My apartment is in a semi-state of national disaster right now.  I had to hold off the feds yesterday.  Inform them that, no, we did not have a category five hurricane breeze through the building (but if we did do you think I could have had it named after me?  “Hurricane Joanne”.  It has a nice ring to it, don’tcha think?).

Nope, no twisters either.  Just little old me.  A pasta roller.  Half a pound of flour.  And nine egg yolks.

Which.  When taken together. Are probably more of a force to be reckoned with than “Hurricane Joanne”.  (I am woman.  Hear me roar.)

Then, of course, there’s what really happened.  Which is that my roommate Sarah is moving out in a few days (yes we are besot with sadness over here.  But she is moving to California to do her residency.  So in a way, we’re also kind of happy.  Because now we’ll have an excuse to go to Sacramento.  And a place to stay when we do!).

And so the kitchen was in kind of a state of disarray.  From all of the packing and whatnot.

And I, being myself.  Saw this disarray.  And thought.  I can top that.

Which is why I decided to make pomegranate bagels and homemade ravioli in the same day.  Which is also why I am still trying to get the flour out of my hair.  Three.  Days.  Later.

Right now I’ve got this Einstein meets Marilyn Manson look going on.  It keeps the homeless guys on the subway away.  So you know.  I might keep it.

And now for the REAL real story of what happened.

Symon Sundays.  Why do so many of these recipes end with me covered in flour?  I’m not quite sure.

Anyway.  The next recipe on our list was Sheep’s Milk Ravioli with Brown Butter and Almonds.  I tried to find sheep’s milk ricotta.  I really did.  I went to Whole Foods.  Scoured the place.  To no avail.  Threw my hands up.  Sulked for a bit.  Screamed “WOE IS ME” at the top of my lungs.  Then pulled myself together and bought a container of regular ricotta at Trader Joe’s (it’s cheaper there.  And tastes better.  Ironically enough.)  I also picked up some zucchini to throw into the mix.  I felt like the dish needed a bit more green.  To balance out the saturated fat.  Or to help me forget about the saturated fat.  Or to convince me that the saturated fat was actually good for my heart.  (Because we already know it’s good for my soul.) Whatever.

This was my first time making homemade ravioli.  My second time making homemade pasta.  And luckily for me, my mom “discovered” two pasta rollers in our attic about a month ago.  One from each grandmother.  I promptly stole one.  Because, let’s be honest.  My mother doesn’t feel like she has enough time to make chicken cutlets.  Somehow I don’t think she’s going to be attempting homemade pasta anytime soon.

The good thing about this dish is that it’s amazing.  Mind.  Numbingly.  Amazing.

The bad thing is.  That it’s amazing.  Mind.  Numbingly.  Amazing. And so I might not be able to go back to store-bought ravioli ever again.

Oh well.  What can you do.

Egg Yolk Pasta Dough
Makes 1 pound dough, enough to serve 4 to 6, adapted from Live To Cook

1 1/2 cups (7 oz) “00” or AP flour
1/2 tsp kosher salt
9 large egg yolks
1 tsp olive oil

1. Mount the flour on a cutting board or counter.  Sprinkle salt over it.  Make a well in the middle of it and pour in the yolks.  Sprinkle the olive oil over the top.  Draw the flour over the yolks from the edge of the circle, continuing to mix it in until it’s all incorporated.

2. Shape into a rectangle about 1/2 inch thick.  The mixture should be dense, flaky, and crumbly.  Cover the dough with a damp towel and let it rest for 30 minutes.  Cut the dough into four pieces.  Take one piece and flatten it with your hands.  If it feels very dry (which mine did) then run your hand under the faucet shake it for a second and then resume handling the dough.  I found that this added in just enough moisture to get the dough to the right consistency.  Starting with the rollers of your pasta machine set to the widest setting, pass the dough through, five or six times, or until the dough begins to become pliable.  Continue narrowing the rollers until the dough has reached the desired thickness.   Or, if you don’t have a pasta roller but you have really large biceps.  Feel free to roll it out yourself with a rolling pin.

Ravioli with Brown Butter and Almonds
Serves 4, adapted from Live To Cook

1 cup ricotta
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 large egg
zest of 1 orange
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 batch egg yolk pasta dough
6 tbsp unsalted butter (I halved the butter in the recipe…and still had more than enough sauce.  I just couldn’t bring myself to melt 1 1/2 sticks butter.)
1/4 cup sliced almonds
grated zest and juice of 1/2 orange
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 zucchini (my addition)

Put the ricotta in a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl and let it drain in the fridge over night.  Mine actually was pretty dry to begin with and so nothing happened when I put it in the fridge overnight.  C’est la vie.

