Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Peas forgive me

It’s been awhile, a long, long while. I don’t even look at this blog anymore, so I don’t know how or why I expect my friends, let along people I don’t even know, to do so. The reasons why I abandoned the better bitter blonde for a time aren’t nearly good enough, so I won’t waste your time listing them. Instead, I’m asking for a favor: Peas forgive me.

Baby Pea & Pesto Ravioli

½ bag frozen baby peas, thawed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch scallions, chopped
1 wineglass dry white wine
½ tub of ricotta cheese (approx. 4 oz)
1 handful fresh parsley, chopped
1 handful pinenuts, toasted and chopped
2 heaping tablespoons prepared pesto, plus more for sauce
1 handful Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
Olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste
Wonton wrappers

Put a large pot of water on to boil.

Sauté the garlic and green onion in olive oil until soft. Add the peas and roll them around in the garlicky goodness for a moment, before adding the wine. Simmer, and season with salt and pepper. The goal is to have tender peas that hold their shape, but “mush” when pressed upon.

Meanwhile, mix ricotta, parsley, parmesan, pesto, half the pinenuts, salt & pepper in a bowl. Once the right consistency, fish the peas out of the skillet, add to the bowl and combine gently.

Next, begin the ravioli assembly line! Lay the wonton wrappers out, making sure to have a small bowl of water nearby to help “seal” them closed. Place a small spoonful of filling into the center of the wrapper, dip your finger into the bowl and run it along two adjacent sides of the wrapper. Fold the wrapper over to form a triangle and then smooth it out, being sure to squeeze out any air bubbles. (I like to cup my hand around the filling on both sides and then gently drag my hands out towards the edges.) You can use a pasta cutter along the edges if you like a more decorative look.

Once assembled, toss the ravioli into your boiling water – the pasta is done when it floats to the top, about 3 minutes. To serve, mix leftover pesto with a ladle full of reserved pasta water, remaining pinenuts and another handful of thawed peas if you have any left over. Serve with Parmesan and black pepper.

Serves two really hungry souls, with just enough left over to freeze for a snack at a later date.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Our peas-ure to forgive... Great recipe. Keep 'em coming!

Acme Instant Food said...

DON'T do it again. Blogging eyes are watching you...

(We're happy to have ya back)

Ulla said...

I made this, it was SO good! thanks for the recipe:)

Anonymous said...

We would like to feature this recipe on our blog. Please email sophiekiblogger@gmail.com if interested. Thanks :)

Anonymous said...

Looks like a good recipe to me. I might do this one for my hus-bo if he deserves it. Then I'll try to add this to my regular list of pasta recipes.