Pumpkin Ravioli

Ravioli, a pasta whose name derives from the verb "to wrap" (ravvolgere).

George Hirsch Pumpkin Ravoli

A century ago stuffed pasta with vegetable-based fillings were eaten on Fridays and during Lent. The meat-stuffed varieties, on the other hand, were a day-after treat made with the leftover meats from Sunday dinners or festive meals. Autumn is the perfect time to stuff-it with fall squash or what has become a viewer favorite from my TV series - pumpkin.

TIPS: 

Uncooked ravioli will freeze well for a two months, when stored flat in single layers.

Make mini ravioli for soups.

Ricotta Pasta Dough

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3 1/2 to 4 cups all purpose flour, variable

10 ounces ricotta, well drained

2 whole eggs, beaten

1 egg yolk, add to beaten eggs

1/4 teaspoon salt 

To Mix By Hand:

Mound 3 1/2 cups of the flour and salt in the center of a large wooden cutting board or use a large deep bowl. Make a well in the middle of the flour, add the ricotta and eggs. Begin to mix all ingredients by hand folding the flour round and round. 

The dough will come together when half of the flour is incorporated. At this point, start kneading the dough with both hands, using the palms of your hands. 

Once the dough comes together, remove the dough from the bowl and scrape up and discard any leftover bits. Lightly flour the board and continue kneading for 6 more minutes. The dough should be elastic and a little sticky. If too sticky add a little more flour.

Wrap the dough in plastic, refrigerate overnight or allow to rest for at least one hour. Because of the eggs, the Ricotta Dough should be cooked or frozen within three days.

Roll or shape as desired. 

From here you can prepare ravioli, fettuccini, pappardelle, or endless variety of shapes. 

Divide the dough into four pieces. Lightly dust a large wooden board with flour and roll slightly by hand, repeat dusting with flour flipping dough over as you make it thinner and thinner. The trick is to use just the right amount of flour, too little it will stick, too much and the pasta will become tough when cooked. 

A pasta dough machine with metal rollers and cutters is ideal to give you variety of options. But with a little practice by hand, you’ll roll the dough like a pro. 

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George's Pumpkin Ravioli Recipe
Makes four-six servings
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4 pre-made pasta sheets or 1 recipe George’s Ricotta Pasta Dough

For the Pumpkin Filling:
1/2 cup can pumpkin
1 cup fresh ricotta, well drained
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
2 egg yolks
1 whole egg
Pinch fresh nutmeg
Fresh ground black pepper
Optional,  1 Tablespoon dried bread crumbs if filling is too moist

To Fill Ravioli: 
Lay out pasta sheet on a lightly floured board. Cut into two inch squares with a knife or pastry cutter. Put 1 Tablespoon pumpkin filling in the center using either a pastry bag or a small spoon. Leave a 1/4-inch border all around the filling. Moisten borders with water and top with remaining rounds of dough. Press all the air out and seal firmly by pressing all around with fingertips. Place raviolis on a lightly floured board or baking sheet and lightly sprinkle the tops with fine corn meal to keep from sticking. Repeat until you run out of dough and/or filling. 

Prepare the sauce, then cook the ravioli, by boiling in lightly salted water until tender, about 3 minutes. 

Butter & Sage Sauce:
6 Tablespoons butter
1 clove garlic, peeled and sliced
3 fresh sage leaves
1/4 cup pecan pieces
Parmesan cheese to taste 

Heat a sauté pan and melt butter. As butter begins to brown add garlic clove, pecans and sage leaves. Remove ravioli directly from water and place in sauté pan to coat with butter. Add about 2 Tablespoons pasta water to sauce. Serve on a warm platter with  with olive oil and Parmesan cheese. 

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Bologna Inspired

The cold weather is about to enter into the low digits; so light a roaring fire in the fireplace and keep the big soup pot at the ready. You could make my Baked Potato Soup as a quick way to warm up. Or, how about cooking-up a brothy and hearty tortellini soup. (The tortellini originates from the north-cental part of Italy). Serve with my Fennel & Green Bean Salad and Homemade Biscuits for a complete meal. 

BTW--To answer a much often asked viewer question about my TV show; yes, 100% of my recipes are cooked on air and are eaten by my TV crew. Hey, it’s part of their job!

