I have teamed up with parmigiano Reggiano to bring you some seasonal recipes and these cracker shaped ravioli are really special. they are filled with chestnut and parmesan puree and are perfect for the holiday season, or they could be shaped like normal ravioli for any occasion. I love chestnuts and parmesan together and with chestnuts being in season its the perfect time to try them. You can also use a pack of vacuum packed roasted chestnuts if you don’t want to use fresh.  I served these little beauties in some brown butter and my partner has been begging me to make them again ever since. Parmigiano Reggiano has an amazing flavour, its perfect for this recipe.

Recipe

Pasta dough

1 cup fine durum wheat semolina flour
1 cup tippo 00 flour
10 egg yolks

Filling

• 180g roasted chestnuts (you can buy them ready roasted)
• 100g freshly grated parmigiana reggiano parmesan
• 6 dried porcini mushrooms in 250ml boiling water
• salt and pepper
• freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 tbsp. dried sage

To cook

• 6 fresh sage leaves
• 6 tbsp. butter
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• salt pepper
• parmesan

To make pasta, add the flour in a mound on the work surface and make a hole in the centre and pour in the eggs. Then using a fork start mixing the eggs while gradually mixing in the flour, knead for about 5/10 minutes until smooth. Let the dough rest for 20 minutes. while you make the filling. In a food processor add the chestnuts and pulse, boil some water and add the mushrooms in a dish and pour over 250ml of water and let sit for 5 minutes. Add the parmesan in to the food processor, then using a spoon remove the mushrooms from the liquid and add those. then strain the liquid through a sieve to remove any grit and add 150 ml of it and 3 tsp olive oil and the dried sage, nut meg and salt and pepper and puree again, add a little more of the mushroom soaking liquid to loosen the mixture if needed then add into a piping bag. Using a pasta machine roll out the dough until it is thin then cut into rectangles (see below). TIP roll the dough through the widest setting then fold and roll again, then fold again and roll through then roll through turning the width down each time, this will ensure it I nice and al dente. pipe on lines of filling then brush some water around the filling and roll up in to cracker shapes and press the ends to close then and pinch them, you can then cut small strips of dough and wrap it around each end to look like a cracker.

Boil a pan of water and then and some salt add the pasta and boil for approx. 4/6 minutes then strain gently. Meanwhile In a frying pan add the oil, butter and sage and simmer until it turns brown, remove the sage and pour through a sieve to remove any black bits, add the brown butter back in the pan and then add the cooked pasta and toss in the butter. serve with salt and pepper and lots of grated parmesan.

Is there any thing more delicious than brown butter and sage and lots of grated parmesan?

Keep an eye out for the next two parmigiano Reggiano parmesan recipes coming next week. Hint there will be a beef and peppercorn stew with parmesan dumplings (or a cheese straw top) and a 5 hour lamb ragu with parmesan polenta!!!