Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Ravioli with "Wrong" Sauce

I chopped half a medium onion and sauteed in Goya extra virgin olive oil with a ton of black pepper way longer than you're supposed to, at higher heat than you're supposed to (staying under the oil's smoke point), until some onion was limp, some caramelized, and some nearly burnt. I didn't stir (as you're supposed to) in order to ensure uneven levels of doneness (which I'll dub "tripiaza", in reference to the Pakistani "dopiaza" technique of combining onions of two degrees of doneness).

I added five quartered Campari tomatoes (which, with their thick skins and low acid are not recommended for cooking), and seasoned with Penzey's pasta sprinkle, which is supposed to be sprinkled on, rather than cooked in. I stirred, covered tightly, cooked on medium for a minute or so, then reduced heat to lowest, never touching it.

When the ravioli (mushroom/gruyere, from Fairway) were done, I spooned the sauce over and served with steamed greens. It killed. My only quibble was that it was maybe just a touch too aromatically simple. I should have done the Greek/Egyptian trick, adding a hint of cinnamon, which would have offset the sharp onions and copious black pepper.

The ravioli themselves were just ok, but I'm spoiled by my two favorite area ravioli makers - Casinelli's (3112 23rd Ave; Astoria, NY; 718-274-4881) in Queens and Mr. Sausage (3 Union Place, Huntington, NY; 631 271-3836) on Long Island.

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