A is for Abruzzo, one of the little known gems of Italy

The culinary traditions of Abruzzo’s pastoral land reach back through the ages. Perhaps Abruzzo’s most famous contribution to Italy’s pantheon of pasta is maccheroni alla chitarra, but another of Italy’s culinary traditions is a favorite here too, ravioli. This is sheep country, and Abruzzese cooks make great use of the glorious cheese made from the milk of these gentle creatures.  

 

My grandmother, Angela Barra Crocetti, known to all as “Mom”, made wonderfully simple pasta pillows filled with pecorino and fresh sheep’s milk ricotta.  Her pasta was remarkably tender owing to her deft hand and use of milk, rather than water, in her dough.  

 

She often served her ravioli with a simple tomato sauce flavored with a pork chop, but here the ravioli are bathed in two more of Abruzzo’s treasures, La Quagliera extra virgin olive oil and zafferano (saffron), the world’s most expensive spice. This slightly spicy oil, with its notes of almond and artichoke is a perfect match for the haunting taste of the exotic spice. Zafferano has been cultivated for centuries on the plains of Navelli where the cold nights and dark earth nurture the crocus flowers from which it is obtained. 

 

Both La Quagliera oil and zafferano are available from Gustiamo.com, an Italian import company based in New York City. 

 

makes about 47; serves 4 to 6 as a primo

 

Finish these delightful ravioli with a few twists of black pepper and a dappling of freshly grated Pecorino or Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Infused Oil

1 teaspoon zafferano threads

⅔ cup extra virgin olive oil

Generous pinch of fine sea salt

3 tablespoons of chopped herbs, such as, basil and prezzemolo (Italian parsley)

Make the oil: place the zafferano in a metal utility spoon, and toast briefly over a low flame, until the scent wafts up. Grind the zafferano using a mortar and pestle and add to the oil.  Rinse the mortar with a bit of warm water or white wine and add to the oil. Stir. Set aside. Add the chopped herbs and salt just prior to dressing the ravioli.

Filling

12 oz. sheep’s milk ricotta

2 large egg yolks

⅓ cup grated Pecorino

¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

 

Make the filling: place ricotta in a fine sieve set over a medium bowl. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Remove the ricotta from the refrigerator and discard any liquid that has drained from it. Wipe the bowl and place the ricotta and the other filling ingredients in the bowl and combine well. Refrigerate until use.

 

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

2 large eggs

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons whole milk

semolina for rolling and lining towels

 

Make the pasta dough: fit a food processor with the metal knife and add 2 cups of flour and the sea salt. Pulse to combine. In a small measuring cup lightly beat the eggs, olive oil, and milk. Remove the feed tube, and with the machine running, slowly add the liquid ingredients, processing until the mixture clumps around the blade. Remove the blade and turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter. Knead about 2 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic, adding small amounts of flour as needed to prevent sticking. Form the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic, and set aside to rest 30 minutes.

 

Form the ravioli: line 2 sheet pans with clean kitchen towels and dust with semolina. Working with one quarter of the dough at a time, and keeping the unused portion wrapped in plastic, roll the dough to 1/16 inch thickness using a pasta machine. Sprinkle semolina on the pasta and work surface to prevent sticking. Place scant 2 teaspoon dollops of filling just off center along the length of the strip of dough, about 1½ inches apart. Lightly brush the edges and areas between the filling with water. Carefully fold the dough over to cover the filling, meeting at the edge. With your fingers gently expel any air surrounding the filling. Use a 2-inch, floured circular ravioli cutter to cut and crimp the ravioli, placing them on semolina lined towels. Cover and refrigerate or freeze until use.

 

Cook and serve the ravioli: bring 6 quarts of water to a rolling boil. Add ¼ cup of coarse sea salt. Reduce to a gentle boil. Drop half of the ravioli into the water. Once the water returns to the boil, cook the ravioli 3 to 4 minutes, until al dente. Remove the ravioli using a skimmer or slotted spoon. Transfer to a bowl and toss gently with the infused oil. Grind a few twists of black pepper over the ravioli and serve with additional Pecorino or Parmigiano-Reggiano.

 

Uncooked ravioli may be frozen up to 6 weeks. To freeze, lay the ravioli in a single layer on a semolina lined sheet pan and freeze 2 hours. Store in airtight freezer containers between sheets of semolina lined parchment paper.

 

Questions? Email me at adri@AdriBarrCrocetti.com or visit at AdriBarrCrocetti.com