Arugula and Goat Cheese Ravioli and Revolutionary Road
This was my very first attempt at making ravioli, I wanted something as classic as the character’s lives may seem on the outside and a simple comfort food to ease through the drama in this stunning movie based on the crumbling reality of the American Dream. Revolutionary Road is one of those films I really love because visually every scene is a perfect photograph. The outstanding acting, art direction and styling, as you can see from the image below, takes you right into their world no matter how good or bad it may be. Love it or hate it, the pasta is to die for.
- Arugula and Goat Cheese Ravioli
- by: Gourmet
Ingredients:
- 1 Package of fresh pasta dough squares
- For filling
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 lb arugula, trimmed
- 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh lemon zest
- 1/2 cup soft mild goat cheese (4 1/2 oz)
- 1/2 cup ricotta (preferably fresh; 4 1/2 oz)
- For sauce
- 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup pine nuts (1 1/2 oz)
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup chopped arugula
- *this meal cost $12 and could feed 4 people
For the filling:
Heat butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides, then add garlic, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic begins to turn golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Add arugula and zest and cook, turning with tongs, until arugula is wilted, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer arugula mixture to a fine-mesh sieve and press with back of a wooden spoon to extract excess liquid, then finely chop. *I used a coffee filter
Stir together arugula mixture and cheeses in a bowl.
I used pre-made pasta dough squares to save time which I laid out in batches to fill and seal on the cutting board.
Take about 1/2 a spoon full of the filling mixture and drop in the center of each square. With a pastry brush (an artist brush in my case) or your fingers, paint a whisked egg wash around the dough’s border to act as a sealant when you push the two pieces of dough together forming the ravioli.
Press down firmly but gently around each mound, forcing out air. (Air pockets increase the chance that ravioli will break during cooking.)
We then used a fork to press around the sealed borders as decoration, I think it makes it look very rustic and exciting (yes, I get excited about crimped edges..)
For the sauce:
Heat butter in cleaned 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides, then cook pine nuts, stirring frequently, until pale golden, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, pepper, and salt and cook, stirring frequently, until garlic begins to turn golden, about 2 minutes. Add lemon juice and oil, swirling skillet to combine, and remove from heat. (Leave sauce in skillet.)
Bring a 6- to 8-quart pot of salted water to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to a gentle boil. While water is heating, reheat sauce over low heat if necessary.
Add half of ravioli to gently boiling water, carefully stirring to separate, and cook, adjusting heat to keep at a gentle boil, until pasta is just tender, 2 to 3 minutes (*ravioli will float). Lift cooked ravioli with a slotted spoon, draining well over pot, then transfer to skillet with sauce and gently swirl skillet to coat pasta. Transfer ravioli to a platter with half of sauce and sprinkle evenly with half of chopped fresh arugula. Repeat with remaining pasta, sauce, and arugula.