2022 Giro d’Italia - Stage 4: Avola to Etna
Bentornato in Italia! Finally, after 3 days in Hungary and a rest day, the Giro is back in Italy proper. The riders flew down to Sicily where today’s stage covers the southeastern region up to Mt. Etna. While performing research on the stage, both towns celebrate almonds, and, as everywhere in Italy, some form of pasta, duh. My mind started churning on how to combine the two. I came up with ravioli, stuffed with an almond-ricotta filling, but was concerned the filling might be grainy or little pieces of almond would be unpleasant between the teeth when chewing, if I prepared them in a traditional manner. So, I opted to fry them and was that an awesome idea!
I’m not quite sure if this is a true Italian dish. I know they’ll pan “toast” ravioli in butter. So, it stands to reason they should have these in Italy, or something very similar. Regardless, this dish is an awesome appetizer or bar snack paired with my easy, fire-red dipping sauce which is reminiscent of Etna’s lava. If you don’t want to go through the hassle of making the pasta and filling, like I did, just use some store-bought ravioli and follow the breading/frying instructions.
Fried Ravioli
Pasta
1 cup 00 flour + more
2 eggs
Pasta roller and fluted wheel cutter
Semolina flour
Sauce
2 tbsp evoo
2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
Heavy pinch red pepper flakes
14 oz canned whole tomato
Sugar (if necessary)
Filling
8 oz. Ricotta con latte
½ cup blanched, slivered almonds, processed
Parsley
Frying Prep
1.5 cups italian seasoned breadcrumbs
½ cup blanched slivered almonds, finely processed
Oil for frying
1 cup heavy cream
On a work surface, pour the 00 flour into a pile, and create a volcano(!) for the eggs. Place about ⅓ cup more 00 flour off to the side. Scramble the eggs in the middle for about a minute, then start pulling in flour to mix into the eggs, until all flour has been absorbed by the eggs. Start to work the dough with your hands. If it’s fairly wet and sticking to the board, add more flour.
When the dough is cohesive and no longer sticking, set it to the side and scrape the bits from your cutting board and wash the dough from your hands. Knead the dough with your hands for about 8 minutes, adding a little flour or water as necessary, until smooth. See my prior post about kneading and when the dough is correct. Loosely cover the final dough ball with plastic wrap and begin preparing the sauce and filling. But, return to the dough as quickly as possible (10-15 mins). You need the tackiness of fresh dough to help with the seal on the ravioli.
Sauce preparation.
Heat the oil and garlic in a small pot over medium heat. When the oil starts frying, add in the chili flakes. Then, add in the tomatoes and sauce, crushing the tomatoes in your hand as you drop them into the pot. Bring to a boil and transfer to a blender and process until smooth, adding a pinch of salt. Return to the pot and simmer for 30 minutes. Then cover and keep warm. Taste for seasoning needs just before serving.
Filling preparation.
In a small bowl, mix together the ricotta, ground almonds, a few minced leaves of parsley and some salt and pepper. Set aside and finish the pasta.
Pasta Completion.
While your sauce cooks down, dust a clean work surface with flour and/or semolina flour. Unwrap the pasta dough and portion into 6 pieces. Roll each into a ball, returning 5 to the plastic wrap. Flatten one ball and form into a small square. Run it through the pasta rollers at the lowest setting. Fold into thirds and run it through once more. Repeat. Then run the dough one time through each setting from 2-4, tapered-end first. Finally, run the pasta sheet through the roller, at setting 5, twice.
Then, place the dough sheet onto the flour-dusted surface and, using a ¼ tsp measuring spoon, place dots of the filling about an inch apart in the middle of the dough. Fold the dough over until the ends meet. Using your index fingers, press the spaces between the filling and remove the air pocket around the filling with a last press at the edge of the pasta. Using a roller, slice the ends and along the pressed edge. Then roll between each filling. Place the ravioli on a baking sheet dusted with semolina and repeat with the remaining 5 dough balls and filling.
When all ravioli are complete, heat up some olive oil (about an inch deep) in a large frying pan until the oil reaches 325.
While the oil heats up, place the cream in one shallow casserole dish and mix the breadcrumbs and ground almonds in another dish or bowl. Drop some ravioli in the cream, flipping once. Pick up and allow cream to drain back in the bowl, then toss the ravioli into the bread crumbs, flipping and coating. Remove excess breadcrumbs by lightly shaking and return to the prepared pan. Repeat with remaining raviolis.
When the oil reaches temperature, fry half of the ravioli, for about 3-4 minutes, flipping halfway through. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fried ravioli to a rack to cool for about 5 minutes. Repeat with remaining ravioli.
To serve, place the ravioli on a platter with a bowl of sauce.
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Copyright 2022, Brendan McCann, All Rights Reserved
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