Cookbook

Mario Batali
Simple Italian Food

serves 6

I first made this dish for a demonstration at a great supermarket in Short Hills, New Jersey, called Kings. Since then I've used it whenever I want to plug Coach Farm's amazing fresh goat cheese.

Filling
3 cups soft goat cheese, preferably Coach Farm
1/4 cup grated pecorino romano cheese
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 extra large egg, lightly beaten
6 scallions, thinly sliced
pinch of grated nutmeg
salt and pepper

1 recipe basic pasta dough

Sauce
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 tablespoons black olive paste
4 tablespoons slivered oil-packed sundried tomatoes

1/4 cup freshly grated pecorino romano cheese

Make the filling. Combine all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix until well incorporated. Set aside.

Divide the pasta dough into 4 portions and roll out to a 9x12 inch rectangle on the thinnest setting of the pasta machine. Place 1 sheet of the dough on a lightly floured cutting board. Cut the sheet into thirds lengthwise, then score each length in half and in half again, yielding four 3 inch squares per length of pasta. Cover with a towel.

Place 1 1/2 teaspoons of filling onto each square. Fold opposing corners together to form a triangle, gently pressing out any air between the filling and the pasta dough. If the pasta is a little dry, moisten the edges with a little water to help them adhere. Be certain to seal the ravioli well on both flat sides or they will burst while cooking. Repeat with the remaining sheets of pasta and filling. At the halfway point, check to be sure that you've used half the filling. If not, adjust the quantity of tilling accordingly for the remaining ravioli.

Bring about 6 quarts of water to a boil and add about 2 tablespoons salt.

Make the sauce. Melt the butter with the black olive paste in a 10 inch skillet over medium heat. When it is just starting to bubble, add the tomatoes and remove from the heat.

Gently drop the ravioli into the boiling water and cook 3 to 4 minutes on a low boil, until the pasta is cooked through. Remove from the water with a slotted spoon and add to the skillet with the sauce. Simmer together for 1 minute over low heat; then sprinkle with the grated cheese and place on a warm serving platter.

Mario Batali
Simple Italian Food

serves 4

Each Valentine's Day, Po offers a special menu highlighting the food and wine of Venice, perhaps the most romantic city in the world. This pasta is a consistent winner and, from what I understand, quite an aphrodisiac.

1 pound fresh lump crab meat (not pasteurized)
8 scallions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup basic tomato sauce
1 recipe basic pasta dough, rolled out to thinnest setting on pasta machine
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
1 tablespoon poppy seeds

Bring about 6 quarts of water to a boil and add about 2 tablespoons salt.

In a mixing bowl, stir together the crab, half the scallions, and the tomato sauce until well blended.

Cut the pasta into 4 inch squares and place 1 tablespoon of filling in the center of each square. Fold into triangles, press out any air around the filling, and press to seal the edges. Bring the points of the long side together to form a ring (or a hat) and seal between your fingers.

Drop the tortelloni in the boiling water and cook for 8 to 10 minutes at a high simmer. Meanwhile, in a 10 to 12 inch saute pan, melt the butter with the poppy seeds. Drain the cooked tortelloni carefully and gently place in the pan. Add the remaining scallions and toss to coat. Serve immediately.

Mario Batali
Simple Italian Food

serves 4

Cleaned cooked crawfished meat is available in fancy fish stores throughout the summer, but it is definitely better if you boil and peel the crawfish yourself. For this dish I prefer lemon basil, which adds an almost Southeast Asian shrimp or lobster meat can also stand in for the crawfish meat.

5 pounds crawfish, boiled, cooled, and tail meat removed (1 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
4 jalapeno peppers, cored, seeded, and julienned
1 pound very ripe plum tomatoes
1 pound fresh pappardelle
1/4 fresh lemon basil leaves, lightly packed
zest of 1 lemon
salt and pepper

Pick through the crawfish and discard any shell bits

Bring about 6 quarts of water to a boil and add about 2 tablespoons salt.

In a 12 to 14 inch sate pan, heat the olive oil until almost smoking over medium heat. Add the garlic and jalapenos and cook until the garlic is light golden brown, about 2 minutes. Meanwhile, trim off the stem ends from the tomatoes and cut into 3/4 inch cubes. Add the tomatoes to the pan with garlic and chiles and cook until soft and beginning to get saucy, 8 to 10 minutes. Lower the heat to a simmer while you cook the pasta.

Drop the pappardelle into the boiling water and cook until tender, about 2 minutes. Drain the pasta. Toss the crawfish meat into the tomato sauce, add the pappardelle, and toss to coat well over low heat. Add the lemon basil and lemon zest, season to taste with salt and pepper, toss again, and serve immediately.