Goat Cheese Ravioli Recipe

I went to a cooking party earlier this week at Rustico Cooking and learned how to make 5 amazing dishes. I'll be sharing the recipes with you so you can try! Here's the first one:

Crispy Goat Cheese-Stuffed Ravioli with Caramelized Fennel & Balsamic Vinegar Splash

Serves 12
For the fennel and pears:
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for greasing the baking sheets
2 fennel bulbs, tops trimmed, quartered and very thinly sliced (core left on)
3 ripe Anjou pears cored, cut into 1/8-inch-thick round wedges (at least 6 wedges per pear)
*if ripe red-skinned pears are available, use them instead of the Anjou pears

For the filling:
1/4 pound fresh whole-milk Ricotta
1/4 pound young goat cheese
1/2 cup heavy cream, plus extra as needed
Grated zest of 1/2 lemon
12 basil leaves, slivered
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

To assemble:
48 wonton skins
1 large egg, beaten to blend
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

To serve:
2 packed cups wild arugula
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons honey

Make the fennel and pears: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees (preferably set on convection bake). In a plate, combine the sugar, salt, and pepper. In two separate bowls, toss the sliced fennel and the pear wedges with the olive oil and the salt-sugar mixture. Arrange on 2 separate oiled aluminum foil-lined baking sheets in a single layer and roast in the preheated oven until caramelized, about 15 minutes for the fennel and 25 minutes for the pears.

Meanwhile, make the filling: Crush all the ingredients in a bowl with a fork until smooth.

Assemble the ravioli: Arrange half of the wonton skins on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet in a single layer. Brush with the beaten egg. Spoon a bit of the filling in the middle of each wonton skin. Top with another wonton skin, brushing it first with beaten egg, forming a square (place the wonton skin with the egg side facing down so the dough sticks together). Press your fingers to seal the edges well and to gently compact the filling so it spreads out inside the wonton skin. Continue in the same manner, making 24 ravioli in all. Brush the tops of the assembled ravioli with the olive oil and bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, or until golden and crisp. *Tip: Use very little olive oil to brush the tops of the ravioli, or they might burn in the oven.

To serve: Arrange one of the ravioli flat on a plate. Top with a bit of the sliced fennel, a wedge of pear, and a handful of arugula leaves. Arrange another ravioli on top, slightly off center to reveal the layered ingredients underneath. In a small bowl, combine the balsamic vinegar and honey until smooth; splash the mixture across the ravioli and serve hot.

Enjoy!

until next time,

g