Finding FBS distractions just got a little more exciting.  It finally happened, a Michael’s [arts + crafts supply store] opened its doors downtown; a mere 15ish minute walk from our condo.  I am a DIY junkie and love a good project.  I can’t help it.  I am my mother’s daughter and her creative nature coupled with my left handed-right brained dominance have led me down an arts + crafts spiral.

My list of projects is getting lengthy [hence the delay in writing this blog post] and as the paint brushes and acrylics wait in the wings, I am currently sewing up a storm.  Wanting to add a new home decor piece to my sewing repertoire of pillow cases, I have decided to try quilting.  Stay tuned to see how this turns out.

It was Sunday morning and, as usual, the tv was tuned to a football pre game show and Mike was head down on his laptop.   While I was under the impression that he was busy looking at football related things, he popped his head up and asked if I wanted uova da raviolo for dinner.  I agreed, not really knowing what it was, but I did understand that it was something egg related.  Little did I know that it was the next best thing to the handkerchief pasta from 2wks ago.

RICOTTA + SPINACH UOVA DA RAVIOLO IN A BROWN BUTTER SAGE SAUCE

R A V I O L I

• pasta recipe
• 1c ricotta
• 1c spinach leaves | trimmed + washed
• 1 lemon | zested + juiced
• 1/8c parmesan cheese | grated
• 1tbsp butter
• salt + pepper
• egg yokes [2 yokes per serving]
• 1-2 egg whites to bind the pasta

heat pan on high, add butter
once melted, add spinach and cook for 3mins or until leaves are fully wilted | remove from heat + cool
in a large bowl, add the cooled spinach + ricotta + lemon zest + lemon juice + parm + salt & pepper to taste
scoop mixture into a pipping bag

on a heavily floured surface, lay out the long rolled pasta sheet
on half the length of the pasta strip, pipe a ring of ricotta/spinach big enough to border an egg yoke
carefully crack egg in a separate bowl and gently extract the yoke and lay in the centre of the ricotta/spinach ring
with a brush, quickly paint on egg whites around the ricotta ring
fold over the other half of the pasta sheet pressing down around each ravioli
with a circle cutter, cut out the ravioli
with your fingers, press down on the edges of each ravioli to further secure the filling
to cook, gently submerge pasta in boiling water for 2 minutes

B R O W N  B U T T E R  +  S A G E  S A U C E

• 4tbsp butter
• 8 sage leaves
• 1/2 lemon | juiced
• 1/4c parmesan cheese | grated

while your pasta cooks, in a sauté pan, melt butter and continue cooking until golden brown in colour [“noisette” -appears in the thinnest liquid of the butter]
add sage leaves and remove from heat
add lemon juice and set aside
drain the pasta  leaving a small amount of cooking water; no more than 1/2c | gently pour water into saute pan
return sauce pan to heat
add cheese
coat ravioli and serve immediately.

**to add more vegetables to the mix, Mike added sautéed chanterelle mushrooms, cubed and sautéed butternut squash + parsnips,  cherry tomatoes, deep friend kale leaves, and toasted walnuts

With the addition of the egg yoke from each ravioli pillow once bursted, the dish is taken to another level; the pasta that keeps on giving.  Delicious + rich, it was the fuel that kept me sewing.  Yum!