Ravioli Stuffed with Wild Mushrooms, Spinach and Poached Eggs
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ pound mixed wild mushrooms, cleaned and finely chopped
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 shallots, minced
- ½ pound flat-leaf spinach, trimmed of thick stems, washed, and dried
- ¼ pound cream cheese, at room temperature 2 plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped into ½-inch dice
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
- ½ recipe Fresh Pasta
- 9 extra-large eggs
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 8 thin slices pancetta (3 to 4 ounces)
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 sprig thyme
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan
- ÂĽ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Instructions:
This is a spectacular brunch or weekend lunch dish whose first impression is innocently innocuous—a pair of large square ravioli dusted with cheese on each diner’s plate.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. As soon as the butter stops foaming, add the mushrooms and cook until they have released their juices, and the juices are almost gone. Season with salt and pepper, then transfer to a bowl.
- Lower the heat to medium and add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter to the pan. As soon as it melts, add the garlic and shallots. Cook until they soften, 2 to 3 minutes, lowering the heat if necessary so they don’t burn. Increase the heat to high. Add the spinach and stir until it wilts, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove the spinach from the pan, draining any excess water if necessary, and allow to cool.
- Mix the cream cheese with the mushrooms, then add the tomatoes, parsley, thyme, and spinach. Taste and adjust the seasonings if necessary. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Roll out the pasta until thin enough for ravioli. Lay the pasta sheets out on a floured countertop and use a pastry wheel to cut out sixteen 4-inch squares. Discard the pasta scraps.
- Beat 1 of the eggs with 1 tablespoon water to form an egg wash. Brush the edges of 1 pasta square with the egg wash. Put 3 to 4 tablespoons of the mushroom mixture in the center of the pasta and make a well in the mixture. Crack an egg into a teacup, taking care not to break the yolk. Pour the yolk and about half the white into the well in the filling. (Discard the remaining egg white or reserve for another purpose.) Season with salt and pepper. Cover with a second sheet of pasta and gently push out as much air as possible. Seal the edges with your fingertips or the tines of a fork. Set the ravioli aside on a lightly floured baking sheet. Repeat the process to make 7 more ravioli.
- Lay the pancetta slices on a sheet pan and bake until crispy, about 6 minutes. Keep warm.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season with salt. Slip the ravioli into the water. Cook, stirring gently several times, until done. To test for doneness, cut a small bit of pasta off the edge of a ravioli and taste to see that the pasta is cooked through; 5 minutes is usually long enough to cook the ravioli and the eggs while leaving the yolks still runny. Cook longer for a firmer yolk.
- While the ravioli are cooking, melt the 4 tablespoons of butter with the sprig of thyme over medium heat in a small sauté pan. Season with salt and pepper and lower the heat to keep warm.
- Scoop the ravioli out of the pot with a slotted spoon and place 2 ravioli on each plate. Allowing some of the pasta water to cling to the ravioli will help the cheese to stick as well as keep the pasta moist. Drizzle with the thyme butter (discard the sprig of thyme). Arrange the pancetta slices on top of the ravioli. Sprinkle with the cheese and parsley and serve.