Bacon Filled Ravioli with Mushroom & Fresh Tomato Sauce

By: The Food Hunter

Trust me when I say ravioli are a heck of a lot easier to make than you think. Once you have your pasta dough made it's just a matter of filling, sealing and cooking them up. The best part of making your own ravioli is choosing what goes inside. They can be filled with virtually anything so it's easy to get creative.

I've made: traditional cheese ravioli, wild mushroom, an artichoke version and even some filled with beef cheek. So when I came across a recipe from the Food Network Kitchen for Bacon Ravioli with Mushrooms I knew I had to try it. The ravioli are filled with leeks, Gruyere & bacon and served with a tomato mushroom sauce. I will definitely be making them again.



Bacon Ravioli With Mushrooms
(adapted from The food Network)
For the dough:
4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
6 large eggs, beaten

For the filling:
3 leeks, halved and sliced
8 slices thick-cut bacon, roughly chopped
4 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 3/4 cups chopped fresh parsley
1/3 cup ricotta cheese
3 ounces Gruyere cheese, finely grated
2 large egg yolks

For the sauce:
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound assorted wild mushrooms, sliced
Kosher salt
4 scallions, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 pints grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
4 fresh basil leaves, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Freshly ground pepper

Directions
Make the dough: Put the flour in a food processor. With the motor running, pour in the beaten eggs and pulse until the dough gathers around the blades. Turn out the dough and pat into a rectangle. Wrap in plastic wrap and set aside 30 minutes at room temperature.

Make the filling: Pulse the leeks, bacon and carrots in a food processor until finely chopped. Transfer to a skillet; add 1 cup water and cook over medium heat, stirring, until evaporated, about 7 minutes. Add the nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Increase the heat to medium high; cook until the vegetables start to brown, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, stir in the parsley and let cool. Mix in the ricotta, Gruyere and egg yolks; cover and chill until ready to make the ravioli.

Dust the dough with flour and cut into 6 pieces. Pat 1 piece of dough into a 4-by-2-inch rectangle (keep the rest covered with plastic wrap). Feed a wide side through a pasta machine at the thickest setting. Continue to feed the dough through the machine, reducing the thickness setting each time, until the pasta is about /16 inch thick. Lay the pasta sheet on flour-dusted pan and cover with a kitchen towel. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Uncover 1 sheet of dough; lay out with a long side facing you (keep the remaining sheets covered). Place small mounds of filling, about 2 inches apart, in a line along the bottom edge. Brush the top half of the sheet with water and fold the dough over to cover the filling; press around each mound to seal. Cut into squares with a pizza wheel or chef's knife; transfer to a baking sheet dusted with flour. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling. If not using immediately, wrap the baking sheet in plastic and freeze for up to 3 days.

Make the sauce: Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, season with salt and cook, stirring, until tender, about 4 minutes. Add the scallions and garlic; cook, stirring, 1 more minute. Add the tomatoes and cook 4 more minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the basil and parsley.

Cook the ravioli: Bring 3 inches of salted water to a boil in a large pot. Add the ravioli in batches and cook until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a baking sheet (reserve the cooking water). Cover the ravioli loosely with foil to keep warm.

Add 1 1/2 cups of the ravioli cooking water to the sauce, bring to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and season with salt and pepper. Divide the ravioli among plates; top with the sauce.