Ricotta Jambon Parma Ravioli in Tomato Basil Sauce

What is the life you've ever been dreaming of?

Hubby popped this question to me a few months ago. And no matter how dazzled I was with the question, I knew he was serious and needed a gingerly thought answer. When we were kids and people asked us what we wanted to be when we grew up? My case I would always reply back that I wanted to become an astronaut. Curious that no matter how insurmountable our answers were people commend us. For adults, "Ah this child has a dream she will go far". It never occured to them that probably that was just the first word that came out into our mouth, or we probably just thought that it was cool to say that. Projecting ourselves in a distant future with our naive and fearless child heart has always been easy. No limits at all.

"So..." waiting for my answer he insisted. But even before I could react he said that his was retiring in a beautiful island, with his boat internet connection and everything so he could continue pursuing his cyber activities. It is at this point that I realized that "uh oh hubby is up to something". Well to cut the story short we will be leaving France for a couple years in the tropics pursuing both our dreams. His you knew already but how about mine? The hint is on this post. Can you guess it?

I am sending a plate of this delicious pasta over at Kait of Pots and Plots host for this week's Presto Pasta Nights, a pasta lover weekly event created by Ruth of For Every Kitchen. If you want to know who'll be hosting next you can check out the link here. The round up is already posted so don't forget to check it out.

Ricotta Jambon Parma Ravioli in Tomato Basil Sauce
for the filling
1 lb (450 gr) fresh spinach
1 lb (450 gr) ricotta cheese, thoroughly drained
1 egg
4 oz (115 gr) parmigiano reggiano cheese, freshly grated
salt and pepper
pinch of nutmeg
few slices of Jambon Parma minced

for the dough
3 cups (400 gr) flour
4 eggs
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

for the sauce
4 tablespoons of olive oil
5 cloves of garlic minced
1 kilo of italian tomatoes (peeled and seeded) chopped
one half cup of fresh basil chopped
salt, pepper

Directions

Start by mixing all the ingredients for the stuffing in a bowl. Set this aside.Prepare the pasta dough using the recipe for the pasta. Make the dough soft and moist. Use the minimum flour necessary enough to prevent the dough from sticking to your hands while working. Cut the dough in two parts. Place one of the pieces on the work surface, and flatten it with a rolling pin until it is very thin. Repeat the same steps with the other half of the dough, making a pasta sheet of the same size. Set it aside, covered with a moist towel if necessary to prevent the pasta from drying too much. Place about 1 teaspoon of the filling on the dough, spaced 2 inches apart. Cover with the second dough and press the pasta around the fillings so that the 2 layers touch each other. Press firmly to bond the 2 pasta sheets together. Separate the ravioli by cutting with a pastry wheel. Cook until the pasta is al dente. Drain ravioli and set aside. In a saucepan put your olive oil and garlic. Cook it without browning it. Add the tomatoes cook over medium fire for few minutes. Season with salt and pepper. When the sauce starts to thicken add your basil and cook for another two minutes. Toss your ravioli on the sauce and serve with some parmesan cheese.

Lime Black Sesame Prawns with Asian herbs Spaghetti

Lime Black Sesame Prawns with Asian herbs Spaghetti

Dreams are often most profound when they seem the most crazy. I didn't said that but Sigmund did. :-)

I consider myself most creative when I sleep. Do not laugh at this its just simply because my subconscious mind could forge unfathomable images in my dreams. I am sure you will think that either Stephen King lives in me or I am just simply fool if I were to tell you how horrifying my nightmares are. But anyway who didn't have a scary one? We all suffered nightmares.

But imagine how hard it must have been for the young minds to confront them. Much worse if it's just an eleven month old baby that will have to brave all these. Well let's put it this way: my husband and I did not sleep well (at all) last night. It was brutally interrupted many times by our daughter's cry. We took turns several times in appeasing her. Well she's having her first nightmares. Our book said that this is normally the moment when babies have more nightmares. (What?) ( Does this mean there will be more moments like this? Sigh)

As I type this post I still have my eyes really drowsy. I think I will need to go back again to bed. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

By the way, this is my entry for this three delicious ingredients chosen by Peter of Kalofagas (the last month's winner. You need to check the cake he made it's awesome) for this month's Royal Food Joust, an event created by Jen of The Left Over Queen.

for the Lime Black Sesame Prawns

10 pieces of large prawns
2 tablespoons of grated lime rind
2 tablespoons of lime juice
salt, pepper
2 tablespoons of black sesame seeds
1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
2 tablespoons of sesame oil

