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.

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