Add the Mushrooms to the Onions and cook for 5 minutes until they release their liquid and begin to relax. Stir in the Madeira Wine and cook until the liquid is reduced by half.

Step 6. Add the Cream in a steady stream while stirring constantly but do not allow the sauce to simmer. When the sauce has heated through and reached a smooth consistency, remove from heat and stir in the remaining ½ teaspoon Black Pepper and ½ teaspoon Salt. Cover and set aside.

Step 7. Slip the raviolis into the boiling water a few at a time. Cook for 2 or 3 minutes until the raviolis start to float. Remove the cooked raviolis to a baking sheet lightly greased with Olive Oil until all are cooked.

Serve by coating a serving plate with a bit of the Mushroom Cream, place the Raviolis on top of this layer and pour the remaining sauce on top.


Tips and Trending

~ I do like to use some prepared foods to give me more time to devote to other parts of a dish that might need more attention. Prepared wonton wrappers make great raviolis if you don’t have the time to make fresh pasta.

~ This dish is great served just as is, but never being one to leave well enough alone, here are some of my favorite additions:

Marinate a couple of prawns per serving in ¼ cup of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of smashed roasted garlic and ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper for 30 minutes, then quickly sauté the shrimp in the marinade before adding to the plate with the raviolis. 

Generously season a pork tenderloin with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper and grill it over a hot grill to char the outside and leave the center at medium-rare. Slice into medallions and serve with the ravioli.