Recipe - Eggplant Ravioli

1 pound Basic egg pasta see recipe
below

INGREDIENTS
1 pound Eggplant
Salt to taste
1 teaspoon Butter
1 teaspoon Olive oil
2 Cloves garlic, finely
chopped
1 small Onion, finely chopped
2 Mediumsized ripe tomatoes
8 Basil leaves
One fourth cup Goat cheese
3 tablespoon Butter
4 Sprigs parsley, finely
chopped
PASTA ALL'UOVO BASIC EGG
PASTA:
1 One half cup Extra fine durum semolina
flour
2 Eggs

Source: Umberto at Sugarplums

FILLING (Eggplant)

Serves: 4 as a main course 8 l0 as an appetizer

Peel and slice the eggplant, sprinkle with salt and place in a colander.
Leave for 1 hour to draw out the bitter juices. Rinse and dry. Finely chop
and set aside.

Heat the butter and oil over medium heat in a mediumsized saucepan. Add
the garlic and onion and fry for a few minutes. Blanch the tomatoes in a
pot of rapidly boiling water for 20 seconds, then plunge into a pot of cold
water to stop the cooking. Peel, seed and chop the tomatoes into 1 inch/2.5
cm pieces. Add to the garlic and onion together with the basil. Cook for
about
15 minutes.

Add the eggplant and cook until the mixture reaches the consistency of a
thick paste. Mix in the goat cheese. Set aside.

RAVIOLI (eggplant filled): Using a rolling pin, roll out the egg pasta
dough on a floured surface into a sheet as thin as possible without
breaking the dough. Cut the sheet into two 6 inch x 12 inch/15 cm x 30 cm
pieces. Set one piece aside and cover it with a wet towel. Using a knife,
mark the remaining sheet in 2 inch/5cm squares, making 18 squares. Drop the
eggplant mixture by the teaspoonful in the centre of each square. Brush the
edges of the sheet with water, then place the second sheet over the filled
sheet. Press down the edges to seal. Using a rolling cutter, cut the
ravioli into 18 squares.

Dust a baking sheet with flour and place the individual ravioli on it. Let
them dry for 1 hour before cooking. Cook the ravioli in plenty of boiling
salted water for 5 minutes. Melt 3 tbsp./45 ml butter in sauce pan. Drain
the pasta and transfer to a warm serving platter. Pour the melted butter
over the ravioli and garnish with parsley.

SERVES 4 as a main course 8 to 10 as an appetizer course

PASTA ALL'UOVO (Basic egg pasta):

Source: Umberto at Sugarplums

Place the flour on a pastry board or in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in
the centre of the flour and crack the eggs into the well. Using a fork,
beat the eggs, drawing the flour into the eggs a little at time. If other
ingredients are called for in your recipe, they may be added at this time.

When the dough begins to hold together and the eggs are completely absorbed
into the flour, it is ready to be kneaded. If you are using a bowl, move
the dough onto a flat surface. Flour your hands lightly. Work the dough
with your hands until it forms a bal. Discard any bits of flour or dough
that have not been absorbed into the dough. Knead for 5 minutes, pulling
the dough towards you and then pressing it away from you with the heels of
your hands, rotating the dough a quarter turn between each fold. You may
have to add a little bit of flour to the dough and/or your hands during
this time if the dough starts to stick. After you have finished kneading,
and the dough is nice and smooth, wrap it in a clean, damp kitchen towel
and let it rest for 10 minutes.

Cut on a cutting board, using a sharp knife or a serrated dough cutter
according to the requirements of the recipe.

Makes approximately 1 lb./5oo g Posted to JEWISHFOOD digest V97 #086 by
alotzkar@direct.ca (Al) on Mar 14, 1997