Unfancymeat and pear open ravioli
Apasta sauce doesn't need to include a bunch of fancy ingredients, or take a lot of time, todazzle at dinnertime.
The sausage and pear ravioli recipe from Francine Segan, author of one of my favorite pasta cookbooks, “Pasta Modern,” is but one delectable example. It follows in the footsteps offamed Italian chef Gualtiero Marchesei, who in the 1980s introduced the idea of ravioli aperti, or “open ravioli.”
Instead of being stuffed inside wontons or dough pockets, Segan's meat and pear filling is used as a freeformsauce for fresh or dried pasta. The combination of salty bacon, sweet Italian sausage and fresh pear is much richer than a classic tomato sauce. It's especially suited to fall, whenwe crave comfort food. Raisins, cinnamon and sage build on the autumnalnotes, andthere's a sweet finishing crunch from crushed amaretti cookies.
The original recipe calls for adding ¼ pound of sliced roast beef but I doubled the amount of bacon instead.
MEATANDPEAROPEN RAVIOLI
3tablespoonsbutter 4slicesbacon, diced 1 sweet Italian sausage 1 largepear, thinly sliced
withpeel lefton 2tablespoonsgoldenor
regularraisins
1garlic clove, minced 3to4small sageleaves 1-poundcalamarataor
othertubepasta Zestof½ lemon ⅓ cupgranapadanoor otheragedcheese, or moretotaste
Dashortwoofground
cinnamon
Freshly gratednutmeg Mincedfreshparsley Saltandfreshlyground
blackpepper 2or3amaretticookies, crushed
In large skillet, melt butter overmedium-high heat. Add bacon and cook until crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove sausage fromcasing and crumble it into the pan; cook untilbrowned. Addbeef (if using), pear, raisins, garlic and sage. Cookmixture until pears are soft.
Meanwhile, boilpastain saltedwater until it isalmost aldente. Drain, savingacupof cookingwater.Toss drained pastaintothesaucewitha fewtablespoonsofcooking liquid.
Stirwellandcook, adding morecooking liquid ifneeded, untilpastaisaldente.
Stir in the zest and season with grated cheese, cinnamon, nutmeg and parsley to taste. Season with salt and pepper.
Servepasta toppedwith a sprinkling ofamaretti crumbs.
Serves 4.
— Adapted from“Pasta Modern” by Francine Segan (Stewart, Tabori and Chang; October 2013)