Chicken, Ricotta and Pesto Ravioli

The time has come and we are winding down from our visit with our family.  It's been almost two months since we left Naples and we are ready to return.  It's not that we haven't had fun.  We have been on the go since arriving and are exhausted!  Dinner with good friends, golf, mini vacations throughout New England but best of all is being with my family.

There were a few recipes I was requested to make and the final one was today.  Since we arrived, I made stuffed peppers, pasta with pancetta and peas, eggplant rollitini's, meatballs and pork and many more.  I made biscotti for a few people and tomorrow will be making it again for my mother and mother-in-law.  I can't leave without giving them a supply.

Most of all during this visit, I helped my sister Susan prepare for the opening of her new, beautiful Angelina's Italian Restaurant and Pizzeria.  It's been a blast to actually get to create the menu, choose the wines and help set up the space.  She has done a fabulous job and I know it will be a successful venture.

But tonight, I made the ravs.  Janette actually brought home a roasted chicken and shredded the entire thing so I decided to make a double batch.  This way, we had a great meal tonight, I have some to take to my mother and aunt and the family still have another meal once we leave.  Oh, I also have a few packages of meatballs, pork and sauce along with eggplant frozen and ready for them to eat whenever they want to think about me :-)

These are a variation of a Giada recipe that Janette loved so I try to make them for her when we visit.
Chicken, Ricotta Ravioli with Pesto sauce

Dough:

2 cups flour.  00 works best, but you can use all purpose.  If so, I use King Arthur.
1 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

Filling:

1 roasted Chicken - shred
32 oz. container of ricotta
parsley - chopped
3 Large eggs
salt and pepper to taste
parmesan cheese

Put the flour and salt in your stand mixer and stir using the hook.  Add eggs one at a time along with the oil.  I also add a little water, less than a teaspoon and mix until in a ball.  Next, you need to kneed for close to 10 minutes and place in saran wrap for 30 minutes.

To make the ravioli, use the stand mixer pasta attachment according to directions.  I like to roll out through #6 so the sheets are thin.  There are many ways you can create the ravioli.  Today I just laid out the strip, placed a tablespoon of mixture, folded and then used a fork to seal all edges.  I even got my Grandson Daniel to help a little.

I sit every sheet in the freezer while I finish and into boiling salted water for 4-5 minutes.  I know this is bad, but I put pesto and some butter in a pan to heat and pour over the ravs.  You can also add a little more parmesan over the top.

Today, I doubled this recipe and it took less than two hours to complete.  And that was a double batch!  We sat for dinner and after tasting, Daniel said "let's see if Nana makes it to the next round of Master Chef".  Daniel, Jim and Janette had to taste, provide feedback and decide.  Daniel said he was Joe (Bastianich) and I did actually make it to the next round.  He makes me smile every day.  I told him the final test would be tomorrow night when we make the tenderloin.  

It's times like this that make me smile and happy I have the family that I have.  They are fun, loving and I will miss them like crazy when we leave.  So do me a favor, hug your family every chance you get.  I will have to wait for them to visit or I jump back to Boston for that hug.

Fino a quel momento,

Linda