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Tortellini Basil Soup

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1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 cup sweet onion, chopped

8 cloves caramelized garlic

1 cup canned San Marzano Tomatoes, chopped

4 Tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

1 quarter cup fresh spinach leaves, shredded

8 cups chicken or vegetable broth

8 ounces cheese tortellini

1 cup small white beans, cooked or canned

Pinch nutmeg

Grated parmesan cheese to taste

Fresh ground black pepper

Pre heat a medium soup pot to medium temperature.

Add olive oil, onion, garlic, tomatoes and cook for 4-5 minutes.  Pour in broth and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and add tortellini, spinach, basil, and white beans. Simmer until tortellinis are al dente and season with nutmeg, pepper. Add parmesan cheese to taste. Serve with a basil leaf on top. 

NOTE: This recipe requires a good quality tortellini if you are cooking the pasta in the broth. A lesser quality tortellini will make the soup starchy. If you are not sure of the quality, cook the tortellini separately and add pasta to the soup right before serving. 

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13 EPISODES on 4 HD-DVD Disk Set, season one
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Ribs and Sauce

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Ribs & Sauce — a perfect relationship

Everyone has a favorite way to serve ribs. Some like it dry with just a rub, others will dip dry ribs and wet them down with a vinegary sauce; or slather them up with a sugary sticky sauce right before coming off the grill. I'm often asked how I like my ribs the best. Really, I like them both ways, it just depends on what mood I'm in. It's definitely going to be a sticky rib weekend!

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Ribs cannot be prepared in a hurry, so toss a burger on a separate hot grill while you wait. How-to prepare the Ribs.

For Making Ribs with Sticky Sauce:

15 minutes prior to removing the slow cooked ribs, brush ribs lightly with a little sauce to moisten and add flavor. Remove, cut and serve ribs as is or serve extra sauce on side for pouring over ribs. 

GH Rib Sauce Recipe

 Makes 3 cups

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1/2 cup onion, chopped

2 green onions, chopped

3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup orange juice

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon thyme

1 Tablespoon soy sauce

2 teaspoons fresh grated orange zest

1 cup ketchup 

1 cup tomato sauce

1 teaspoon hot sauce

Place the onion, green onions, garlic, cumin, thyme, vinegar, orange juice, and sugar in a small pot.  Boil until the vinegar is reduced by half.  Add orange zest, soy sauce, ketchup, tomato sauce, hot sauce and simmer for 10 minutes.

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Asado

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In South America it’s a custom on weekends to get together with family and friends and eat meat, and lots of it! Slow roasting many types of meat, mostly beef over an open fire derives this tradition from ranching/farming countries like Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Chile and Uruguay. This grilling party called an asado can also be a great way to party this time of year at the American tradition of ‘tailgating'.

In Argentina, beef is king. A parillada mixta, or mixed grill, is Argentina's ritualistic meal event. Sides of beef rotate slowly for at least two hours on vertical spits around a fire pit, waiting to be carved in pieces by asadores (grill chefs).  

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Other types of grilled meats include roasts, sausages, steaks, ribs, sweetbreads, intestines, and more. The average person consumes 2 pounds of beef at a single meal, topping the grilled meats with nothing more than a very flavorful garlic and vinegary parsley condiment called Chimichurri. Meats are served with sides of bread, fried potatoes, corn, and a simple salad of lettuce, tomatoes and onions.

In Brazil they will take more than beef to the grill by grilling lamb, pork, chicken and goat; all paraded to the table on ‘Three Musketeer” sword like skewers. This carnivore's event is called the churrascaria rodizio.

Try something new, make your Know Your Fire weekend an event beyond South America. Maybe for your next tailgate you can consider preparing a South American Asado with a parillada mixta or churrascaria rodizio.

Chimichurri

aka Chimmichurri is an Argentine marinade and sauce usually used for steak. But why should this easy-to-make flavorful sauce only grace a rib or strip steak when burgers are sadly only topped with ketchup.

Prepared simply by combing, fresh chopped flat leaf or Italian parsley, fresh chopped garlic, olive oil, fresh lemon juice, a few red pepper flakes, pinch of sea salt and ground black pepper.  Amounts are according to your passion and personal taste!

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