Fall Vegetable Lasagna

This hearty lasagna is perfect for that transitional time, when late-summer produce is winding down and the first fall vegetables appear at farmers’ markets. Combining yellow squash, zucchini, and mushrooms, the dish comes together quickly, with a ready-to-use pasta sauce. In this dish, I used butternut squash pasta sauce being offered by the local grocery store and the results were spectacular. Please feel free to use whatever store-bought sauce that you like for this satisfying dish.

Serves 8 to 10

Ingredients:
One pound whole milk ricotta cheese
1 Tablespoon julienned fresh sage
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh oregano
1 medium egg
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 Parmesan cheese, grated
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 yellow summer squash, cut into rounds 1/4-inch thick
2 zucchini, cut into rounds 1/4-inch thick
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1-3 Tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
One pound baby portabello mushrooms, sliced
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
One 24-ounce jar of butternut squash pasta sauce (click here for the resource)
12 sheets dried ruffle-edged lasagna noodles, cooked until al  dente
1/2 pound Italian fontina cheese, shredded
1/2 pound Mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 pound plain goat cheese, crumbled

Directions:
Preheat an oven to 450°F Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

In a bowl, stir together the ricotta, Parmesan cheese, egg, sage, 3 tablespoons of the parsley. oregano, garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

In a large bowl, toss the yellow squash and zucchini with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, and season with thyme, salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Transfer to the oven and roast until tender and lightly browned, about 15 minutes.

In a separate bowl, toss mushrooms and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, and season with thyme, salt and pepper, Place in a large cast iron skillet and transfer to the oven and roast until tender, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in an Dutch oven over medium heat, warm the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and add the yellow squash zucchini and mushrooms. Reduce the oven temperature to 400°F .

Spread 1/2 cup  pasta sauce in an even layer on the bottom of the Dutch oven. Arrange a single layer of lasagna noodles on top, tearing them as needed to fit. Spread 1/2 cup ricotta mixture on the noodles and scatter 1 cup vegetable mixture on top. Spread 1/2 cup  pasta sauce over the vegetables and sprinkle 1/2 cup fontina, 1/2 cup mozzarella, 1/2 goat cheese on top. Layer the noodles, ricotta, vegetables, sauce and cheese three more times, omitting the sauce and cheeses on the last layer. Top with the remaining noodles, sauce and fontina.

Transfer to the oven and bake until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese is melted and browned, 45 to 50 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining 1 tablespoon of  parsley on top. Let the lasagna rest for 15 minutes before serving.

Uovo Ravioli il sugo di burro salvia

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I first had this dish while traveling through Italy years ago. This gorgeous oversized ravioli is filled with a ring of creamy seasoned ricotta surrounding a perfectly intact, perfectly runny yolk. They are so rich, so delicious, and so beautifully served . This type of showstopping dish is perfect for a Sunday Brunch that will impress your family and friends.

Uovo Ravioli il sugo di burro salvia
(Egg Ravioli in a Sage Brown Butter Sauce)

Serves 5

INGREDIENTS:
For the Ravioli:
5 ounces fresh ricotta cheese
One ounce freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon fresh juice from 1 lemon
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/2 recipe Classic fresh egg pasta (click here for the recipe)
10 large eggs

For the Pan Sauce:
1/2 cup dry white wine
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
2 teaspoons fresh juice from 1 lemon, divided
1 bunch of fresh sage leaves

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:
Pasta machine, a 3 1/2-inch round cookie cutter

DIRECTIONS:
For the Ravioli: Lay a clean kitchen towel or a triple layer of lint-free paper towels on a rimmed baking sheet. Spread ricotta evenly over surface of towels. Top with a second clean kitchen towel or triple layer or paper towels. Press with hands or a second rimmed baking sheet and let stand until excess moisture has been absorbed, 5 minutes. Transfer ricotta to a medium bowl.

Stir Parmesan cheese, nutmeg, and 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice into ricotta. Season to taste with salt and pepper. With a spoon, transfer filling into a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch round tip or a zipper-lock bag with a 1/4-inch hole cut from a bottom corner. Refrigerate.

Meanwhile, divide dough into 2 even sections. Working one section at a time, with remaining section tightly wrapped in plastic, roll dough through machine until sheet is just under 1/16th of an inch thick. Cut sheet in half to create 2 pieces of dough roughly 15 inches long and 5 inches across.
Lay dough sheets out on a lightly floured surface. Using a 3 /12-inch round cookie cutter, cut out circles as close together as possible; you should have 10 rounds of dough from the 2 sheets. Cover 5 of the dough rounds with a kitchen towel to keep moist and discard any remaining dough scraps.

Use pastry bag to gently squeeze out a ring of filling approximately 1 1/2 inches in diameter onto each of the 5 uncovered dough rounds. Then pipe a second ring directly on top of each of the first ones.

Working one at a time, separate 5 egg yolks from whites and gently slide yolk into center of ricotta fillings.

