Cheat's Ravioli

The challenge: Dumplings for Waiter there's something in my...
The format: Something made of dough and filled
The methodology: Baked, boiled, steamed, poached but not fried

The possibilities: endless

What to make, what to make?!

There are just too many choices. Dumpling are something I love. I planned on making some Chinese dumplings (which I can eat any time of day)- something along the lines of my beloved Chili Pork Dumplings from Royal China. They have that slightly gummy dumpling dough with a garlicky pork filling with a spicy soy sauce. I mop up every last bit of the sauce with anything I can find. I get mass cravings for the little buggers.

Or should I do gyoza with a chicken and chive filling? Same dough, but with one lightly grilled crunchy side with the other with that lovely dough. Something as tasty as the gyoza I order too often from Ramen Seto in Soho. Or what about making Char Sui Bao- Chinese BBQ pork surrounded by pillowy white dough?

After a week of using Waiter there's something in my... as my excuse to live on Asian style dumplings (and telling Johanna, this month's host that I was making Chinese dumplings) I decided against it.

The other thing I have craved like a fiend lately is filled pasta. Usually I have a love hate relationship- I either never want pasta (The Boy's favourite thing in the world) or I cannot get enough of it. Yesterday was one of those days.

I still had some Chinese fresh dumpling pasta in the fridge and I'd heard that you can use it as a quick dough for ravioli (but I have also thought that it seemed a bit dubious an notion). With a few ingredients stashed in the fridge, it was surprisingly quick and easier and while it's not Locatelli pasta, it still felt good to half make something from scratch. It's easy enough to experiment and change the filling around to something that tempts or to decrease or increase the filling quantity. Mine has an artichoke and sundried tomato filling but get creative and see what works for you. Make some sauce if you like or simply brown some butter and drizzle a little on top.

Cheat's Ravioli

Makes 18+ ravioli

Ingredients:

1 packet fresh Chinese dumpling pasta- the round shaped pieces
150 g fresh ricotta
3 grilled artichoke hearts (the kind in oil found at the deli counter), roughly chopped
A few olives, roughly chopped
A few sundried tomatoes, roughly chopped
20 g Grana Padano cheese, finely grated

Equipment:
small bowl of water
fork

Put a pot of water onto boil while you make the ravioli.

Place the artichokes, olives and sundried tomatoes in a food processor and blitz to a coarse paste.

In a bowl, place the ricotta and fluff with a fork. Fold in the artichoke paste and season to taste.

Place one piece of pasta on a cutting board and place a teaspoon of filling in the center.


Wet one finger in the bowl of water a lightly wet one half of the pasta (but don't wet the filling).

Fold the dry half over and line the edges up. Press the two halves together, pressing the dough around the filling so that any air gets pushed out.



Using the tines of a fork, press against the edge of the pasta to seal the ravioli and will also make it look nice.



Continue the process with the remaining pasta sheets.



Once finished, place them in a pot of boiling water and cook until the float to the top- about 3-4 minutes.

Drain and serve however you like.

If you want to see what others deemed dumpling worthy, click here.