The Passionate Olive by Carol Firenze Read Free Book Online Page A

his trips, and his young daughter, my nonna Jenny, was sent to America to live with her aunt. Out of one of his ship’s oars, Giovanni carved a beautiful, smooth rolling pin, then gave it to my grandmother as a wedding present in 1910. With it, she rolled out the dough for her excellent sfoglia (sheets of pasta) for her fabulous ravioli.
    Several years ago, after my grandparents died, my mother asked if I would like the rolling pin. Of course, I said yes. And each year when our extended family has our annual ravioli cook-off (our version of a “chili cook-off”), my mother and I use this well-preserved rolling pin to make our favorite ravioli. As I am rolling the crust, I look with wonderment at this historical item, and I continue to use olive oil, as my family has for four generations, to preserve this beautiful wooden utensil.
Spinach and Meat Ravioli (FOR ABOUT 200 RAVIOLI)
FOR THE FILLING — THE ripieno
    ½ pound spinach (or
    borage, if you can find it) ½ chopped yellow onion
    1 chopped clove garlic
    1 tablespoon extra virgin
    olive oil
    ⅓ pound finely ground beef
    ⅓ pound finely ground pork
    ⅓ pound finely ground veal
    1 tablespoon Italian
    seasonings
    3 large eggs (slightly beaten)
    ⅓ cup bread crumbs
    ½ cup Parmesan cheese
HOW TO PREPARE
     
Wash the spinach (or borage) and cook until soft; squeeze out liquid and mince until very, very fine
Chop onion and garlic and sauté in olive oil over medium heat
Add the three types of ground meat and continue sautéing until the meats are brown
Add the Italian seasoning
Remove from heat and place in a bowl
Once the meat has cooled, combine well and add minced spinach
Add the eggs, bread crumbs, and Parmesan cheese
Set aside
FOR THE SHEETS OF PASTA — THE sfoglia
    4 cups flour
    1 egg
    2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
    2 teaspoons salt or to taste
    1 cup warm water
HOW TO PREPARE
     
Mix dough ingredients together
Knead for about 20 minutes
Press your finger into the dough; if it bounces back, the dough is ready
Form dough into a ball and cover with a towel or cloth
Let the dough rest for 30 to 60 minutes
Divide the dough in half before rolling it out
Spinach and Meat Ravioli
Assembling and Cooking
HOW TO ASSEMBLE
     
Roll out two rectangular or square sheets of pasta (equal size)
On one of the sheets of pasta, distribute olive-sized portions (about ½ teaspoon) of the filling—about 1½ inches apart
Loosely place the second sheet of pasta on top of the first sheet
Press down with your fingertips to separate the rows of the filling so that each individual ravioli is formed
Cut along the rows with a ravioli cutter (wheel)
Gently press the edges of the ravioli with your fingertips to make sure they are sealed
Place the ravioli on a lightly floured linen dishcloth, making sure they do not touch
HOW TO COOK
     
Bring lightly salted water to a boil in a large pot
Delicately place the ravioli in the water
Cook for 5 to 8 minutes
The cooked ravioli will rise to the top; however, the only real way to determine if they are cooked (to your satisfaction) is to taste them (the filling should be hot and the pasta cooked through)
Using a slotted spoon, carefully put the ravioli on a plate and place tomato sauce (see recipe, this page ) on top
Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese
    Most wooden cutting boards in Italy are made from olive wood, and so it is natural to use olive oil to preservetheir beauty. The golden liquid can also preserve cutting boards made from other types of wood including oak or maple, and for any and all of your wooden kitchen utensils. Of course, it is important to make sure that the utensils and cutting boards are free from food particles and very clean prior to wiping them with olive oil.
Formula to Preserve Wooden Utensils
     
Hand wash wooden utensils or cutting boards, then towel dry
Put a small amount of olive oil on a paper or cloth towel
Very lightly oil the wooden utensils or cutting boards
You can wash the wooden utensils without worry after oiling,