This delicate and quite simple ravioli is a lovely way to enjoy the affinity of pear and cheese. The filling is a lively blend of shredded ripe pear, shredded 3 to 6 months aged Pecorino Romano, Grana Padano and mascarpone—just stirred together at the last moment. (Recipe courtesy of Lidia Bastianich.)
Yield: Makes one pound of pasta for 20 to 24 ravioli
One large, 1/2 pound, firm ripe Bartlett pear or 2 small pears. (Most pears will make a good filling as long as they are ripe but firm.)
6 ounces freshly shredded 3 to 6 months aged Pecorino Romano
1 cup grated Grana Padano
1-1/2 tablespoons chilled mascarpone
For the Sauce:
6 ounces butter
4 ounces mild 12 months Pecorino Romano, grated
Abundant coarsely ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
Making the Dough in the Food Processor: Fit the regular steel cutting blade in the bowl of the processor.
Measure the flour into the bowl; process for a few seconds to blend and aerate.
Drop the eggs and egg yolk into a spouted measuring cup or a small bowl; beat briefly with a fork to break them up. Mix in the measured amounts of oil and water. Start the machine running with the feed tube open. Pour the wet mixture into the bowl quickly; scrape all the egg drippings out of the cup into the processor too.
Let the machine run for about half a minute: a dough should form quickly, most of it should clump or ball up onto the blade—some may spread on the sides of the bowl—where it will twist and knead. If too loose add a tablespoon or two of flour; if still crumbly add a teaspoon or two of cold water.
Let the machine knead the dough for about 10 seconds . Turn the dough out on a very lightly floured surface and knead by hand for another half minute or so, until it’s smooth, soft and stretchy. Wrap and rest the dough for 30 minutes.
Preparing the Filling: Peel and core the pear and shred it against the large holes of a box grater. Stir the shreds with the shredded cheese in a bowl. Add the grated Grana Padano then blend in the mascarpone. Mix all well.
Making the Ravioli:
Cut the dough into four pieces. Work with one piece at time and keep the others moist in a closed plastic bag. Roll the first piece of dough using the machine method—make sure your strips are 5-inches wide on the first setting. When you have stretched the dough to approximately 20-inches—having narrowed the setting twice—cut it crosswise into two 10-inch strips. Roll each of these to 20-inches— long enough for 5 ravioli. Measurements need not be exact; if your dough stretches to 24-inches, make 6 ravioli, or if your strips are a bit shorter, that's all right, too.
Filling and Forming the Ravioli: Lay the two strips out on a very lightly floured surface. The strips should be the same length and width: stretch them gently by hand to widen or lengthen as needed. If one strip is clearly wider than the other, use that as a top strip to drape over the filling. Keep the strips covered with a moist cloth to prevent drying.
With a scoop or a spoon (or your fingers), place a measured amount of filling in a mound on the left or right end of your designated bottom strip. The center of the mound should be 2 inches in from edge. Place the next portion of filling 4-inches from the first, measuring center to center of the mound. You should have room for 5 or 6 mounds on the strip, Press the top of the mounds lightly to flatten and spread them just a bit.
Brush a thin strip of beaten egg along the top, bottom and side edges of the dough strip and right in between each mound of filling.
Pick up the top strip and drape it over the filling mounds, lining up the edges with the bottom dough strip on all sides and stretching it gently so it covers the bottom completely.
Now press the dough layers together lightly but only along the stripes of egg "glue.” Do not press the dough together in the clear area around the filling mounds—in fact, you want to leave a bit of air space in each of the ravioli. If you see a big bubble of air around the filling, though, push it out gently before you've pressed the edges together. Press the filling, flattening it lightly.
With your pastry cutting wheel, cut along the top, bottom and side edges of the ravioli strip in straight lines, trimming away as little of the dough as possible, then cut in between the mounds, separating the ravioli.
Arrange the finished ravioli on the lightly floured towel-lined or parchment-lined tray—check each one and pinch the edges closed any edges that may not be well sealed. Cover with a cloth and make more ravioli from the next piece of dough.
Saucing in the Skillet and Finishing: Cook the ravioli in 6 quarts of boiling salted water. Meanwhile, heat the butter until simmering in the large skillet and thin it with a cup of the boiling pasta water. Lay the cooked ravioli in the skillet and coat with the hot butter. Remove the pan from the heat and sprinkle over the grated aged Pecorino, mixing gently so the cheese begins to melt into a sauce, then grind coarse black pepper all around.
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