Dump the ricotta into a bowl, discarding the draining liquid.  Mix with the parmesan, egg, orange zest, salt, and pepper.  Cover and refrigerate.

Roll the four pieces of dough from above through the first setting of your machine.  They should each measure about 4-5 inches wide and 18 inches long.  Lay out the sheets of dough on a countertop dusted with flour.  Along one long half of each sheet, place four 2-tsp-size dollops of filling.  Moisten the edges of the pasta with water.  Fold the unfilled side of the dough over the filling side.  Press around the perimeter of each mound to seal.  Using a pizza cutter, cut out the ravioli and place on a floured rimmed baking sheet.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add enough salt to season.  When the water boils, add the ravioli and boil until they float. Once they float, cook for 1 minute longer.

While the ravioli are cooking, make the sauce.  Heat the butter over medium heat in a large saute pan.  When the butter is foaming, add the sliced almonds and the chopped zucchini.

Scoop the ravioli from the cooking water with a slotted spoon, leaving excess water clinging to the pasta.  Transfer to the saute pan along with the orange juice.  Toss once or twice.

Remove the pan from the heat.  Stir in the parsley and orange zest.  Serve.

This is my submission to Presto Pasta Nights, which is being hosted by Ruth of Once Upon A Feast!  And be sure to stop by A Year In the Kitchen on Monday for the Symon Sundays round-up!

Also.  Random.  But Eats Well With Others was featured on a list of 42 blogs written by med students!  Very cool.  Feel free to check it out.

The Regional Recipes round up will be posted soon.  I promise!

You are reading this post on Eats Well With Others at https://joanne-eatswellwithothers.com. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author and or owner of Eats Well With Others. All rights reserved by Joanne Bruno.
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89 Responses to Ravioli with Brown Butter, Almonds, and Zucchini – Symon Sundays

  1. Simply Life says:

    oh my gosh, this looks amazing! Do you just laugh so hard the whole time you’re writing these posts? I LOVE reading them! And yes, I’ve also had my moments where my husband comes home and I, and the entire kitchen, are covered in flour 🙂

  2. How funny Joanne! I made raviolis yesterday kind of a spur-of-the-moment idea; could it be telepathy? anyway, yours sound amazing indeed; I love the orange touch and the ricotta, never seen raviolis made with that many yolks; must be delicious and like a brioche taste. Yummy!

  3. This homemade ravioli looks yummy! Funny read!

  4. Kim says:

    Sheep’s milk ricotta….does it even exist? I can never find it either. Those ravioli look outstanding! I like the way the egg yolk has them looking so yellow. I bet they were like tender, tasty pillows.

    Keep rockin out that hairdo 😉

  5. This is the second post I’ve seen this week on fresh pasta, and now I’m itching to get my hands on a machine. Because there’s /plenty/ of room in my cupboards with all the appliances I have in there already….

  6. Ben says:

    Hmmm delicious looking ravioli! And hurricane Joanne is a catchy name. hehe.

  7. This LOOKS mind numbingly amazing! I so want this for dinner!

  8. Shannon says:

    ooh, this looks awesome!! i haven’t made my own pasta, but i will learn in a next weekend 🙂

  9. Nadji says:

    Une belle assiette.Ricotta et pâtes fraiches: ça doit être délicieux.
    A bientôt.

  10. Barbara says:

    I have GOT to get a pasta machine. Can you believe I don’t have one? I can’t. This is just too tempting a dish, Joanne.
    And yes, often my kitchen is a disaster area. I would love to hose it down if I could!

  11. I always end up covered in flour when I make pasta. I don’t think there’s any way around it. The ravioli attachment for my pasta maker is on my lonnng kitchen wish list. What a delicious-looking recipe!

  12. Tasha says:

    Can’t wait to make mine. Glad they were so delicious!

  13. Katerina says:

    They look delicious and I will tell you what I said to Jumanna from the Taste of Beirut. I know how messy it becomes and how much work it involves. So it is twice appreciated.

  14. Kelsey says:

    ive never been but ive heard sacramento is quite gorgeous! so yea having a roomie moving there now is a def excuse to go out and stay there for a bit.

    i try my hardest to clean as i go in the kitchen.. otherwise it really looks too overwhelming to clean and i end up coming up with some lame excuse just to get someone else to clean it for me haha.

