What a month this has been! I can’t believe my cookbook has been published only 4 weeks ago and so much has happened already. I wish to thank you, my friends, for the incredible number of messages, compliments and congratulations from all over the world, from the US, to Singapore to Australia. And of course I wish to thank so many of you who have ordered the cookbook and patiently waited for the slow Italian postal system to deliver it.

Now it’s time to start writing about food again. This is one of those recipe I make during cooking classes when we want to explore how to transform simple ingredients into a sumptuous meal. Admittedly truffle is not “simple” but you might still have a jar from your holidays in Umbria or Tuscany. If not, omit and the results will be delightful nevertheless.

Before starting, please revise how to make pasta sheets here and how to make ravioli here.

Recipe

Pasta dough:

• 300 gr (1 and 1/2 cup) 00 flour
• 3 large eggs

Filling:

• 250 gr (8 oz) fresh mixed mushrooms of your choice, cleaned
• 1 garlic clove, finely minced
• 125 gr (4 oz) fresh ricotta
• 3 tablespoon grated Pecorino

Sauce:

• 30 gr (about 1 oz)  dry porcini mushrooms, cleaned and soaked in 3/4 cup water until soft, about 10 min.
• 4 tablespoon grated Parmesan
• 2 tablespoon cream or mascarpone
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 teaspoon butter
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoon truffle slices in oil

For the ravioli filling:

Saute mushrooms in 1 tablespoon olive oil until cooked through. Make sure to cook the mushrooms on high heat so they will not release liquid and become soggy. Take off the heat, add one finely minced garlic clove. Set aside to infuse. When at room temperature, pulse chop in a food processor together with the ricotta and 3 tablespoons Pecorino until finely diced.

For the pasta dough:

In a food processor blend the flour and egg at high speed until it forms a ball. The dough can be used immediately but may be made in advance and covered with a cotton tea-towel. A resting period relaxes the gluten in the dough and makes it easier to roll it.

Make the sauce:

While the pasta dough is resting, start making the porcini sauce. Saute  the finely minced garlic cloves in 1 teaspoon of butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil until fragrant. Add porcini with their soaking liquid and simmer slowly, half covered, until bubbling and slightly reduced. Add the red wine, two tablespoons at the time and keep simmering until all the wine is added and the mixture is reduced to about half of the liquid added (i.e. soaking liquid plus wine).

Make the ravioli:

Roll the pasta dough into rectangular strips. Put teaspoons of the mushroom and ricotta filling about 5 cm (2 inches) apart on the sheet so that you can make a “parcel” by folding over the pasta sheet. Using a ravioli wheel-cutter seal each parcel by cutting on three sides. There is no need to cut the fourth side, i.e. the fold.

Carefully place the ravioli on a dry cotton towel taking care that they do not overlap otherwise they will stick to each other and break.

Assemble:

Bring to the rolling boil a large pan of salted water and cook the ravioli for 3 minutes. Drain, reserving the pasta water and transfer the ravioli into the porcini sauce. Simmer over medium heat until all excess liquid is absorbed, add mascarpone and sprinkle with grated Parmesan and 1-2 tablespoon of pasta water if needed to melt the cheese and obtain a glossy finish. Add the truffle slices, stir in one last time and serve immediately.