PEAR AND CHEESE RAVIOLI (CACIO E PERE)

At the Manhattan restaurant Felidia, chef-owner Lidia Bastianich mixes tender, sweet Bartlett pears with sharp pecorino and creamy mascarpone to make the filling for this rich ravioli, which first appeared in our Jan/Feb 2014 SAVEUR 100 issue with the article Cacio e Pere.

MAKES ABOUT 60 RAVIOLI

For the Pasta Dough

2 ²⁄₃ cups flour, plus more

¹⁄₂ tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste

1 tsp. olive oil, plus more

4 eggs

For the Pear–Cheese Filling and Sauce

1 lb. pecorino cheese, grated, plus more for serving

³⁄₄ cup mascarpone

6 Bartlett pears, peeled, cored, and grated

12 tbsp. unsalted butter

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste.

Instructions

Make the dough: Mix flour and salt in a food processor. With the motor running, add oil, eggs, and 1–2 tbsp. water, until dough forms. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface; knead until dough is elastic, 8–10 minutes. Transfer to a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap; let rest 1 hour at room temperature.

Make the filling: Stir pecorino, mascarpone, and pears in a bowl; chill until ready to use.

On a lightly floured surface, divide dough into 3 balls. Working with 1 ball at a time, and keeping the remaining dough covered with a damp cloth, roll ball into an 11" x 30" rectangle. With a long side facing you, place 1 ¹⁄₂ tbsp. mounds of filling in 2 rows of 10 on the top half of the dough, leaving a 1 ¹⁄₂" border at the edges and spacing the mounds about 2 ¹⁄₂" apart. Brush dough with water. Fold bottom half of dough up and over filling. Press dough to seal, squeezing out air pockets around filling. Using a pastry cutter or knife, cut out ravioli; transfer to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook ravioli until al dente, 3–4 minutes. Meanwhile, melt butter in a 12" skillet over medium-high heat. Using a slotted spoon, transfer ravioli to skillet, along with 1 cup cooking water, salt, and pepper; toss to combine. Transfer ravioli to a serving platter; garnish with more pecorino and pepper.

Tags: 

• Italian 
 
• Cheese 
 
• Fall 
 
• Pasta 
 
• pears 
• Main Course 
 
• Recipes 
 
• Issue 162 
 
• Vegetarian 
• Eggs 
 
• Medium