  15. Pam says:

    Well, this looks fabulous! I’ve never made ravioli and you make it seem so easy. I can’t imagine the mess I’d make with it. Now you have a great excuse to visit California! Lucky you!

  16. Can you believe that there have been 2 huricanes named after you already in 1968 and 1972 in the Pacific:D You have cerrainly been cooking up a storm in the kitchen:D

  17. Andreas says:

    Ravioli with brown butter sounds awesome.
    Nice idea to add some crunch and vitamins. 😉

  18. Pam says:

    I always start my day off with a smile thanks to you so THANK YOU!!! 🙂

    I’ve never made homemade pasta before – yours looks intense and amazing! Brown butter sauce makes everything delicious.

  19. Hurricane Joanne sounds catchy indeed. The ravioli looks splendid. I guess I can have only one piece..trying to fit into my old clothes..:). Congrats on getting featured in the Med-bloggers list. Hurray to you!

  20. Toni says:

    I think I may have to make gnocchi soon to make up for the fact I can’t make ravioli. I don’t have massive biceps. or a pasta roller thingy. I’ll just stare at your pictures for awhile longer.

  21. Mo Diva says:

    nothing says comfort like homemade pasta and yummy sheeps milk cheese!
    love! love! Love!
    sorry to hear you are losing a roomie!

  22. saveur says:

    I recently stole my mom’s ancient pasta machine and I can’t wait to try this out! If only I had a ravioli press to go with it!

    The other question is what to do with all those leftover egg whites? Macarons!

  23. polwig says:

    These look amazing. Congrats to your roomate on her residency. Also why we are at it I think you should perfect your look on the cabbies next 🙂

    This would probably work really well as crepes also just in case you do not feel like making pasta and just opt to buying ready crepes in the super market. Sometimes wonton wrappers work too, as the dough for pierogies at least. Sorry me polak me no italian.

  24. Homemade ravioli are always so wonderful! I love your pairing with brown butter, almonds, and zucchini, yum!

  25. The home made ravioli’s look yummmm 🙂 Congrats on getting featured in the Med-bloggers list 🙂

  26. Glad that you took the time to make homemade pasta, always so much better. Love your combination of flavors with orange zest, almonds, Parmesan, and the wonderful brown butter.

    10 out of 10.

    Cheers!

  27. You had me at brown butter!

  28. Anonymous says:

    Tell your momma, if she wants to send me the other pasta machine, I will put it to good use! Miss you lots! Love you! Carrie (aka long lost cousin who hasn’t seen you in foreverrrrrr)

  29. RamblingTart says:

    Hurricane Joanne is a perfectly splendid name!! 🙂 Love the browned butter – delish! 🙂

  30. elra says:

    Sounds as good as it looks Joanne.

  31. Kudos to you Jo..home made revioli..looks so gud..and congrats!

  32. Poor Sarah, she won’t be eating nearly as well once she moves.

    And once you make that jump to making your own anything, it is tough to go back… Best of luck to the newly created pasta chef

  33. Raina says:

    These look incredible! Homemade dough is definitely not for the meek. I love the different flavors you added..sounds wonderful. I am very hungry now.

    You have some lucky roommates!

  34. I agree about your lucky roommate – I bet she is going to miss all of your fantastic cooking! I never saw a hurricane churn out such delicious food. These have my mouth-watering like mad!

  35. Lori says:

    Nothing beats homemade pasta. Ravioli is a favorite all though I’ve not made it myself. Yours looks beautiful!

  36. Love ur story more than the ravioli……no no, love the ravioli more than the stori!!!
    Ok gimme a moment here, am trying to guess which has a better sound to it, or is better soundin…..
    Ok , i cant do this , i have to take them both and lods of ’em both!!!
    Gurl , u jus get better!!
    Am sure ur buddy in a roomy or roomy in a buddy, will miss u ….both ways!!!
    Love the flour covered fun ,anyway in our weather we need to shower twice a day , including washing our hair, no matter how long:-))
    Out of context but a necessary add!!!

  37. Mimi says:

    I think we should hold a protest until someone comes up with a way to get sheep’s milk dairy products all across the country. It’s not fair!!

    I did however find yogurt and locally produced cheese recently. I am persistant!!

    Hurrican Joanne. I like the sound of that.

    Yum. great looking ravioli!!

  38. redmenace says:

    I’m very impressed that you can whip up something so amazing while fending off the feds. Nice! Looks fantastic. Simply delicious!

