MENU: 

Ravioli Dough (Culurgiones) Ravioli filling

Tomato sauce with basil and garlic

Tiramisu al Caffe'

Ravioli dough

500g semola rimacinata 200ml water

1 tbsp olive oil salt

Steps:

Mix everything together, wrap in cling foil and rest for 15-20 minutes in the fridge. Save for later.

Ravioli filling

1kg boiled potato

200g cheese (mix of parmesan, pecorino, scarmoza)

1  garlic clove

Dry or fresh mint Salt

Pepper

Steps:

1. Peel and boil the potatoes in salty water. Then drain and mash the potatoes very well. Set aside in a large bowl.

2. Chop the mint finely, keep aside. Slice the garlic fine and gently cook in the olive oil until softened.
3. Add all the ingredients to the mashed potato and taste for seasoning.

4. Place filling in the fridge for about an hour.

5. Remove the filling from the fridge. Unwrap the dough and roll it out over a well-floured working surface to about 1mm thickness. (You can use a pasta machine, too.) Cut out 8cm rounds of dough. Place a knob of filling at the centre of each round, then pinch and fold the base to seal it on one side. Keep pinching and folding the extremities to seal the top of the dumpling, working as you would a braid, first on one side and then on the other, until you’ve reached the other side. Place the finished culurgiones on a floured tray while you work

6. Bring a large pan of salted water to a rolling boil. Working in batches, cook the culurgiones in batches for 4 minutes, or for 2 minutes from when the come back afloat. Drain them with a slotted spoon and ease them on warmed-up plates over a bed of tomato sauce. Serve right away with roughly torn basil leaves.

Tomato sauce with basil and garlic

garlic cloves, finely chopped

1kg fresh ripe tomatoes, or 2 cups canned Italian plum tomatoes drained and chopped

1 bunch fresh basil

3 tbsp olive oil

Parmesan or Pecorino, grated/shaved to serve

Salt Pepper

Steps:

1. Pick the basil stalk and roughly tear the leaves with your hands.

2. Place the olive oil in a saucepan and add the garlic. Let it slowly cook and infuse its flavour into the oil. When aromatic, add the tomatoes, salt, and pepper and let simmer for 10-20 minutes.

Tiramisu al Caffe'

250g Mascarpone cheese (in NZ, most containers are 200g so it's fine to use just that amount)

2 eggs, room temperature

6 tbsp white sugar Salt, a pinch

10-15 Ladyfingers biscuits Coffee

1tbsp Rum/ Marsala liquor Cocoa powder

Steps:

1. Divide the yolks from the whites and keep them in separate containers.

2. Beat 5 tbsp sugar with the egg yolks until it reaches a pale yellow colour and a creamy consistency. Then add the mascarpone cheese and mix well.

3. In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites until it forms stiff peaks. When done, carefully fold it into the mascarpone mixture in 2-3 batches. Make sure you don't deflate the egg whites after incorporating all that air into them.

4. Add 1 tbsp of sugar into the coffee and 1 tbsp of liquor (optional)

5. Dip the biscuits in the coffee.

6. Now in your vessel of choice, place a few tablespoons of cream at the bottom and then one layer of biscuits. Repeat this process until you've used up all your ingredients, making sure to distribute them equally.

7. Cover the final layer with cocoa powder. Leave it in the fridge overnight or make it in the morning for dinner time.