Mushroom Ravioli with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Who doesn't love a little ravioli, eh? Okay so here I'm going to show you how to make "gourmet" ravioli without all the fuss. No one has to know our little cheat secret! These are delicate so be patient as you go along. Using wonton wrappers will save time making ravioli in the kitchen. I've topped mine with a gorgeous roasted red pepper sauce. You can top them with whatever you like. Marinara, Alfredo, garlic and butter with grated cheese. So many possibilities. Also, change up the stuffing! Use Italian seasoned ground beef instead of mushrooms, shrimp, crab, lobster, broccoli, anything you want. For the beef I would go with marinara. With the seafood I would do the red pepper sauce or Alfredo.

For the Ravioli:

1 package wonton wrappers
1 15 oz. container of ricotta cheese ( I used part skim)
1 egg
1 bowl of water & a kitchen brush
s/p
fresh thyme
Grated Cheese ( I used pecorino romano locatelli)
Scallions, or Parsley for Garnish
5-6   mushrooms chopped
1 small onion, chopped (you can use shallots)
2 cloves garlic, chopped

For the Roasted Red Pepper Sauce:

3 large red peppers
s/p
olive oil
1 cup chicken stock ( I used low sodium fat free)
1 cup milk ( I used 1%)
equal parts flour/butter
Grated cheese (locatelli pecorino romano)

Using a cookie sheet lay your red peppers down. Sprinkle s/p and olive oil on all sides. Broil the peppers on each side, once you see them to start bubble and blacken a little, turn them over and do the other side. Take them out and let them cool.
Now in skillet heat up some olive oil, add in your mushrooms, onions, garlic, fresh thyme, alt and pepper.  Cook  until just softened and onions are translucent. Let cool.
This would be a good time to peel the skin off of the peppers. Cut off the ends and discard the seeds inside. In a blender they go. Pour in the 1 cup of chicken stock and puree until smooth. Let them sit for a minute. In a saucepan heat up a couple tablespoons of butter and flour. Cook until it's mixed well and starts to turn light brown. You want to constantly stir this so it doesn't burn! Now pour in your milk and red pepper mix and s/p. Bring to a boil stirring constantly, then lower heat, sprinkle in some cheese and let simmer. Start your pasta water in another pot.
In a large bowl, combine the mushroom mixture (or whatever mixture you choose), ricotta, egg and some salt. A little grated cheese if desired. Make an assembly line, filling, bowl of water, wonton wrappers. Placing just a  teaspoon of filling into each wonton wrapper. Brush the edges of another wonton wrapper and press it onto the one with filling, making sure all the edges are seemed together nicely. You don't want them to open while cooking. Place on a cookie sheet with parchment paper until ready to use. Continue this step until all the wontons are filled.
Cook them in boiling water for 3-5 minutes. Careful not to cook too many at one time or they WILL stick together and become a big gooey mess. When you take them out be gentle they tear easily. What I did was pop them in the fridge a bit to let the edges dry. Chilling hem a bit makes them a little more easy to handle. Place the ravioli in a plate, top with red pepper sauce, grated cheese and scallion or parsley. Serve immediately with a nice side salad and as always Enjoy!

                                                            Inside of the Ravioli

Copyright © 2012 Salvo-lutions by, Dana Salvo