Family Traditions

So I sat down and wrote 99% of this post and saved it in draft format. Only to find out later that for some reason my "draft" didn't save and I was left with only the title. Enter sad pouty-face Carolyn. Sadly I don't remember what I said in my post. Like at all. I'm sure it was cleverly composed and teeming with wit, but alas...we'll never know.

Anywho...I'm not going to try to recount what was written previously, but to simply state the main theme of this post which is as you might have guessed...Family Traditions. 

I love traditions. Traditions are just memories that you have the opportunity to recreate, relive, and revive with new people in a different time. I love sharing experiences with other people and especially with my family.


My Dad and I made this ravioli one weekend while I was visiting home and it was such a cool experience. Although pasta making isn't traditionally something that I've done with my family, it has been a large part of my family. While my dad and I were cranking out sheets of fresh pasta dough, he was telling me stories of my 'Big Nonni' (my great-grandmother) and the pasta that she used to make for him. He remembered her kitchen counter being covered with all kinds of fresh pasta that she would roll out by hand. And he told me about the special way that she used to twist her thumb into a ball of pasta dough to make orecchiette (or-kee-yet-tee) and cavatelli's (cah-vah-teel's). 

That's the good stuff...that's why I love traditions. It's getting to hear stories about my family's past and in a way, traveling back in time and getting to know my great-grandmother a little better. It's stories like these that remind me of where I came from, and let's me know that deep down inside I have a little of her in me.


I like to think that Big Nonni would have been proud of our ravioli adventure and this is definitely something that we'll be working into our future family traditions!


Fresh Pasta
Adapted from: Smitten Kitchen
3 Cups All-Purpose Flour
4 Large Eggs
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
4 Tablespoons Water


*Requires Food Processor


Combine all ingredients in the bowl of the fo-pro (food processor) and blend until the dough just begins to form a ball (add water drop-by-drop if the dough is too dry). Process the dough for another 15 seconds more and transfer to a floured surface and let stand, covered with an inverted bowl for 1 hour.


Filling
16 oz Ricotta Cheese (full fat)
2 Cups Parmigiano Reggiano*, freshly grated
1/4 Cup Fresh Basil leaves, chopped
2 Tablespoons Italian Flat Leaf Parsley, chopped
1 Large Egg
Salt


Combine all the ingredients together and set aside


*It is SO important that you use the real stuff here...please make sure it's Parmigiano Reggiano and not domestic parm. you'll thank me later :)


Sauce
1 28 oz can Crushed Tomatoes
4 Cloves Garlic, chopped
3 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
1/4 Cup Red Wine


Heat Olive Oil over medium heat until shimmery, then add the chopped garlic and cook until brown (be careful not to overcook). Add the tomato paste (the mixture will sputter) and stir to combine with the garlic. De-glaze the pan with the red wine and simmer until the the liquid has almost completely evaporated.


Add the can of Crushed Tomatoes and let simmer over low heat for at least 30 minutes, but preferably and hour. Salt & Pepper to taste.


Assembly
Use a pasta roller to roll the sheets of pasta dough into uniformly thin long sheets. 


Once the pasta sheets are finished, lay half of them out on a work surface and drop tablespoon size dollops of the cheese mixture onto the pasta sheets about two inches apart from each other. Place the other half of your pasta sheets on top of the cheese mixture and press down to eliminate as many air bubbles as possible. Cut the pasta sheets into individual ravioli's with a pizza cutter or a sharp knife. Crimp the edges of the pasta with a fork to prevent the cheese from seeping out while cooking. 


Cook the ravioli's in salted boiling water for a few minutes (fresh pasta cooks much faster than dried) until the dough is al dente. 


Pluck the ravioli's out of the water with a slotted spoon and cover with sauce so that they don't stick to each other. 

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Breakfast: Easy Peasy Style

So the deal in my household is that we LOVE breakfast. The problem with this is that we're not the type that is inclined to jump out of bed a cook a big breakfast complete with pancake, eggs, bacon, fruit, etc. We're the type that is more likely to start the coffee and then starve to 11:30 until we're forced to eat lunch. 


I know it makes no sense, but this is the way that it is. We're morning-ish people...we're awake, and that's about the extent of it.

You can imagine my elation when Josh discovered a recipe that allows you prep the night before with minimal steps. Not to mention the fact that said recipe is a pancake! I mean really, I've never met a pancake that I didn't like.  


This is seriously the easiest recipe on the face of the planet AND it's delicious. I have to admit one of my favorite things about dutch baby's is the poofiness. It's so wonderful and makes you just want to dive into the airy, poofy, wonderfulness.

Aside from all of it's inherent amazing-ness is the fact that it's super adaptable. There are so many ways that you can transform this pancake, that I can't even begin to tell you. You could go all traditional and top with butter & sugar. You could go the fruit route and top it with wonderful berries, lemon juice, or tropical compote. This morning we opted for simply dusted powdered sugar. Either way, it's amazing.


Dutch Baby Pancake
Adapted from: Leite's Culinaria

2/3 Cup Milk
1/4 teaspoon Vanilla Bean Paste (or vanilla extract)
4 Large Eggs
2/3 Cup All Purpose Flour
2 teaspoons Sugar
1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 1/2 Tablespoon Butter, melted


Combine milk, vanilla bean paste, and eggs in a blender and blend for 15 seconds.


In a separate bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt and mix to combine. Add the flour mixture to the blender and blend until just combined.


Add the melted butter to the blender and blend for 30 seconds. Pour the batter back into the mixing bowl, cover tightly and refrigerate over night.


**In the Morning**
Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees, and make sure the rack is in the middle of the oven. 


Butter a cast iron skillet (or oven proof skillet) and place in the oven for 5 minutes to get it really hot.


After the skillet has been heated, pull it out of the oven and pour the batter into the pan. Bake for 15 minutes, then turn the skillet 180 degrees and bake for another 10 minutes until the pancake has risen high on the sides and is golden in the middle. 


Pull the dutch baby out of the oven and slide it right out of the pan and onto a plate. Serve/top with whatever accoutrements you so desire.


Happy Breakfast!

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