Herbed Mascarpone-Goat Cheese Ravioli Filling
This ravioli filling invokes spring - the combination of goat cheese and mascarpone keeps it lighter than the traditional ricotta/egg filling. The addition of fresh herbs brings spring freshness to your plate. This recipe makes a lot of raviolis (80!) - so basically dinner for 10. Cut it in half, play free and easy with herb amounts. Substitute chives for the herbs, consider marjoram or peppery arugula. A little square of ravioli is like a secret, and so they are - until you bite into it. Will there be a rich, dense meaty filling or savory ricotta? The delight in this filling is its lush creaminess offset by the delicate tang of the goat cheese and the fresh burst of herb flavor. Use your favorite pasta dough or store-bought wonton skins for the covering.
This ravioli filling invokes spring - the combination of goat cheese and mascarpone keeps it lighter than the traditional ricotta/egg filling. The addition of fresh herbs brings spring freshness to your plate. This recipe makes a lot of raviolis (80!) - so basically dinner for 10. Cut it in half, play free and easy with herb amounts. Substitute chives for the herbs, consider marjoram or peppery arugula. A little square of ravioli is like a secret, and so they are - until you bite into it. Will there be a rich, dense meaty filling or savory ricotta? The delight in this filling is its lush creaminess offset by the delicate tang of the goat cheese and the fresh burst of herb flavor. Use your favorite pasta dough or store-bought wonton skins for the covering.
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 8 oz plain goat cheese log (i used triple cream coach farms goat cheese - it is pricey but so richly delicious and it's $1 off right now at kowalski's)
- 8 oz mascarpone cheese (i used crave brothers)
- 2 tbl nutmeg (i freshly grate mine in a coffee grinder; the aroma is worth the effort)
- 4 tbl fresh italian parsley
- 4 tbl fresh rosemary
- 4 tbl fresh thyme
- Carbohydrate 2.79555732038808 g
- Cholesterol 51.016280328 mg
- Fat 17.2729310609273 g
- Fiber 0.566999993844677 g
- Protein 6.56166745310216 g
- Saturated Fat 10.7862484594255 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (56g)
- Sodium 193.223652244907 mg
- Sugar 2.2285573265434 g
- Trans Fat 1.70849023236766 g
- Calories 190 calories
Step-by-step
- With a hand mixer, whip the goat cheese, cream and mascarpone together until smooth.
- Add your nutmeg and whip.
- Add the herbs and combine. Salt and pepper to taste (I don't.)
- Cut ravioli squares from your wontons or fresh pasta sheets into 3-4 inch squares. Put 1 tbl of mixture in the middle. Cover with a square and "glue it together" with a little water.(Put some water into a small cup and brush the edges with water and press edges together.)
- Boil large stockpot of water with 1 tbl oil and salt. Lower heat to simmer and add your raviolis - about 15 at a time. Cook 3-4 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon. Add raviolis and repeat until all are cooked. Save 1/2 cup pasta water. Toss raviolis in a mixture of Earth Balance Butter, fresh herbs and moisten with pasta water. Serve.
- Put wax paper on baking sheet. Dust with flour. Put raviolis on baking sheet and cover and freeze. Repeat for all. When frozen, remove and put frozen raviolis into baggies. When frozen, they will not stick together. They can be frozen for three months.
Lower the heat to a bare simmer before dropping the filled pasta into the rolling boil, because vigorous bubbling will tear delicate wonton skins or fresh dough apart. Combining tangy goat cheese with rich mascarpone yields a lighter profile than traditional ricotta blends, balancing density with a clean finish. Fresh rosemary, thyme, and parsley release aromatic volatile oils when minced finely, permeating the dairy fats effectively. Fresh pasta squares require precise handling, so brush edges lightly with water and press firmly to expel trapped air pockets that cause blowouts during boiling. When cooking, limit batches to fifteen pieces at a time to maintain water temperature and prevent sticking. Determining doneness relies on observation rather than a thermometer, as the pasta floats to the surface and the wrappers turn slightly translucent after three to four minutes. Pair this rich stuffed pasta with crisp, acidic accompaniments such as a simple arugula salad dressed in bright lemon vinaigrette to cut through the heavy dairy fats. Roasted asparagus or charred green beans dusted with lemon zest provide a complementary earthy crunch that grounds the dish without competing with the herb-forward filling. Leftover parcels freeze successfully for up to three months when arranged in a single layer on a floured baking sheet before transfer to storage bags.
