makes about 96 small ravioli, to serve 8 to 10
Ravioli has a unique place on the Greek table, as both a savory and a sweet dish. The dish, obviously, has Italian roots, despite the fact that we find traditional Greek recipes for ravioli (or rafioli) on various islands, mainly those whose history includes a long period of rule by either the Venetians or the Genoese. Among these are the various Cyclades islands and the Eptanisa, or seven islands of the Ionian, among them.
This recipe is inspired by that tradition, but is a long way from anything one might encounter in a traditional Greek island kitchen. For one thing, I cheat! After getting past the notion that everything has to be made totally by hand, and finding myself never really having time to make my own pasta, I now use a wheat-based wonton wrapper for this and a few other recipes. Grandmothers of Greece … forgive me!
1 cup (240 ml) fresh anthotyro or ricotta cheese, drained
½ cup (75 g) crumbled Greek feta
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
48 wheat-based wonton wrappers
1 large egg, lightly beaten
FOR THE SAUCE
⅓ cup (80 ml) extra-virgin Greek olive oil, plus more for drizzling
4 large red onions, halved and thinly sliced
Pinch of salt
10 dried Greek figs, stemmed, soaked in 1 cup (240 ml) warm water
2 tablespoons Greek balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons petimezi (grape molasses)
½ cup (120 ml) dry red wine
3 cups (60 g) chopped wild or baby arugula
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Crushed pink peppercorns, for garnish
1 cup (100 g) grated Kefalotyri or dried myzithra cheese
Combine the anthotyro and feta together in a bowl and mash with a fork until smooth. Taste and season with a little salt, if needed, and black pepper to taste.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place 8 wonton wrappers in front of you on a clean work surface (keep the others covered with a damp paper towel so they don’t dry out). Cut each in half to get 16 pieces total. Brush the edges of each piece lightly with the beaten egg. Place 1 teaspoon of the cheese filling in the center of each wonton piece. Fold over and press the edges together, using your fingers or the tines of a fork to seal the edges well. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat to fill the remaining wonton wrappers, layering another sheet of parchment on top of the ravioli if they don’t all fit in one layer. At this point, the entire baking sheet can be wrapped tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 2 days.
When ready to cook the ravioli, make the sauce: In a large, heavy skillet or wide, shallow pot, heat the olive oil over low to medium heat. Add the onions and sprinkle lightly with salt. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and lightly caramelized, about 20 minutes.
While the onions are cooking, drain the figs, reserving their soaking liquid. Chop or slice the figs.
Add the vinegar, petimezi, and wine to the pan with the onions. As soon as the wine begins to evaporate, add the figs and their soaking liquid. You can add a little warm water, if needed, to keep the sauce moist. Simmer the onion-fig mixture until thick, adding the arugula right at the end and tossing to wilt slightly. Remove from the heat. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Set the sauce aside, covered.
Cook the ravioli: Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add a generous amount of salt. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and stir the water in one direction with a long spoon to form a whirlpool in the center. Quickly add the ravioli, 24 at a time, stirring gently to separate them as they touch the water. Simmer gently for about 2 minutes, or until they rise to the surface and are slightly translucent. Remove the ravioli with a slotted spoon and place on a serving platter. Spoon some of the sauce over the first layer. Drizzle with a little olive oil; crush some pink peppercorns between your fingers and sprinkle them over the top. Sprinkle with some of the grated cheese. Cook the remaining ravioli in batches of 24, removing them with a slotted spoon and placing them on the platter on top of the previous layer. Spoon the remaining sauce on top and drizzle with olive oil. Garnish with more crushed pink peppercorns and the remaining grated cheese. Serve immediately.