Recipe: Crab, Lobster and Lentil Ravioli with Tomato Cream Sauce

By Nancy Caivano

Crab, Lobster and Lentil Ravioli
with Tomato Cream Sauce

Serves 6

Ingredients:

For pasta dough:
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup water
2 eggs
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt

For filling:
1 live (1-1/4 to 1-1/2 lb) lobster
1/3 cup lentils
2 tbsp olive oil
1 shallot, minced
1 small fennel bulb, greens removed, diced
2 leeks, washed well and thinly sliced
8 oz lump crabmeat, picked over for shells
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1/4 cup heavy cream
Salt and Pepper
1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp water (for egg wash)

For sauce:
3 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
10 cloves garlic, chopped
   (or 2 tbsp jar chopped garlic)
2 carrots, finely chopped
2 (28-oz) cans crushed tomatoes
   (if you have a lot of tomatoes in your garden,
   you can substitute about 2-lb ripe tomatoes)
1 (28-oz) can tomato purée
1/2 cup red wine
1/4 cup parsley, chopped (or 2 tbsp dried)
3 tbsp basil, julienne (or 2 tsp dry)
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese (or Parmesan)

Method:

Prepare the pasta dough:
In a large bowl with wooden spoon, stir flour with remaining ingredients to make a stiff dough. On a well-floured surface knead dough until smooth and not sticky. Wrap dough with plastic wrap and let rest 30 minutes.

Prepare filling:
Boil lobster in a large pot of boiling water for 10 minutes. Transfer to bowl of ice water to cool. Drain well. Remove claws and tails. Using a large, sharp knife cut tails into 2" pieces. Remove meat. Crack claws and remove meat. Dice meat, put into a bowl and set aside.

Meanwhile, cook lentils in a saucepan of simmering, salted water until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain.

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallot, fennel, and leek. sauté until tender and just beginning to brown, about 20 minutes. Add lentils, lobster, crab, and 1/4 cup parsley. Remove from heat and add 1/4 cup cream, stirring until mixture binds together. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Meanwhile, prepare sauce:
In a large stockpot, heat 3 tbsp olive oil on medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic and carrot, and sauté until onion begins to brown. Add tomatoes and tomato purée. Stir well. Add wine and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and let simmer 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, add 1/4 cup parsley and basil to sauce, and cook 15 minutes more. Working in batches, purée sauce in blender; return to same pot. (If you have a handblender, you can use it right in the pot). Add 3/4 cup cream and simmer 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Cut pasta dough in half. Roll out both halves of pasta dough very thinly (about 1/8-inch thick) on a floured board. Cover one half with a damp towel to prevent drying. Drop filling by tbsp, about 1 inch apart on one sheet pasta dough. Brush other sheet of pasta with egg wash. Gently place second sheet of pasta, egg side down on top of first sheet. Gently press around filling to seal. Using a ravioli cutter, biscuit cutter, large cookie cutter, or a sharp knife, cut ravioli. Let cut ravioli rest 10 minutes.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add ravioli and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain well. Toss with tomato cream sauce, then add Romano cheese, toss well to combine and serve immediately.

Note:
The ravioli can be made ahead in parts. You can make the filling the day before. You can make the sauce up to 5 days before if refrigerated, or a long time before if kept frozen. The ravioli can be made ahead and frozen. Place ravioli in a single layer on a parchment or plastic covered cookie sheet. Cover well and freeze. When frozen, place into zip top plastic bags.