This is a nice and light dish with bright flavors. If you have green garlic, be sure to use some of that in the filling. Button mushrooms will work fine in lieu of oyster mushrooms, but avoid shiitake as they will take over the dish.
INGREDIENTS:
1 bunch Swiss chard, leaves and stems separated and washed, stems minced, leaves chopped into 1 inch bits 3-4 medium leeks, white and palest green, washed, quartered lengthwise, finely sliced 3-4 green garlic leeks, washed, split lengthwise, and finely sliced -OR- 2 cloves garlic, de-germed and finely minced 3 cups oyster or button mushrooms, diced around ¼ inch Zest of 1 Meyer lemon, as little pith as (the white part) as possible, minced Strained juice from the above lemon 4 tablespoons each fresh oregano, mint, flat parsley, sliced finely 1/2 tablespoon fresh thyme, finely chopped Salt and pepper to taste Olive oil as needed ½ cup white wine 1-2 cups light vegetable or chicken stock 2 tablespoons unsalted butter Parmesan cheese for grating 1 package wonton/egg roll wrappers* 1 egg, whiskedMETHOD:
Heat a large pan over medium heat. Film well with oil and when hot, add the mushrooms, tossing to coat with oil. Season with salt and pepper and cook until tender and crisping around the edges. Transfer to a large non-reactive bowl.
Put the lemon zest into a small strainer and pour hot water over it to soften it and gentle the flavor. Dip in cold water to stop the cooking process, then place on a dry cloth or kitchen towel to dry.
If the pan is dry, film with oil and when hot, add the leeks and the thyme, stirring to coat. Season with a little salt and pepper and gently cook. When the leeks are translucent, add the green garlic (or minced garlic if you are going that route) and stir in. Cook until tender.
Add the mushrooms to the pan, mix in, and then add the chard. Toss to combine and cook gently to wilt the chard. Add the white wine and cook until almost entirely gone. Add half the oregano, mint, and parsley, and the lemon zest, season with a little salt and pepper and taste. Add a little lemon juice if it needs a little spark, but remember the sauce will use lemon juice as well.
Set the filling aside in the bowl. (If you wish, you could grate some parmesan cheese into the bowl over the vegetables, around ½ cup unpacked. Grate and toss to combine. This will add flavor and help the filling stay together.)
Time to make the ravioli: Use a spoon to place a heaping tablespoon into the center of a wrapper. If you wish, you can use two wrapper, one atop the other, and trim into a circle or square, or you can use a single wrapper and fold it over and then trim it. Use a rolling pasta cutter, knife and ruler, cookie cutter, or a can from which the top and bottom has been removed. Place the filling in the center and run a bit of the whisked egg along the perimeter and then fold, or place a second sheet of pasta on top, and trim to appropriate shape. If cutting in smaller shapes, be sure you use egg where the actual edge of the ravioli will be so it doesn’t open when you boil it. As you shape the raviolis, place them on a lightly floured sheet pan.
Bring a wide pot of water to a boil, salt the water liberally. Heat a 12-14 inch sauté pan over medium heat and film with a little oil. Heat your stock. When the water is boiling, add the ravioli and cook until the pasta is done, 4-5 minutes. Use a spider or slotted spoon to transfer them to a bowl with some oil in it, tossing to coat and prevent sticking. As soon as the pasta are all cooked, transfer to the sauté pan and toss. Add the stock and cook down 50%. Use a ladle to add 1 cup of pasta cooking water to the pan and cook down 50%. Add another cup of water, add the butter and toss, then cook down until the liquid is forming a light sauce. Add 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice and the herbs. Toss to distribute the herbs and sauce.
Serve hot. Pass the cheese if you wish.
Chef’s Notes:
Serve this with fish or shrimp over it if you want something more substantial. If you have left over chicken, you could shred it and scatter it into large shallow bowls, and then add the ravioli. Use a chicken broth for this iteration. For the shape of the ravioli, you can just use one sheet and go corner to corner for triangles, or just fold up and make rectangles or squares. Use a cookie cutter to form half-moons with one sheet or circles and use two sheets of pasta.
Serves: 4
Source: Chef Andrew E Cohen
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