Spiced Veal Ravioli

Now that I feel like I have really knocked homemade pasta dough out of the park, it is pretty much all I think about.

When things are hectic at work, and I’m clicking rapidly from email to email trying to decide which one I should tackle first, I often find myself day dreaming about all the things I can do with pasta dough.

All the things I can drench it in.

All the things I can wrap up in it.

All the things I could stuff it with.

Lots of freaking pasta awesomeness.

So lately whenever I have time to really get dirty in the kitchen, some sort of homemade pastas is being produced.

And this has been one of my favorite pastas so far.

These were simultaneously delicate and hearty and absolutely scrumptious.

You will need…

3 tablespoons olive oil olive oil

1 carrot, roughly chopped

1 celery stalk roughly chopped

1 small onion, roughly chopped

2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

1 cup mushrooms, sliced

1 pound ground veal

1 bay leaf

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 teaspoons fennel seeds

1/2 cup canned tomato sauce

2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

Homemade pasta dough, rolled to a 6 or 7 on a pasta roller

Water

Start by adding the carrot, celery, onion, and garlic to a food processor and blend until the veggies are pretty finely chopped.

Heat the oil over medium-high heat until it is hot and then add in the veggies.

Season with salt and pepper and stir every so often. Cook until the carrots begin to soften, about 5 minutes.

Finely chop the mushrooms in a food processor and toss them in with the veggies.

Cook the veggies and mushrooms for and addition 3 to 5 minutes. Until the mushrooms start to brown and soften.

Add the ground veal and season it well with salt and pepper.

While the veal is browning, blend the pepper flakes, fennel seeds and the bay leaf in the food processor.

Toss the spices in with the veal and cook it through.

Add in the tomato sauce to the pan and cook, stirring often until almost all the liquid is evaporated. About 2 minutes.

Stir in the parsley, remove from the heat and allow it to cool completely.

Then, lay out your pasta dough and place about 1 tablespoon of filling about 2 inches apart all down the pasta dough.

Dip your fingers or a pasty brush into some water and wet the bottom piece of pasta dough and then cover with the top layer of pasta dough.

Cut your pasta shapes and bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Cook the pasta for about five minutes, just until they float to the top of the water.

Strain the water from the pasta and serve with slow roasted tomato sauce, shitake mushroom cream sauce, or your favorite sauce.

 

Love and Beer Floats

Angela

Spiced Veal Ravioli

 3 tablespoons olive oil olive oil

1 carrot, roughly chopped

1 celery stalk roughly chopped

1 small onion, roughly chopped

2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

1 cup mushrooms, sliced

1 pound ground veal

1 bay leaf

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 teaspoons fennel seeds

2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

1/2 cup canned tomato sauce

Salt and pepper to taste

Homemade pasta dough, rolled to a 6 or 7 on a pasta roller

Water

Start by adding the carrot, celery, onion, and garlic to a food processor and blend until the veggies are pretty finely chopped.

Heat the oil over medium-high heat until it is hot and then add in the veggies.

Season with salt and pepper and stir every so often. Cook until the carrots begin to soften, about 5 minutes.

Finely chop the mushrooms in a food processor and toss them in with the veggies.

Cook the veggies and mushrooms for and addition 3 to 5 minutes. Until the mushrooms start to brown and soften.

Add the ground veal and season it well with salt and pepper.

While the veal is browning, blend the pepper flakes, fennel seeds and the bay leaf in the food processor.

Toss the spices in with the veal and cook it through.

Add in the tomato sauce to the pan and cook, stirring often until almost all the liquid is evaporated. About 2 minutes.

Stir in the parsley, remove from the heat and allow it to cool completely.

Then, lay out your pasta dough and place about 1 tablespoon of filling about 2 inches apart all down the pasta dough.

Dip your fingers or a pasty brush into some water and wet the bottom piece of pasta dough and then cove with the top layer of pasta dough.

Cut into your shapes and bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Cook the pasta for about five minutes, just until they float to the top of the water.

Strain the water from the pasta and serve with slow roasted tomato sauce, shitake mushroom cream sauce, or your favorite sauce. 

Veal Scaloppini Marsala

You know those fancy dishes that your parents and all their friends really enjoyed? Yah know, one of those things that they had on special occasions so they never had it at home so us kids never tried it? I’m sure every family has one of those dishes. Mine is bigger than a dish. It is an entire protein.


Multiple veal dishes fall onto both of my parent top five favorites of all time. So it was something we had at home very rarely. So rarely, that the only impression it made on me was it something I was supposed to like when I was older.


So, tonight when my dad requested we have veal, I was over the moon. I finally get to be part of the veal club. And, now that I’m a full-fledged member, I’m pretty elated. The veal club is awesome.


And I must tell you; while the veal club may look fancy and sound fancy it is insanely uncomplicated. The ingredients are simple, straightforward, and you can get everything at one store (my mom’s number one criteria).


Every person I told today that I was making veal scaloppini marasala looked at me like I was an alien. The reality is, it is super easy. All the name means is thin veal with a mushroom, marsala wine sauce.


So please, please, PLEASE do not be intimidated by the name. Give the fancy name a try and join the veal club.


Membership is cheap and delicious.


Love and Beer Floats
Angela

Ingredients
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 (2-ounce) veal medallions from the rack or loin
8 ounces oyster mushrooms, quartered
1 cup sweet Marsala wine (or slightly sweet sherry)
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Directions
In a 10 to 12-inch saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat until almost smoking.

Meanwhile, season the flour with salt and pepper. Dredge the veal medallions in the seasoned flour. Add to the pan and saute, turning once, until golden brown on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the veal to a platter and keep warm.

Add the mushrooms to the pan and saute until they are lightly browned and the juices have evaporated. Add the Marsala, bring to a boil, and reduce by one third. Add the cold butter and replace the veal medallions in the pan. Bring just to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 5 to 6 minutes.

Stir in the thyme leaves and season the sauce with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer the veal to a large platter, pour the mushroom sauce over the meat, and serve.