raviolo di uova

Pasta. Pasta is my one true love. I've recently been sick and all I've wanted to eat, day after day, is a big comforting bowl of pasta. It's warm and delicious, perfectly al dente and capturing the slick hearty sauce of whatever you've paired with it. 

This version is no different. Or maybe a little different, with the intensity and richness of flavor. Have you ever had raviolo di uova? Get ready because I'm about to drop a bombshell on you. This version is homemade pasta, rolled as thinly as possible, filled with tarragon goat cheese and filled with a perfectly poached egg inside. It's like a treasure chest, cutting through the ravioli to reveal the gold within.

Since this is such an involved process, I thought an infographic might be helpful! Take a look and see if you prefer this layout of the recipe.

1 lb all purpose flour
1/2 tbsp salt
4 eggs + 4 yolks
1 oz goat cheese, whipped
1 tbsp tarragon, chopped
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
fleur de sel to taste
pepper to taste
finishing olive oil

Setup your pasta roller. Make a pile of 1 lb ap flour with a well in the center. Crack four eggs in the center and
slowly work the dough together with your hands. Knead the dough for 10-15 minutes. Wrap in plastic and allow to rest for one hour. 

In the meantime, mix 1/2 cup goat cheese with 2 tbsp tarragon. Roll out the pasta with the pasta roller using the flat roller. Start on the largest setting and progressively work down to the smallest. Cut the dough if it gets too long to work with. Dust your work surface and lay out the pasta dough. Carefully spoon a roughly tablespoon sized dollop of the goat cheese mixture on the dough sheets. 

Create a well in the mixture. Crack an egg and separate from the whites. Save the yolk and gently place in the goat
cheese well. Layer the second sheet of pasta over the first sheet. Be delicate. Use a round pasta cutter or the open
end of a glass to cut around the raviolis.

Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Carefully lower the ravioli into the water and cook for 2 minutes - until pasta is fully cooked but yolks are runny.

egg yolk ravioli (uova di raviolo) in brown butter tarragon sauce

pasta has always been my comfort food. i used to make pots of macaroni and cheese when i was younger. i loved the way the creamy, yellow sauce coated the pasta. i was never satisfied, i could have eaten until i burst. there has never been a pasta i've met and have not loved at first bite. i thrill to manicotti, to orzo, to baked ziti with marinara and mozzarella. 

anna and i watch masterchef regularly. once i saw this during a dreaded pressure test, i knew immediately that i needed to attempt it. i waited a few weeks, until the right evening. i love the serenity in making dough, in kneading the creation with my hands. i love this physicality, the repetitive motion. the brown butter sauce releases an intense nuttiness, a brilliant delicious flavor that, combined with the egg yolk within the pasta, is both deeply rich and light - perfect for fall. 

the ravioli's pasta will create a tight seal around the egg, allowing it to poach easily. you're aiming for a runny, perfectly poached center and cooked pasta. with fresh pasta, this should be accomplished in 2-3 minutes at a gentle boil. 

2 cups flour
3 eggs
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
6 egg yolks

4 tbsp butter
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp chopped tarragon
pepper to taste

place the 2 cups flour and salt in a dome on a flat surface. create a deep depression in the center and crack in the eggs and oil. using a fork begin to beat the eggs and oil together with the flour from the inner rim of the flour well. take care to continue to push the flour back up to maintain the well shape. continue to beat until all ingredients are combined. knead dough for another 3-5 minutes until dough is firm and completely mixed. roll dough out in a pasta maker or on a floured surface until 1/16th an inch. cut into circles and place egg yolk in center of circle. salt egg yolk. 

bring a medium pot of water to boil. reduce to a rapid simmer and add prepared raviolis. cook for 2-3 minutes, until pasta is cooked through and shiny. remove from water. set aside.

in a medium saucepan, heat butter over high heat for 2-4 minutes, until butter begins to brown. add salt and tarragon. stir. remove from heat. 

plate ravioli and cover with brown butter. add chopped tarragon for garnish.

Yum