Fresh Pasta III: The Prettiest Pasta

Oh, hey! Chef Z, here. Been buried underneath finals and whatnot, but I’m back for the night to share with you a neat little dish. We all remember  my past fresh pasta post and the pictureless-but-delicious ravioli. And tonight, I bring you the next evolution:
Cilantro Ravioli with Chive Blossoms

I’ve always been a proponent of edible gardening and I do my own edible garden every year (more on that later). And I’ve always been a fan of herbs, especially edible flowers. And while I have not the expertise of the Saucier on such matters (she is the resident expert herbalist here at Hardcore Kitchens),  I DO know how to make some good use of herbs and flowers in the culinary craft. So, I was super excited when my chives from last season survived the winter and flowered recently. Chive blossoms are beautiful and have a delicate, but distinct onion taste.

So, remembering a dish I had seen on Iron Chef (Egg Battle, I believe), where herbs had been rolled into pasta dough, I set out determined to emulate and evolve the idea into something awesome.

BEHOLD.

Cilantro Ravioli with Chive Blossoms

Ingredients:
1 batch fresh pasta dough
1 bunch fresh cilantro*
15 oz. ricotta
1 egg
1/4 c. chive blossoms; or chopped chives**
salt and pepper

Start with your basic pasta recipe. Roll out sheets on the thinnest setting, just like you would with normal ravioli. Now comes the fun part – getting that beautiful pattern into your pasta.

Place cilantro onto half of the pasta sheet in the pattern of your choice. Don’t be afraid of having the leaves close together, it all stretches out later.

Fold over the pasta so that the cilantro is sealed into the pasta.

Roll the pasta on the second-to-thinnest setting, rotate the sheet 90 degrees, and roll the sheet again on the thinnest setting.

Now, for the filling. Mix together ricotta, egg, and salt and pepper to taste. Gently fold in the chive blossoms (or chives). Cut the pasta sheets into thick strips, twice the length of your desired size of ravioli.

Place a dollop of filling on  one half of the strip.

Wet the edges of the strip, and fold the strip over, sealing the edges, taking care to press out as much excess air as possible.

Cook in rapidly-boiling, liberally-salted water for about 10 minutes. Remove from water, plate, and serve with the dressing of your choice.

*Parsley may be substituted for cilantro for those folks who cannot abide the taste of it.
** When working with home grown herbs, or ANY herbs, really;  be sure to wash and check the leaves and blossoms thoroughly for any debris or insects. Not delicious.

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