Recipe: Lemon Chicken Ravioli with Tomatoes and Artichokes

By Nancy Caivano

Lemon Chicken Ravioli
with Tomatoes and Artichokes

Serves 6 as a main course, or 8-10 as a first course

Ingredients:

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

For filling:
3 tbsp olive oil
1 lb boneless, skinless, chicken breast,
minced (a food processor makes this really easy)
4 anchovy fillets, minced
3/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese (or Parmesan)
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp grated lemon zest
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
2 tbsp basil, julienne
Salt and Pepper
2 eggs scrambled with 1 tbsp water (for egg wash)

For sauce:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 pound fresh, ripe plum tomatoes,
   peeled and chopped
1-lb fresh or frozen artichoke hearts
   (if frozen, thaw and drain well,
   if using fresh, thinly slice)
1/4 cup dry red wine
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
2 tbsp thyme, finely chopped
Salt and Pepper
1 tbsp butter, chopped
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese (or Parmesan)

Method:

Prepare pasta:
In a large bowl with wooden spoon, stir 2-1/4 cups 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:
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until well browned. Remove from heat, and stir in anchovies, Romano, cream, nutmeg, lemon zest, lemon juice, parsley and basil. Stir together until mixture forms together. Season with salt and pepper.

Cut pasta dough in half. Roll out both halves of pasta dough very thinly (about 1/8") on a floured board. Cover one half with a damp towel to prevent drying. Brush first sheet of pasta with egg wash and drop filling by tbsp, about 1-inch apart on 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 under a lightly damp towel.

Prepare sauce:
Heat olive oil in a large pot. Add onion, garlic and carrots and cook until onion just begins to brown. Add tomatoes and artichokes and cook, stirring until mixture begins to boil. Add red wine and simmer 15 minutes. Add parsley and thyme and season with salt and pepper.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add ravioli and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain well.

Add butter to sauce and swirl in. Coat ravioli in sauce, add remaining Romano cheese and toss well. 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.