no.10
Carbonara Ravioli all’uovo
It was only a matter of time before I took my favourite Roman pasta dish and turned it into a raviolo. In fact, I have a very long list of recipes, notes and ideas on my phone that I use as a sort of to-do list for recipe development, and it’s been on there for quite some time, sitting right at the top of the list (the older ideas), glaring at me each time I decided to embark on another pasta Sunday adventure.
It read:
Pecorino + black pepper cream
Crispy guanciale
Yolk centre
Carbonara does not do things by halves. It is truly pure decadence. It’s rich, it’s fatty, it’s unapologetic. It has a few simple ingredients - eggs, cheese, guanciale - and it’s (IMO) heaven on a plate.
Decadence, being the key theme here, this raviolo is a take on a classic all’uovo preparation, where an egg yolk is nestled into the centre of a sheet of dough, surrounded by a padding of filling (usually ricotta), and cooked relatively briefly to ensure the yolk remains runny. In order to bring that classic carbonara flavour through, the filling is a pecorino heavy mix of ricotta, with small bits of crispy guanciale folded through. Served with a spoonful of extra guanciale just for good measure, when you cut into it and mix the yolk, pecorino and guanciale together, it sings. It’s carbonara.
The key to shaping is to take your time ensuring as much air as possible is pressed out around the filling, while being mindful not to disturb the yolk aggressively. It is a delicate process, so go into making this with the right mindset.
Now, it’s time to address the elephant in the room:
“but what do you do with all of the egg whites?”
I get asked this a lot and really simply, I store them in the fridge to add to omelettes. I don’t prepare sweet treats too often, but if I did I’d consider working them into a pavlova or amaretti.
Suggested Wine Pairing
Pinot Noir is the order of the day. A light-bodied wine with bright fruit flavours, grown in cooler climates. Ooof! It’s a favourite. And funnily enough it goes particularly well with carbonara, thanks to its acidity which cuts through the richness of the sauce. Of course, not a traditional Italian dish with Italian wine pairing, but I really think it’s worth giving this one a go.
Sunday Soundtrack
A weekly playlist of 10 tracks I’ve been listening to on repeat. Hit play and get kneading.