Region: Italy
Category: Pasta-Stuffed
Season: Summer
Difficulty: Labor Intensive
A spectacular sauce such as this requires exquisite ravioli. Either you can make your own as in Homemade Ricotta Cheese Ravioli or you should make
a special trip to a gourmet Italian market and buy them fresh. The supermarket frozen ravioli are not appropriate, but then again if that’s all you have access too you will still be quite happy with the flavors of this sauce made from grilled vegetables passed through a food mill. This combination is a fine, aromatic blend that is just right and has a hint of natural sweetness from the caramelization resulting from the grilling.
[photo: Fine Cooking, Aug. 1998]
Yield: Makes 4 servings
Preparation Time: 2:30 hours
1 red onion
3 red bell peppers
2 yellow bell peppers
1 green chile
Two 1/2-inch thick lengthwise slices eggplant, cut from the center
1 portobello mushroom
2 cups chopped tomatoes
4 large garlic cloves
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup heavy cream (optional)
1 pound fresh homemade cheese ravioli
1. Prepare a hot charcoal fire or preheat a gas grill on high for 20 minutes.
2. Place the whole onion, peppers, eggplant slices, and mushroom on the grill and cook until the onion can be easily pierced by skewer, about 1 1/4 hours, and the peppers are charred black and the skin is blistering, about 45 minutes, and until the eggplant blackens with grid marks, about 20 minutes, and until the mushroom is soft and black, about 30 minutes. Alternatively, preheat the oven to 400ºF and bake all the ingredients for approximately the same time.
3. Peel the peppers and remove their seeds once they are cool enough to handle. Peel the onion. Place the onion, peppers, eggplant, mushroom, tomatoes, and garlic in a food processor. Process until the vegetables are a purée. Pass the purée through a food mill and transfer to a saucepan with the olive oil and cream, if using. Turn the heat to medium, then cook until dense and unctuous, 30 to 40 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, salt abundantly and add the ravioli. Cook until the ravioli are puffy and bobbing on top of the water, pushing them down occasionally, or cook according to the directions if using commercially made ravioli, usually about 12 minutes. Drain, transfer to a serving bowl or platter and cover with the sauce. Serve hot.
Variation:
Note:
Posted: 12/28/2006
Referenced Recipes: