Asparagus Ravioli in Parmesan Sauce
Homemade ravioli filled with a creamy asparagus and Parmesan filling, served in a rich Parmesan-infused broth. This elegant dish combines fresh pasta with tender asparagus, mascarpone, and Parmigiano-Reggiano for a luxurious Italian meal.
Ingredients
- •1 batch Pasta dough
- •1 pound asparagus, trimmed
- •5 cups rich chicken stock
- •1 piece (3-inch) rind from a wedge of Parmigiano-Reggiano
- •1 leaf Turkish or 1/2 California bay leaf
- •¼ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- •¼ cup mascarpone
- •¼ cup fine dry bread crumbs
- •1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- •1 piece Equipment: a pasta machine
Cooking Instructions
- 1.
Cut off asparagus tips, then halve each tip lengthwise and reserve.
5 min
- 2.
Bring stock, cheese rind, and bay leaf to a simmer in a medium saucepan, then add asparagus stems and cook, uncovered, until stems are just tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer stems to paper towels and cool slightly. Reserve broth.
10 min
- 3.
Purée asparagus stems in a food processor with grated parmesan, mascarpone, bread crumbs, zest, and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.
5 min
- 4.
Cut dough into 4 equal pieces. Cover 3 pieces with plastic wrap, then pat out remaining piece into a flat rectangle and generously dust with flour.
5 min
- 5.
Set rollers of pasta machine on widest setting. Feed rectangle, a short side first, through rollers. Fold rectangle in thirds, like a letter, and feed it, a short side first, through rollers. Repeat 6 or 7 more times, folding dough in thirds and feeding it through rollers, a short side first each time, dusting with flour to prevent sticking.
15 min
- 6.
Turn dial to next (narrower) setting and feed dough through rollers without folding, a short side first. Continue to feed dough through without folding, making space between rollers narrower each time, until the second- or third-narrowest setting is used. (Do not roll too thin or pasta will tear when filled.)
10 min
- 7.
Put pasta sheet on a lightly floured kitchen towel (not terry cloth) with a long side nearest you. Drop 6 rounded teaspoon-size mounds of filling 10 inches apart in a row down center of right half of sheet. Brush pasta around mounds of filling lightly with water, then lift left half of sheet and drape over mounds.
10 min
- 8.
Press down firmly but gently around each mound, forcing out air. (Air pockets increase the chance that ravioli will break during cooking.) Cut pasta (between mounds) with a sharp knife into roughly 2-inch squares. Line a large shallow baking pan with a lightly floured kitchen towel (not terry cloth), then arrange ravioli in 1 layer in it. Make more ravioli with remaining pieces of dough and remaining filling, transferring to lined pan.
20 min
- 9.
Bring a pasta pot of salted water (2 tablespoons salt for 6 quarts water) to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to a gentle boil.
10 min
- 10.
Bring reserved broth to a simmer, then simmer asparagus tips, uncovered, until tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Season broth with salt, then divide broth and asparagus tips among 6 shallow bowls, discarding cheese rind and bay leaf.
5 min
- 11.
Add half of ravioli to gently boiling water, carefully stirring to separate, and cook, adjusting heat to keep at a gentle boil, until pasta is just tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Lift cooked ravioli with a slotted spoon, draining well over pot, then transfer to bowls with broth. Repeat with remaining ravioli.
10 min
