A surprising turn—delicate ravioli filled with the fresh flavors of sweet green peas with mint, then sauced with a mint-and-parmigiano cream and lots of cracked black pepper to offset the sweetness. First make the filling, then roll out the pasta dough, fill the little ravioli, simmer, drain, and sauce with the rich cream.
These are best made with the first, fresh young green peas, the kind the French call primeurs, when they’re so sweet you want to eat them raw, like candy. But we have a confession to make: We have also made these with frozen peas and, while they are not quite as delicious as the fresh variety, they work well when the younger peas are no longer available.
MAKES 36 RAVIOLI, TO SERVE 6
1 recipe Basic Pasta Fresca Dough, made using 3 cups flour and 3 large eggs (see here)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 plump shallots, finely minced
3 pounds fresh young peas (3 cups shelled peas)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons finely minced fresh mint
1 pint heavy cream
½ cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon cool water
All-purpose flour, for dusting
Semolina or fine cornmeal, for the sheet pan
Have the pasta dough ready but do not roll it out until the filling has been prepared.
Add the butter to a saucepan and set over medium-low heat. As soon as the butter melts, stir in the minced shallots and cook gently, just until they have softened slightly. Stir in the peas and mix well. Add 2 or 3 tablespoons hot water—just enough to keep the peas from catching—along with a pinch of salt and a little pepper. Cover the pan and cook the peas for about 10 minutes, or until they are tender. (If you’re using frozen peas, 2 minutes will be sufficient.) Stir in 1 tablespoon of the mint and the cream. Bring the cream to a simmer and then remove from the heat.
Use a slotted spoon to strain out the peas from the cream. Transfer the strained peas to the bowl of a food processor and add about ¼ cup of the cream. Blend until smooth. If the mixture seems too stiff, add in another tablespoon or two of cream. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding salt and/or pepper, if necessary.
Stir ¼ cup of the grated parmigiano into the cream remaining in the saucepan and heat just enough to melt the cheese. Keep the mixture warm while you make the ravioli.
Working with half the pasta dough and keeping the other half covered, roll it out in the pasta roller until the sheet is a long rectangle, about 4 inches wide and approximately ¹⁄16 inch thick. Stretch the dough sheet out on a lightly floured board. Using a pastry brush, brush the egg wash over the left half of the sheet. Put the pureed pea filling into a piping bag and pipe dabs of filling, about 1 tablespoon each and approximately ½ inch apart, on the egg-washed half of the pasta sheet. You should be able to get at least 18 dabs on the sheet. Now fold the other half of the pasta sheet over the dabs to cover them completely. Press down with the side of your hand along the edges and in between each of the filling dabs to make 18 ravioli, about 1½ by 2 inches, each one filled with pea puree. Use a round ravioli stamp to cut out the ravioli, making sure that each one is sealed well. Sprinkle a tray with a layer of semolina, pick up the ravioli and gently lay them, one by one, on the tray without touching. Continue with the remaining pasta and filling.
When you have finished with all the ravioli, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and add a big spoonful of salt. Turn the heat down to a very gentle boil and add the ravioli, a few at a time. Cook the ravioli in batches. They will be done in 2 to 3 minutes, when they float to the top of the water. Remove with a slotted spoon to a warm serving bowl.
When all the ravioli are done, plate them in warm dishes, spoon the cream mixture over the top and garnish with the remaining 1 tablespoon minced mint and the remaining ¼ cup cheese. Crack a couple of turns of pepper over the top and serve immediately.