Peel prawn bodies leaving head and tails intact. Combine lime rind, lime juice, cumin seeds, black sesame seeds and sesame oil. Allow prawns to stand for about twelve minutes. Cook prawsn on a hot char grill or pan for 1 minute eadh side or until it changed into golden brown color.

for the Asian Herbs Spaghetti

500 g of spaghetti noodles
half a cup of Thai Basil leaves
1/4 cup of coriander leaves
2 tablespoons of light soy sauce
2 tablespoons of honey
1 tablespoon of lime juice
2 tablespoons of cooking wine like Mirin
salt, pepper

Cook the spaghetti noodles as indicated in a boiling water. Drain. Toss basil and coriander through spaghetti. Combine all the rest of ingredients and pour over the pasta. Toss to combine. Place the spaghetti on serving plate and serve with the black sesame prawns on the top.

Try my other related recipes:

Strawberrt Gazpacho and Basil
Drunk Shrimp in Sake
Spicy Fettuccini

Lasagna Mozzarella Ratatouille

Lasagna Mozzarella Ratatouille

"A failure is a man who has blundered but is not capable of cashing in on the experience."

"My reputation grows with every failure."

I still remember twenty five years ago, when the spelling bee master pronounced the word "mozzarella", It was the end of my dream to finish first place that year. I went down the stage, head bow avoiding all the looks of everybody because my tears were starting to flow. I literally cried a river that day losing to my greatest adversary, the first honor student of our class. It is always so hard to fail, specially when you think you've given your best. And for my child's heart, winning that spelling contest meant everything to me. I cried and I thought it was the end of everything. But of course, I realised eventually as I grow old that life is truly full of failures. Year after year I've known failures of all form. And year after I cry but I am still here. That is what counts.

Eventually I came to realise that mozzarella is a cheese and that it taste good. Eventually I realised that I am really poor in spelling. :-) Ratatouille used to be my password, but I always misspell it so I decided to change it. Anyways, when mozzarella and ratatouille are on my plate all forms of spelling are allowed.

I am sending this lasagna recipe to Hillary the lovely host of this week's Presto Pasta Night, a delicious pasta event created by Ruth.

Lasagna Mozzarella Ratataouille

1 pack of dry lasagna noodles
about half a casserole of your left over Ratataouille
3/4 pound mozzarella cheese
1 can of tomato sauce
salt and pepper

Bing a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook your lasagna noodles. Put your tomato sauce on your ratatouille to add liquid on it. Preheat your oven at 190° celsius. Assemble your lasagna by spreading a layer of ratatouille, a layer of noodles and mozzarella cheese. You can sprinkle the top with parmesan cheese if you want. Bake for 25 minutes covered with foil and another ten minutes without cover.

My other pasta recipes:

Spicy Fettuccine Prawn Curry
Beets, Basil, Riccotta Candy Ravioli in Orange sauce

Spicy Fettucine Curry with Prawns and Mushroom

Spicy Fettucine Curry with Prawns and Mushroom

Sometimes things happen when you least expect them.

My weekend was I what would quantify as an ordinarily extraordinary. I never realized I had so many little surprises that were in store for me. Not that I was cleaning the house and realized that I just won a lottery ticket and you are actually reading a blog of a millionaire (though I love the sound of this :-)). The truth is you might find it absurd but I always find great happiness on small things. As I rearranged our living room yesterday I realized that our hibiscus plant sitting at the corner for years have finally given us a beautiful red flower. It was just hard to imagine that after years of not bearing any flower this day finally happened. There was even a day we thought of dumping the plant long time ago.

As my husband and I were marveling at our hibiscus flower our daughter approached toward us crawling. Then all of a sudden she stood up with her two feet and smiled at us and applauded. Alright it didn’t last that long about 4 seconds. But could you just imagine how happy it made us that she did stood up for the first time without holding on to something. We just realized that she just turned tenth month old yesterday. Those little happy moments are priceless.

By the way, I hope Kevin of Closet Cooking adores spicy pasta because I am sending this recipe to the Presto Pasta Nights he is hosting, a lovely event created by Ruth of Once Upon a Feast . You can check up the link in here.

