Skiing, Snowshoeing and Ravioli di Zucca

Mt. Rainier from Mission Ridge Ski Area

I cannot believe it has been two weeks since my last post. Life seems to be on fast forward since New Year's. There has not been anything special to report except possibly my fabulous talk last Wednesday on the organized walks we do in Italy (see http://das.danteseattle.org/ for more about DAS)! I had a great time doing it and it was well received. That same day we had a great lunch at Tutta Bella (an authentic Italian pizzeria) and later stopped at Best Plumbing on Stone Way where we (sort of) finalized the fixtures for our bathroom remodel. Dom has been spending a lot of time on the latter project and is making good headway. The room is gutted and the door has been moved over 4 inches.

View of gutted bathroom

Last weekend I went to Wenatchee to visit my sister, Patty. On Saturday we skied at Mission Ridge with our friend Deb and her sister Cindy. The conditions were excellent--groomed hard pack and sunny skies. It had been seven years since Patty last skied but she still looked fabulous floating down the hill. What fun to once more be out on the hill with her!

Patty with goggles askew

Lou, Patty, Cindy and Deb

On Sunday the four of us plus two of Patty's Wenatchee girlfriends went to the ski hill at Leavenworth and snowshoed. Everyone had tried it before except me. In fact, they all own their own snowshoes. I found it really easy but still a bit tiring since a wider than normal stance is required. Two hours was plenty for me. The trails were frozen solid so we probably could have walked around them without the snowshoes but it was still fun to try it. I would like to do it again in soft, fluffy snow.

Snowshoeing

Since my last post I promised a fan I would provide my recipe for Squash ravioli. I am a big fan of ravioli di zucca and this was not too difficult to make. However, be warned, any sort of ravioli takes several hours to put together. If you try it, let me know what you think.

Squash Ravioli

1 cup cooked, pureed squash*

1/3 cup unseasoned bread crumbs

1/2 cup egg substitute or 1 extra large egg plus 1 egg yolk

1/3 cup freshly grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano cheese

Salt and fresh ground pepper

Nutmeg

Mix first four ingredients thoroughly. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste. Set aside.

2 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cup egg substitute or three extra large eggs

Pinch of salt

Prepare pasta using above ingredients. If unfamiliar with pasta making techniques refer to this demo for more information. Stretch pasta sheet to 1/16 inch thick or last setting on pasta machine. Assembly and shape of ravioli depends on type of cutter used. I use a round cutter.**

To assemble ravioli I lay 3-4 inch wide sheets on the counter and drop about 1 tsp. filling every 1-1 1/2 inches. I fold sheet over and cut with ravioli cutter. Do not try to reuse scraps for ravioli but can be cut smaller and frozen for use in soup. Completed ravioli can be laid on a cookie sheet liberally sprinkled with flour. Top single layer of ravioli with more flour and a sheet of wax or parchment paper. Continue layering ravioli like this. Makes about 60-80 pieces. Cook immediately or set entire cookie sheet in freezer. When ravioli are frozen drop in plastic bag and return to freezer. Can be kept frozen for 1-2 months.

Butter

Freshly grated Grana or Parmigiano cheese

Freshly chopped sage

To cook ravioli bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt just before adding ravioli. Cook 1 to 3 minutes. Leave in another minute if cooking frozen ravioli. Drain well and top with melted butter into which chopped, fresh sage has been added and freshly grated Grana or Parmigiano cheese. If serving a large amount of ravioli layer butter and cheese between the ravioli on a platter. Do not try to toss as ravioli will fall apart.

*I used cubed butternut squash, cooked it in the microwave and then mashed it well. In a pinch one could probably use canned pumpkin.

**Ravioli cutters and other Italian kitchen gadgets PLUS my favorite cookbooks are available under La Cucina Italiana at my Amazon store. Click on the sidebar link to the left.

Happy New Year! Buon Appetito!

Some time ago I promised to pass on my favorite Italian recipes. Beginning today I will try to give you a new one every week.

I love this hearty mushroom sauce. It makes a rather large batch but that is okay since it is versatile--the perfect pasta sauce for cold winter nights, a great crostini spread or the base for hearty mushroom soup. Porcini mushrooms are both a delicacy and a staple of Tuscan cooking. They are prized when they are fresh but are readily available dried in Italian supermarkets. This recipe calls for dried porcini.* If you have difficulty obtaining them outside Italy you could use another type of dried mushroom or replace them with another cup of fresh mushrooms plus another half cup of bouillion.

It takes a little while to make but you should have enough for a big pot of pasta plus leftovers to freeze. I have kept it for up to a week in the refrigerator.

Thick Mushroom Sauce

Makes enough for two pounds of pasta.

About 1 c. dried porcini, cut in small pieces (I used a pair of scissors!)
1 cube porcini mushroom bouillon (or chicken bouillion)
1-1 1/2 c. boiling water
1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tbs. dried parsley (or use 1 1/2 tbs. fresh chopped parsley but add it at the very end)

In a small bowl combine above ingredients and let sit for at least 20 minutes. Stir to make sure the bouillon dissolves completely.

3/4 pound fresh mushrooms, preferably brown crimini or portobello mushrooms, grated or chopped in a food processor. Set aside.

1 tbs. butter
4-5 tbs. extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves chopped finely

In a large saute pan, heat butter and oil on medium. Add garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes. Add chopped fresh mushrooms and mix well. Cook until mushroom liquid evaporates from pan. Add bowl of dried mushrooms, water, bouillon, etc. Turn heat up to med-high and cook for about 10 minutes. Most of the liquid should evaporate. If using fresh parsley add it just before you remove sauce from the heat.

If serving with pasta, time the cooking of the pasta (penne or rigatoni work well but I particularly like egg fettucine) so that both are done about the same time. Mix a couple of tablespoons of the pasta water with the sauce. Mix drained pasta with sauce and return to heat for about one minute. If the sauce is too thick add more olive oil. If desired, top with grated parmigiano cheese.

For crostini spread, cook mushroom mixture a little longer, until it is pretty dry but not so long that it starts to stick to the pan. It will get thicker as it cools. Serve with toasted bread rounds that have been brushed with olive oil. It is also good with whole wheat melba toast.

For mushroom soup add cream or milk when mixture is still very runny. Let simmer 10 minutes. Add fresh parsley just before serving.

Buon appetito!

*Dried porcini mushrooms are something I always bring back from Italy. They also make a great gift for foodies as they are light and much cheaper in Italy than in the U.S. Be sure and buy them at a regular grocery store. The tourist shops always charge premium prices.