Greens, Goat Cheese and Lemon Ravioli

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Summary: To me, this dish is simple perfection and highlights the beautiful bounty of local farmers markets and eating seasonably from them. I had a huge mess of just-picked mixed baby greens -two kinds of kale, mustard- and some fresh, young goat cheese- wouldn't a combo of those make a lovely stuffing for fresh ravioli? Yes! 
I always like whole wheat with greens so incorporated some whole wheat pastry flour into the pasta dough. As well, since spring is on the horizon, I added lemon zest to the ravioli filling and made a lemon-butter sauce to top it all off. 
You'll need a pasta maker for this.

Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup "00" flour
  • 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 large egg yolks, reserve 1 egg white for sealing ravioli
  • 1½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 8 ounces mixed baby greens (I used lacinato and red russian kale, and mustard greens)
  • 2 large garlic cloves, peeled and minced
  • extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, divided
  • zest of 1 lemon, divided in half
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons white wine
  • 2 ounces young, fresh goat cheese, crumbled
  • 3 tablespoons butter (salted or unsalted)
  • white pepper
  • grated Parmesan

Instructions:

Make the pasta: Combine the 1st six ingredients (flour through water) in a food processor and combine until a ball starts to form. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 6 minutes, incorporating only enough flour to keep the dough elastic. It should not be sticky. When smooth and pliable, shape into a ball, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and let sit at room temp for 1 hour.

Make the filling: Wash the greens well, removing any thick center ribs. Chop well. In a 10″ or 12″ skillet set over medium-high, heat enough olive oil to slick the bottom of the pan. When hot, add the garlic and 1 tsp lemon juice. Stir 30 seconds or so and add the greens, half the lemon zest, salt and white wine. Cook, stirring and tossing, until the greens are cooked but still a pretty green and not overdone.

Pour into a mixing bowl, stir in the crumbled goat cheese and set aside while you roll out the pasta dough. Set a large pot of well-salted water to boil. Wipe out the skillet you used for the greens, and put the butter and the rest of the lemon juice in it.

Set up your pasta machine, and roll your dough through repeatedly until you reach number 8. You may have to cut your dough in half at some point because it will get quite long as you roll it out. Place your dough on a lightly floured work surface and if it’s not roughly the shape of a long rectangle, trim it conservatively to become such. Find your egg white and set it (in a bowl) next to you.

Place a scant tablespoon of your greens filling equally spaced down the length of the pasta rectangles near one of the long edges (see picture). You’re going to cut and fold over to make the ravioli. Using your finger, wipe egg white along the edges and press firmly to seal the ravioli. Place the finished ravioli on a lightly floured cookie sheet as you go and keep them covered.

Put the skillet with butter and lemon juice over medium heat and when the butter has melted, season with salt and white pepper and turn the heat to low. You’ll be draining the ravioli and putting them directly into this sauce. When you’ve filled and sealed all the ravioli (24 to 30 depending on size), cook them in batches in the boiling salt water 2 minutes or a very slight bit more. It won’t take long and you don’t want them overdone as they head into the hot lemon-butter sauce.

When they’re all cooked and sauced, grate Parmesan generously over the top and serve immediately. Do not plan to talk much as these are so good you won’t be able to. You’ll just be savoring every bite.