  39. Amy says:

    Ambitious, Joanne. Homemade pasta is something I have yet to tackle. I have made Gnocchi though – does that count? Of course you’re the bread queen, though, so why not fresh ravioli.

    I find it remarkable that you go to school, have time to make two recipes in one day, and write about it. I’m exhausted thinking about it.

  40. The problem with looking at all of your wonderful posts is that my tummy starts to gurgle, pleading me to feed it. Homemade pasta is something I’ve made a couple of times, but I have yet to try making ravioli. I’m going to do it this summer!

  41. tigerfish says:

    Congrats on the feature 🙂
    Cool you made your own ravioli – who cares for store-bought when we are pampered with your homemade deals 🙂

  42. Bridgett says:

    I love making homemade pasta as it is quite the therapeutic and mindless thing that I find enjoyable. lol. This looks heavenly with the zucchini on top.

  43. Lori says:

    I have egg yolk pasta dough in my freezer. How funny is that?

    Meanwhile these look so good. And browned butter? Delicious!

  44. Azita says:

    your homemade ravioli with zucchini and almonds on top looks stunning and delicious. another amazing recipe!

  45. Little Inbox says:

    I just learn a similar recipe to make this type of pasta. 🙂 Hopefully I can hands on soon.

  46. I’m impressed! You have created homemade pasta. Isn’t it the best! I love brown butter sauce with nuts.

  47. Mari says:

    The next time you make this, can I get a phonecall!?! that ravioli sounds amazing! and you know how much I love my pasta lol

  48. LOL u had me at hurricane joanne LOLLLLs

  49. teresa says:

    i’m always up for mind numbingly amazing! great find on the pasta roller, it’s on the top of my christmas list for sure! i LOVE ravioli, this looks incredible!

  50. PJ says:

    wow, Joanne, thats some serious cooking! homemade ravioli sounds wonderful.. i am sure it must have tasted awesome too! Hurricane Joanne was worth the fresh pasta i would think 😉

  51. Firstly, kindly send that second pasta roller my way please and thank you.

    Secondly I think that list of med student blogs is quite interesting. I clicked on one about a med school dropout. I noticed you’re the only one listed who blogs about something other than medicine.

    Thirdly, I don’t love zucchini but I’m all about butter especially when it’s brown so.. once that pasta roller arrives on my doorstep I know what I’ll be making first!

  52. quiet an interesting joanne, i have not heard abt this dish till now..thanks for sharing,it looks lovely

  53. sweetlife says:

    love your new look, ha ha
    these look amazing, i have yet to try making pasta, but this might do it, and I deseperatley need a new hair do

    sweetlife

  54. Mary says:

    WOW! This looks so great! Love the mix of ingredients!

    xxMK
    Delightful Bitefuls

  55. Yummy! Brown butter sauce is so delicious!

  56. Ruth Daniels says:

    You are incredible – if the Med School gig doesn’t work out, you can always try stand up comedy. Just kidding, but you are hysterical. And your dishes are equally over the top. Where do you find the time?

    Thanks for sharing this one with Presto Pasta Nights.

  57. Woow,Ravioli looks perfect dear sounds great with brown butter n almonds dear..

  58. Suman Singh says:

    homemade ravioli pasta looks delicious…and congrats on the feature…

  59. Kristin says:

    I tried making my own raviolis once and the dough was not working for me. I will have to try your dough recipe and give it one more shot. Thanks for sharing this recipe.

  60. Oh man, that looks unbelievable! Nothing compares to homemade pasta, and add in a savory filling to make ravioli… I’m sold. In my eyes, this is the sort of meal you feed a guy you want to hang on to. 😉

  61. Brown butter. THAT is the key to anything tasting good. If you can brown it, it’s going to be eaten!

  62. R. says:

    Damn girl! Nice work!!!!!!!! This looks fantastic! When making raviolis, I cheat a bit and I bought one of these: http://www.amazon.com/VillaWare-V5500-10-Square-Ravioli-Maker/dp/B00004SPDW

    This looks delicious 😀

  63. Biren says:

    What a lovely and colorful dish! Wish I could have tasted it. I have not attempted to make my own pasta yet. Perhaps it’s time to get started.

  64. Blogging has opened many doors to all of us. We make food, we never thought we would or maybe, your did think, you would. Regardless, I am impressed as to how you tackle something new like pasta and meet the challenge. These sound scrumptious.