Spicy Fettucine Curry with Prawns and Mushroom

500 g of fettucine pasta
250 g of prawns
250 g of mushrooms (champignon de paris)
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 a tsp of cayenne powder (more if you desire)
some sliced chili if you desire (optional)
1 onion
20 cl of fresh cream
1 tsp pg ginger powder
2 tsp of curry powder
some olive oil
salt and pepper
some parmesan cheese

Start by cleaning and slicing the mushrooms. Clean the prawns by removing their shells and deveining them. Do not throw the shells, for you will use them in making the shrimp broth. In a casserole, put the shrimp shells and half a cup of water. Boil until it reduces to a quarter, strain and keep it aside. In a sauteing pan, put some olive oil and brown the garlic. Add the onions, followed by the mushrooms. Lastly add the prawns and let it cook for about three to four minutes. Add the curry powder, cayenne, tabasco, chopped chili (this is optional) and ginger powder, continue stirring. Pour the broth and let it simmer for about five minutes. Add the cream and let it cook for few more minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour it over your cooked fettucine and top with parmesan cheese.

Beets, Basil & Ricotta Ravioli in Orange Sauce

Old memories new recipe.
Beet, Basil & Ricotta Candy Ravioli in Orange Sauce

Have you ever met a person that loves to collection things we might find unimportant but definitely a jewel for them? Well, my dad is that person.

Growing up us a kid, we've witnessed how he collectioned stones, pages of magazines, piece of woods, cartons or tin cans and his great favorite are the calendars. The one that he wants were not the ordinary ones for he has special preference for the ones normally given away as year ender's gift.

When I heard that Italy Magazine is hosting an event on Italian Pasta story, I knew that I need to share this one. This happened long time ago when we were still kids but the good and happy memories are still fresh in my mind. I still remember the day he went back home so proud of his newly acquired calendar. It was a calendar given by a bank that featured different beautiful sceneries of Italy and a bonus recipe at the end. He cut all the pictures and pasted it on his album and told us he may never have enough money to travel abroad but every time he looks at these pictures it will bring him directly to Italy. Poverty has never inhibited my dad to become optimistic in life. That night he tried cooking the recipe on the calendar. My sisters and I saw how he slaughtered the recipe; his ingenuity in the kitchen replaced too many Italian ingredients. Well to cut it short, his pasta recipe was totally disgusting. But we ate it and we were laughing so much teasing him. Oh, those happy childhood memories. Wonderful childhood memories are like oxygen of life. It rejuvenates us, it makes us alive

It’s been long time we wanted to bring our dad to travel to Italy for a vacation but his fragile condition has been holding us back.

Soft ravioli filled with sweetness and flavor inside

Until finally last year we decided for Father’s day to bring him to an Italian restaurant to enjoy that recipe he failed to copy long time ago in our kitchen. According to my sisters he was moved into tears. Was it because of the music serenading him? Was it because of the beautiful Italian ambience? He answered that it’s because he feels lucky to have wonderful children like us. And of course, the ravioli pasta was really really good.

Today is the 40th day since my father died. In our family the 40th day of the death is normally celebrated with a mass in the church and a small gathering at home to feast the day that the soul has finished its journey. It is normally the day symbolizing that the soul have already entered in heaven.

This ravioli pasta recipe is for you dad! Now you know why ravioli pasta is my favorite!

Beet,Basil & Ricotta Candy Ravioli in Orange Sauce

for the dough: 300 g of flour, 4 tbsp of Olive oil, one egg yolk, about half a cup of hot water, some salt

This is my own ravioli dough recipe. I normally use hot water as this help in making my dough more elastic. I mix all the ingredients in a bowl and add the water little by little. You can more or less of the water suggested. Use a ravioli maker if you have one. Or use a rolling pin to flatten the dough and make the shape you prefer. As in my case candy shaped ravioli , prepare about 5 cm by 6 cm rectangular shapes of flattened dough.

for the filling: about 150 g of cooked beetroots chopped, 1 shallot, half a bunch of basil leaves chopped, about a cup of ricotta cheese, 30 g of almond powder, 2 tbsp of olive oil, salt and pepper

I started by sauteing the shallots in about 2 tbsps of olive oil. In a bowl mixed all the ingredients; ricotta, cooked beets, cooked shallots, almond powder, chopped basil leaves, salt and pepper to taste. In the ravioli dough put about a spoon of the filling and seal each ravioli with an egg wash.

for the orange sauce: 110 g of butter and juice of 1 organic orange and its zeste

In a casserole bring to a boil your orange juice together with the zest over medium fire. Then add your butter. Stir the sauce until it thickens. Cut the fire.

I think she's so pretty she deserved a solo shot!

Who said that candies are always sweet they can be savory too....

One last bite for the road!