Manchego & Goat Cheese Ravioli with Chipotle Cream Sauce

Foodie Fights, Battle 11 – Chipotle and Goat Cheese Challenge

Woo Hoo! I was chosen to participate in the current Foodie Fight over at FoodieFights.com. I got the email stating that I had been picked and to check the web site the next morning to see the secret ingredients. Lo and behold… Chipotle Peppers and Goat Cheese. Wow. I felt like I was Tiger Woods lining up a two foot putt. I mean this is where I live, at the corner of chipotle street and goat cheese drive. I must have a million or so recipes that involve chipotle peppers. This would be piece of cake.

Then I started thinking. Why be so predictable? Why not try pairing these ingredients in a way that not many, if any, have considered. Don’t get me wrong. I can cook up some mean Chipotle and (Steak/Shrimp/Fish/Chicken/Etc.) (Tacos/Quesadillas/Tostados/Burrito/Etc.) with Goat Cheese. Very tasty meals in their own right, and no disrespect towards any of the other participants deciding to go in that direction, but I wanted to step off of my own beaten path.

For me the goat cheese is more of a stand out than the chipotle. The chipotle is a very powerful chile and even I use it judiciously. But the goat cheese is wonderfully rich with acidic overtones and this richness is what I wanted to focus on. I immediately thought to make a cheesecake but since I have never made one before it quickly got scratched off the list. Chipotle Mac and Goat Cheese was a thought but I finally arrived at goat cheese stuffed raviolis.

Few things are more satisfying than homemade pasta. And to stuff it with a mixture of sharp salty Manchego, rich tangy goat cheese and fresh basil and flat leafed parsley is just crazy good. Top it off with a sauce so yummy you will want to eat it on eggs, and you are in nirvana. I must admit, it was a bit of effort, making the raviolis and all, but very much worth it.

The taste of dish was freak?n unbelievable and through the process I challenged myself to think about these two familiar ingredients in a different way than I usually do. So thanks FoodieFights.com for allowing me to participate in Battle 11. It was a whole lot of fun.

INGREDIENTS:

For the pasta

3 – 4 cups all purpose flour
3 eggs, plus 1 for an egg wash

For the filling

1/2 cup goat cheese
1/4 cup Manchego cheese, grated
1/2 tablespoon basil, finely chopped
1/2 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped

For the sauce

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons minced chipotle in adobo
1 cup cream
2 tablespoons white wine
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 tablespoons basil, finely chopped
1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped
1 tablespoon Cotija cheese, grated
salt
fresh ground black pepper

For the garnish

1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped
1 tablespoon Cotija cheese, grated

PREPARATION:

1. I will give a cursory run through of making pasta from scratch but if you have never attempted it, it may be better that you watch a couple of instructional videos on the topic. You can pick it up much faster. Check out You Tube and just search “How to make pasta”. Oh, and I highly recommend a pasta machine. You can do without but trust me, you don?t want to.

First dump the flour into a pile on a clean work surface and create a well in the center big enough for the eggs to stay contained within. Next break the 3 eggs into the center of the well and gently beat them with a fork. Once well mixed, begin to drag small amounts of the flour into the egg mixture to incorporate. Continue doing so until you form dough that is no longer sticky but isn’t dry either. Now knead the dough for several minutes until it is uniform in texture and color. Form it into a mound shape or ball and cover it with a damp towel and allow it to rest for 15 minutes. Cut off about 1/4 of the dough (keep the remainder covered so it doesn’t dry out) and run it through your pasta machine enough times to produce a thin, wide layer of pasta. I think I settled on #5 thicknesses. Let the pasta sheet dry just a bit for easier cutting. Maybe 10 minutes while you prepare the filling.

2. In a medium bowl mix the goat cheese, Manchego and the herbs together with a fork. Mash everything together to incorporate. Now cut your pasta into 2 or 2 1/2 inch squares. I used a pizza cutter. Beat an egg for use as a wash. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of the mixture onto a pasta square and moisten the edges by brushing on a tiny amount of the egg wash. Place another pasta square on top, press the edges and crimp with a fork. Repeat this entire process, working in batches with your dough and stuffing raviolis until you have about 24 (2 inches) or 18 (2 1/2 inches).

3. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallot and the chipotle and cook until shallots are tender, about 4 minutes. Then add the garlic and cook for an additional minute. Now add the cream, wine, sour cream herbs and Cotija and simmer for about 3 minutes longer. Add salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste.

4. In a large pot bring a couple of quarts of salted water to a slow rolling boil. Add the raviolis and cook until al dente, about 6 – 8 minutes. Handle with care so the don?t break open. Drain and serve topped with the sauce of course and garnish with a pinch of the herb mixture and more grated Cotija cheese.

Serves 2

Heat Factor

Who won battle Chipotle and Goat Cheese?(polls)