Recipe Summary

Difficulty: Medium
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours 10 minutes
Yield: 4 servings (plus enough sauce for at least 2 more meals)

How to cook  

In a large heavy-bottomed pot, heat a 2-count of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, carrots, and garlic and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring, until the vegetables are very tender but not browned.

Raise the heat a bit. Take the ground veal and beef, break it up into chunks and add it to the pan. Cook, breaking up the clumps with a wooden spoon, until the meat is no longer pink. Add the wine and simmer until the wine has evaporated. Then add the tomatoes and stock and season with salt and pepper. Lower the heat and simmer very slowly for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, stirring now and then, until the sauce is very thick. Now add the milk - the milk will make the meat nice and tender - and simmer again until thickened, another 20 to 30 minutes. Taste again for salt and pepper. Mash the sauce against the side of the pan to really blend it. Transfer half of the sauce to containers and refrigerate for up to a week, or freeze for up to several months.

Bring a big pot of lightly salted water to a boil for the spaghetti. When you're ready to serve, drop the spaghetti into the boiling water and cook until tender yet firm ("al dente", as they say in Italian) 7 to 8 minutes. Drain and put the spaghetti into a big pasta bowl. Return the sauce remaining in the pot to a simmer and stir in the ricotta cheese. Pour the sauce over the drained spaghetti and give it a good toss. Garnish with a handful of grated Parmigiano, the basil, and a drizzle of olive oil. Pass more grated cheese at the table.

Wine Suggestion: a French Red Wine: a AOC Cotes du Rhone - Domaine Bouche - L'Amandier 2004 - Syrah - Grenache

Bon Appetit

Brice

Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: About 3 hours + resting & chilling
Yield: Makes two 10-inch pizzas

Ingredients

Wine Suggestion: a Red Wine: a Biplano - Merlot / Cabernet 2004 - Central Valley - Chilian wine

Bon Appetit

Brice

Recipe Summary

Difficulty: Medium
Prep Time: 40 minutes + 2h1/2 resting & chilling time
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

FOR THE PASTA DOUGH:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder, plus more for dusting
3 tablespoons sugar
Pinch of salt
3 large eggs

FOR THE CHOCOLATE PASTRY CREAM FILLING:
3 cups milk
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1/2 cup sugar
5 egg yolks
1/3 cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 pound hazelnut chocolate (gianduja), roughly chopped

FOR THE SAUCE
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon sugar
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

FOR THE POACHING LIQUID
8 cups water
2 cups sugar

How to cook  

For the pasta dough, sift the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, and salt into a large mixing bowl and whisk to blend. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and place the eggs in the well. Using a fork, slowly incorporate the eggs into the flour, until all the eggs have been absorbed. Transfer the dough to a work surface and, using the palm of your hand, lightly knead the dough for 3 to 4 minutes. If the dough is sticky, sprinkle a little flour on the kneading surface. The dough is ready if, when you make an impression in it with the tip of your finger, the dough bounces back. Shape into a disk and tightly wrap in plastic film. Let the dough rest for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

Meanwhile, make the pastry cream: In a medium saucepan, combine the milk and vanilla bean. Place over high heat and bring to a boil (be careful not to scorch the milk). Meanwhile, using a whisk, in a medium bowl, whip the sugar and egg yolks until pale yellow and frothy, about 2 minutes. Add the cornstarch and whisk to dissolve any lumps.

Remove the vanilla bean from the milk and discard. Temper the egg yolk mixture by pouring a little of the steaming milk into the yolks, whisking to incorporate. Whisk the egg yolks into the remaining milk in the pan, set the pan over medium heat, and whisk quickly and constantly until the mixture thickens and comes to a boil, then whisk for another minute. Add the butter and stir until incorporated. Transfer the pastry cream to a storage container and place plastic wrap directly against the cream to prevent a skin from forming on top. Refrigerate until fully chilled, about 2 hours.

Once the pastry cream has chilled, place the hazelnut chocolate in a microwave-safe container and microwave on high for 1 minute; or melt the chocolate in a double boiler over low heat. Remove the chocolate from the microwave and stir. Heat the chocolate for another minute, remove, and stir to melt the remaining chocolate. Add to the pastry cream and stir to incorporate. Return to the refrigerator and chill for at least 30 minutes.

Divide the pasta dough into 4 pieces. Using a pasta machine, one at a time, roll out each piece from the widest to the thinnest setting. Keep the remaining dough covered to prevent it from drying out.

To make the ravioli, dust a work surface with flour. Place one pasta sheet on the work surface. Starting about 2 inches from one end, place a teaspoon of filling every 4 inches down the pasta strip, ending about 2 inches from the other end of the strip. Brush the pasta dough with water, fold the dough over, and press to seal, being careful not to trap air inside the ravioli (or they will burst during cooking). Cut the ravioli into half-moons using a cookie cutter or pastry wheel. Press the edges together and squeeze to make the edges of the dough as thin as possible. Set the finished ravioli on a baking sheet lined with parchment and sprinkled with flour, to prevent sticking. Repeat with the remaining dough. You should get at least 24 ravioli. Refrigerate until ready to cook.

For the sauce, bring the heavy cream, milk, and sugar to a simmer in a small saucepan. Remove from the heat, add the chocolate, and stir until melted. Add the butter and stir to incorporate.

To cook the ravioli, bring the water and sugar to a boil in a large pot and boil until the sugar has dissolved. Add the ravioli to the pot and cook until al dente, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, gently reheat the chocolate sauce.

To serve, remove the ravioli with a slotted spoon, letting the excess liquid drain, and arrange 4 ravioli on each plate. Drizzle the sauce over each plate. Serve immediately. 

Wine Suggestion: a cold & sweet White Wine: a Chateau Petite Borie 2003 - AOC Cotes de Bergerac - Sauvignon Blanc / Semillion

Bon Appetit

Brice