Remove towel from the other 5 dough rounds, and, working one at a time and using a pastry brush dipped in water, very lightly wet the edge of each dough round. Set dough rounds on top of each raviolo, moistened-side down. Slowly working your way around each raviolo, press and stretch the top dough rounds to make the edges meet with bottom dough rounds. Press down gently on each filling to remove air bubbles, being careful not to press on yolks themselves, then press edges to seal. Transfer ravioli to floured parchment paper, cover with kitchen towel, and repeat Steps 3 through 7 with remaining portion of dough.

For the Pan Sauce: Bring unsalted water to a boil in a large pot. Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan, add the 1/2 of the butter, stirring, for about a minute until golden brown. Add a few torn the sage leaves and saute for 30 seconds. Add half of wine and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until wine is almost completely evaporated, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.

When water is boiling, gently slide ravioli into pot. Boil for 1 minute 30 seconds. Note that the ravioli will be slightly undercooked. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta water. Meanwhile, return the skillet pan to low heat and melt half of butter in each.

Evenly divide lemon juice, pasta water, and ravioli between both skillets. Swirl pan gently to until sauce is emulsified, approximately 1 minute. Add more fresh sage leaves
Transfer 2 to 3 ravioli to each plate and spoon pan sauce on top and serve.

Classic Fresh Egg Pasta

Classic Fresh Egg Pasta

Photo Credit: Vicky Wasik

Making fresh pasta can be an intimidating process, especially if you’re not used to working with flour and water. But it is also an imminently achievable skill. With a little practice, when you have become really comfortable with the basic technique, there’s really no reason why you can’t reap the rewards of making your own pasta on a regular basis. This recipe is for a light, springy, delicate fresh pasta that’s as well-suited to slicing into noodles as it is to making stuffed pastas, which require super-thin, pliable sheets of dough.

Serves 4 to 6
INGREDIENTS:
10 ounces (about 2 cups) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 whole large eggs (about 4 ounces)
4 yolks from 4 large eggs (about 2.5 ounces)
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for salting water

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:
Pasta machine, bench knife, rolling pin

DIRECTIONS:
To Make the Dough: On a large, clean work surface, pour flour in a mound. Make a well in the center about 4 inches wide. Pour whole eggs, egg yolks, and salt into well and, using a fork, beat thoroughly. When combined, gradually incorporate flour into the eggs until a wet, sticky dough has formed.

Using a bench knife, scrape excess dough from fork and fingers. Begin to fold additional flour into the dough with the bench knife, turning the dough roughly 45 degrees each time, until dough feels firm and dry, and can form a craggy-looking ball, 2 to 5 minutes.

Press the heel of your hand into the ball of dough, pushing forward and down. Rotate the ball 45 degrees and repeat. Continue until dough develops a smooth, elastic texture similar to a firm ball of Play-Doh. If dough feels too wet, add flour in 1 teaspoon increments. If dough feels too dry, add water slowly using a spray bottle.

Wrap ball of dough tightly in plastic wrap and rest on countertop for 30 minutes.

To Roll the Pasta: Meanwhile, place a sheet of parchment paper on a tray or cutting board and dust lightly with flour. Unwrap rested dough and cut into quarters. Set one quarter on work surface and re-wrap remaining dough. With a rolling pin, flatten the quarter of dough into an oblong shape about 1/2 inch thick.

Set pasta maker to widest setting and pass dough 3 times through the machine at this setting.

Place dough on a lightly floured work surface. Fold both ends in so that they meet at the center of the dough, and then fold the dough in half where the end points meet, trying not to incorporate too much air into the folds. Using rolling pin, flatten dough to 1/2-inch thick. Pass through the rollers 3 additional times.

Narrow the setting by 1 notch and repeat the previous step above. Repeat once more (the dough should now have passed through the third widest setting). Continue passing the dough through the rollers, reducing the thickness by 1 setting each time until it reaches the desired thickness. It should now be very delicate and elastic to the touch, and slightly translucent.

Place rolled dough onto a work surface or baking sheet lightly dusted with flour or lined with parchment paper, folding the dough over as necessary so that it fits; sprinkle with flour or line with parchment between folds to prevent sticking.

Cover dough with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel to prevent drying, then repeat Steps 5 through 9 with remaining dough quarters. If making noodles, cut dough into 12- to 14-inch segments.
To Cut Noodles: Adjust pasta machine to noodle setting of your choice. Working one dough segment at a time, feed dough through the pasta-cutter. Alternatively, cut folded dough by hand with a chef’s knife to desired noodle width.

Divide the cut noodles into individual portions, dust lightly with flour, and curl into a nest. Place on parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet and gently cover with kitchen towel until ready to cook. Pasta can be frozen directly on the baking sheet, transferred to a zipper-lock freezer bag, and stored in the freezer for up to three weeks before cooking. Cook frozen pasta directly from the freezer.

To Cook: Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add pasta, stir gently with a wooden spoon, chopsticks, or a cooking fork, and cook, tasting at regular intervals until noodles are just set with a definite bite, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Drain, toss with sauce, and serve.