Vine Leaf Wrapped Sheeps Milk Ricotta With Fennel And Olives Recipes

SHEEP'S MILK RICOTTA AND PARMESAN CHEESE RAVIOLI

Steps:

• For the dough: Stir eggs until mixed together, add flour, salt and olive oil. With a dough hook, knead mix for about 15 to 20 minutes. Form into 6-ounce balls and refrigerate for 1/2 hour. Flatten pasta dough, by running through pasta machine or by rolling, until about 1/4-inch in thickness.
• For the ravioli mix: Mix all ingredients together.
• Brush flattened pasta with egg yolk wash. Spoon out 1/2-ounce balls of mixture and place them on sheet of pasta, spaced evenly apart. Cover with a second sheet of pasta of the same size. Press top layer of pasta over balls of ravioli mix, making sure to get the air out. Cut with round cutter or knife to desired shape.
• To finish: Place finished ravioli into pot of boiling salted water, for about 1 minute. Remove from water. Place on plate, drizzle ravioli with olive oil, diced tomatoes and basil. Serve.

VINE LEAF-WRAPPED SHEEP'S-MILK RICOTTA WITH FENNEL AND OLIVES

Steps:

• Trim fennel stalks flush with bulb, discarding stalks, and remove core. With a mandoline or other hand-held manual slicer cut bulb into very thin slices and coarsely chop. In a large skillet cook fennel in oil over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 10 minutes. In a dry small skillet toast pine nuts over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until pale golden, about 5 minutes. Coarsely chop pine nuts and raisins. Pit and chop olives.
• In a bowl combine fennel, pine nuts, raisins, olives, salt, and pepper to taste. Add ricotta and gently toss together.
• Drain grapevine leaves and pat dry. Line bottom and side of a 9-inch pie plate with a layer of overlapping leaves, leaving a 2-inch overhang. Spread ricotta mixture over leaves and fold overhang in toward center. Use more leaves to cover exposed ricotta . Chill spread at least 1 hour and up to 3 days. Invert a platter over pie plate and invert leaf-covered spread onto platter. Peel back center leaves and serve spread chilled or at room temperature with toasts and olives.