Homemade Ravioli in Walnut Sauce

Mushroom Ravioli in a Walnut Sauce 

 Serves 4

For the Walnut sauce

• 1/4 cup walnut butter
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• Pepper
• ½ clove garlic

For the Pasta           from The Joy of Cooking

• 3 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 5 large eggs or 7 egg whites
• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• Water as needed

For the Ravioli filling

• 25 grams dried mixed wild mushrooms, reconstituted and chopped
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup soft goat cheese
• Small bunch flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
• Salt and pepper

1. Before making the walnut sauce, separate a small quantity of the walnuts for a garnish. Then put the remainder and the other ingredients in a blender, with plenty of oil and when blitzed, keep to one side.
2. Make the filling by frying the mushrooms in the oil and garlic, and then mixing with the goat cheese and parsley. Season to taste and leave to cool.
3. Make the pasta by mixing the flour and salt with the eggs. Add water and oil as needed. Work the dough until it becomes soft and elastic.  Let dough rest for 30 minutes before rolling.
4. Roll sheets of pasta with pasta maker or with a rolling pin.  Use a ravioli press, pasta cutter or a round biscuit cutter to make raviolis.
5. Place a teaspoon of filling on the pasta and press closed with your fingers; eggs or milk will not be needed. Boil in plenty of salted boiling water, and drain when just al dente.
6. To make the walnut sauce, saute the garlic in olive oil.  Add walnut butter to melt.  Add grated parmesan and coarsely ground black pepper.  Coat the ravioli lightly with the sauce.  If the sauce is too thick, loosen it up with a little of the pasta water.  Serve immediately with a few chopped walnuts.

Walnut Butter

1 cup walnuts, toasted

Puree the walnuts in a food processor for about 3 minutes.  No extra oil should be required.  It makes a firm butter.