This homemade pear and chestnut ravioli with fried sage recipe uses fall flavors like pears and chestnuts to create a delicious dish!
Mix together the all-purpose flour, semolina flour, and pinch of salt.
Mound the flour mixture onto a clean surface. Then make a deep well in the center of the mound by pushing the flour to the sides.
Whisk the eggs and Colavita Olive Oil together in a small bowl.
Pour the egg mixture into the center of the well and begin to incorporate the flour from the sides of the well, a little at a time, starting with the flour closest to the center. It’s best to use two fingers (your index and middle) from one hand to accomplish this.
Once all the flour is incorporated, knead the dough for 8 to 12 minutes, until it is smooth and supple. Dust the dough and work surface with flour as needed to keep dough from becoming sticky.
Once it is smooth and bounces back to the touch, wrap dough tightly in plastic and allow it to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the filling:peel the pear and remove the core, stem and seeds. Grate it (like cheese) on a box grater or chop it very finely.
In a food processor, combine the grated pear with the remaining filling ingredients and process until a paste forms. Pour this filling into a bowl, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Roll out dough with a pasta machine or a rolling pin to desired thickness.
Using a rotary cutter, cut the thin sheets into 2 x 3” rectangles.
Place the rectangles on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper dusted with semolina flour.
Place a teaspoon-sized amount of filling in the center of each pasta rectangle. Fold the top portion of the rectangle over the filling and press into the bottom half, sealing the ravioli. It can help to seal the ravioli to dot one side of the pasta with water. Repeat until all the ravioli have filling.
Bring a large stockpot of water to a boil, then add 4 teaspoons salt. Cook ravioli in batches (don’t over-crowd the pan) until tender, 1 to 3 minutes. The ravioli will float up to the surface when ready. Drain immediately (reserving about ½ cup of the pasta water) and toss in the skillet with the sauce.
To prepare the sauce, heat 2 tbsp of Colavita Olive Oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add two of the sage leaves and sauté for about 2-3 minutes.
Add the chopped chestnuts, honey, nutmeg, salt and ground pepper. Mix well using a heat-resistant spatula or wooden spoon. Allow the chestnuts to toast – about 5-7 minutes. If the mixture seems dry, you can add more Colavita Olive Oil.
Just before you are going to add the cooked ravioli, add the breadcrumbs to the sauce. Mix well, allowing all the flavors to incorporate.
Add the cooked ravioli and the ¼ cup of the reserved pasta water to the sauce. Mix gently, being careful not to break the delicate ravioli. The starch from the pasta water should thicken the sauce just a bit, making it “creamy”. If you’d like, add the rest of the pasta water a little bit at a time until you achieve your desired consistency.
Toss the ravioli with the sauce for just a few minutes and then serve immediately with freshly grated parmesan cheese and fried sage leaves.
To fry sage leaves:heat 2 tablespoons of Colavita Pure Olive Oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Allow the pan to become very hot.
Place some sage leaves in the hot oil. The will begin to fry immediately, turning a dark green color and getting crispy. Using metal tongs, flip them over and fry on the opposite side. Then remove them from the pan. The whole process should take under a minute.
Servings 4