Ravioli with Whipped Ricotta, Cherry Tomatoes and Roasted Sea Bass

Over the past few years, I have spent a fair amount of time pondering why I love to travel so much. Of course the obvious goal is experiencing a new place with new sights, sounds, attractions and just as importantly, new foods. But now I realize that it is not only the experience itself which is so magical, but also the memories that exist even after you return home. I certainly couldn’t tell you specific details from the weeks before or after I travel, but I remember with vivid clarity the majority of our trips. The limitless possibility for forming more of these new, vivid memories is the fire that keeps my love of travel burning.

One thing I have been continually remembering from our recent trip to Italy is an incredible dish I ate on the Amalfi coast – fresh pasta filled with whipped ricotta, roasted cherry tomatoes and roasted sea bass. It was easily one of my favorite meals of the entire trip and I think of it often. At first I was a bit put off by a homemade version, worried it wouldn’t live up to my memory. Finally my stomach got the better of me and we are all SO glad it did. This is one of the best meals I have made in the past few months, maybe this entire year! I wasn’t able to get a photo of the finished dish due to the waning autumn light (insert sobbing emoji here) but we all know what ravioli look like. I made a simple white wine butter sauce to go with this and it was a perfect pairing. My only mistake was making just one meal’s worth of ravioli. Next time I will make a double batch for sure.

Yield about 4 servings

Ingredients

For the pasta:

1½ cups all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
½ tsp. salt
1-2 tbsp. water, if needed

For the filling:

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
Olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 (6-8 oz) sea bass fillet
1 cup ricotta
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

For the sauce:

3-4 tbsp. butter, divided
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 cup dry white wine
Juice of half a lemon
2-3 tbsp. minced fresh basil
¼ cup finely grated Parmesan

Directions

01
To make the pasta, combine the flour, eggs and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Process until the mixture forms a ball that is firm, but not sticky. (If necessary, add a drop of water at a time until the dough comes together.) Transfer to a floured work surface and invert a bowl over the dough. Let rest for one hour.
02
While the dough is resting, make the filling. Heat the oven to 375˚ F. Halve or quarter the cherry or grape tomatoes (depending on size) and place in a baking dish. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, and toss well. Roast in the oven about 30-45 minutes. Remove and set aside to let cool. Increase the oven temperature to 400˚ F. Line a baking sheet with foil and place the sea bass on it. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast the fish until the center registers 140˚ F on an instant read thermometer, about 10-15 minutes. Remove and let cool.
03
When the tomatoes are no longer hot, combine in the bowl of a food processor with the ricotta and garlic. Pulse repeatedly until the ricotta has a fluffy whipped texture and only a few chunks of tomato remain. Transfer the ricotta mixture to a medium bowl. Use a fork to gently flake the cooked fish. Use a spatula to fold the fish into the ricotta mixture. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.
04
Divide the pasta dough into quarters. One piece at a time, flatten the pieces enough that they can be fed through a pasta roller on its widest setting. Repeat with the remaining quarters. Continue feeding the pieces through the rollers, going to a thinner setting each time. If the sheets become too unwieldy to work with, cut them in half and proceed. Make the pasta sheets thin enough that they are just barely translucent.
05
While keeping the other sheets covered with a lightly damp towel, lay out a sheet of pasta on a lightly floured work surface. If using a stamp, lightly press indentations with the stamp onto the pasta sheet to act as a guide for spacing the filling. Place a small amount of filling in each space (about 2 teaspoons), being careful not to overfill. Lay a second sheet of pasta gently over the top of the mounds of filling. Starting at one end of the pasta, gently stretch the top sheet of pasta over the filling and press firmly around the edges to seal the pasta sheets together, making sure to press out the excess air before sealing. Cut out each ravioli using your desired cutting tool (ravioli stamp, cookie cutter, pastry cutter, pizza cutter, paring knife, rim of a glass, etc.) Transfer to a lightly floured surface. Repeat with remaining pasta dough and filling.
06
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Cook the ravioli in the water until al dente, about 3-5 minutes. While the pasta cooks, make the sauce. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic to the pan and increase the heat to medium high. When the garlic is golden and the pan is hot, add in the wine. Bring to a simmer and cook until reduced to about half the volume. Stir in the lemon juice, basil, Parmesan, and 1 to 2 more tablespoons of butter. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm over the ravioli.

Source

pasta from Smitten Kitchen