  65. knk says:

    this is totally different from others i like this its interesting to read

  66. i have to say that hurricane joanne created quite a delicious feast!

  67. These ravioli look scrumptious! And you even made your own ravioli. Respect!

  68. Stella says:

    Okay, I’ve officially decided that you must be some type of genius. Not only are you in med school and able to post regularly (super regularly), but you made homemade pasta. If your’e not a genius, Joanne, I’m accusing you of using snuff (smile)…I’m going to go with genius for the time being-it seems that this must be the situation.

    This looks really delicious by the way. The color of the pasta is so pretty…

  69. Mary says:

    There is humor and joyfulness in everything you write. I really love it. I don’t have a machine but when I was very young and foolish enough to be thought stupid, I’d roll noodles. I really should think about a pasta machine. I hope you are having a wonderful day. Blessings…Mary

  70. Faith says:

    Are you superwoman? Joanne, you are phenomenal! I can’t believe you made your own pasta — that is seriously impressive! (It always intimidates me. 🙂 ) This meal is stunning.

  71. Christina says:

    LOL, that was hilarious! Whenever I have a cooking episode like that I have the urge to get up, leave everything behind, and move into a spotlessly clean house that somehow holds a new replica of my preexisting items.

    Thanks for the comment on my blog. I used to intuitively run negative splits, so I’m trying to regain that sense of pacing again.

  72. Carolyn Jung says:

    Einstein meets Marilyn Manson look? Hah!
    I bet Lady Gaga copies that next. But YOU were the trendsetter. 😉

  73. Angie says:

    I have to do homemade ravioli. But first I need a pasta roller. Yours looks AMAZING!

  74. Deborah says:

    All you have to say is brown butter and I’m in!!

  75. sophia says:

    You never fail to amaze me! Fresh eggy pasta dough…and nice touch with the almonds!
    Saturated fat-haters, eat your hearts out! (unless it’s full of saturated fat too)

  76. Amazing sounds good to me. I’d better find a pasta roller somewhere.

  77. theUngourmet says:

    I swear you are fearless in the kitchen! The bagels sound most excellent and the pasta is tremendous! You go girl! 😉

  78. Cynthia says:

    That ravioli looks so delish! I love the bright yellow eggy colour..that must be so incredibly rich, especially with the ricotta! If you cook like this everyday, can I be your new roommate? I’m very clean if that’s a concern for you 😉

  79. Anna says:

    Oh! I know what you mean, last year I made some home made raviolis and the kitchen was a mess. But it was the best mess I made ever.
    I love the zucchinis in your dish it looks very healthy. Lovely.

  80. Wow, that could have been a fight between my and my oldest child. She hates PB and how she came from me, I’ll never know because I love me some PB. This looks fabulous and sweetie, you can cook veggies at my house ANYTIME! I always have soy sauce and tamari too!

  81. Karen says:

    Whoa! 9 egg yolks! I bet this was just amazing, especially with the brown butter. Like the zukes in there too!

  82. KC says:

    Your pasta looks amazing, I’ve got it bookmarked. 9 egg yolks is something I have never seen before in a recipe. It must make the paste very smooth.

  83. Debinhawaii says:

    Looks wonderful–your ravioli look perfect and who doesn’t love a brown butter sauce–yum! 😉

  84. Johanna GGG says:

    This is the funniest story I have read about home made pasta since reading Jeffrey STeingarten in the Man Who Ate Everything (or was it his other book) – the pasta looks amazing – would have loved to see you kitchen and am hoping your hair is now clean (tofu whey is excellent if you are looking for quirky recommendations)

  85. Lea Ann says:

    Oh Joanne, that Ravioli looks wonderful. I need to make a brown butter sauce, never have!

  86. Kerstin says:

    Wow, what an incredible dish! I love the veggies you put on top too!

  87. msmeanie says:

    Hah, you crack me up. Homemade ravioli sounds awesome, and I love your healthy tweaks. With all those egg yolks, why not add some zucchini too, right? I hope the hair is still keep the subway men away!

  88. Oh wow I’m very impressed you made your own ravioli!! And it looks perfect and so delicious and in a brown butter sauce?! Yumm! Love the addition of zucchini too.

  89. Brooke says:

    I can´t believe my eyes. That looks perfect! I am not capable of doing such a delicious dish. I travelled to Argentina, and after a los of BUENOS AIRES TOURS I got to know many restaurants that were awesome. If you are interested in food, I am telling you, you need to see that country.
    Cheers,
    Brooke

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