Fat & Happy: Corned Beef Raviolis

There is nothing better than thick slices of rye bread piled high with paper thin slices of corned beef dripping with sauerkraut. If you get it at the right deli, it’s the size of a brontosaurus – a total Flintstones sandwich!

For the longest time I’ve wanted to stuff this flavor into a pasta creating a refined “sandwich” that is more manageable, eaten with a fork to avoid goo running down the elbows.

Even recreated for refinement, this is not a wimpy meal. All the components are included — the corned beef, the ‘kraut, a cheesy sauce and a rye-carb base.

Rye flour adds just a touch of the bread essence while the creamy caraway cheese sauce will you have you licking the plate (so much for refined!). The corned beef and sauerkraut are simply stuffed inside the ravioli.

Elevate your next St. Patrick’s day by skipping the green beer and pulling out the silverware. Think of it as a Fat and Happy step to growing up.

Corned Beef Stuffed Rye Ravioli’s with Caraway Cream Sauce

• Rye Pasta
• 1 1/2 cup white flour
• 3/4 cup rye flour
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup warm water

Mix together the rye and white flour and pour into a pile directly on the counter. Make a well in the flour, add the eggs and oil. Mix with a fork, beginning to incorporate the flour around the edges.

You’ll need to add the water, but add just a few tablespoons at a time. Depending on the humidity and how the flour is reacting that day, you may need to only add a little. Knead the dough into a pliable ball. Cover with a bowl or lay a moist towel over the dough and let is rest for 20 minutes. See the Fat and Happy Homemade Pasta posting for detailed pasta directions.

Use a pasta machine to roll the dough out. I suggest leaving this dough slightly thick, and if you  normally roll your pasta to the final notch on your pasta machine, roll this dough one notch above that.

Cut the dough into 4 sections, pull out one section to work with and keep the remaining two covered. Roll the dough through the pasta machine on the largest setting. Don’t roll too fast, just a nice steady pace. Keep a little flour handy and lightly dust the dough before rolling. Fold the dough in half and roll through that same setting. Now move the pasta machine to the next lower setting and run the pasta through again. Continue until desired dough thickness is reached. You should end up with a long strip of pasta.

Be sure to sprinkle flour on the counter so the dough doesn’t stick. Identify the middle of strip of dough; this is were you will fold the dough over to make a top. Staring at the end of the strip, place a spoonful of the corned beef filling into the middle of the strip, and then place another scoop at about 2 inches over from the first scoop. Continue until you reach the middle of the strip. Depending on how your dough rolled out, you can expect to get roughly 5 to 8 ravioli out of it.

Now moisten the dough at the edges all around and in-between the filling using a small kitchen brush or your fingers and plain water. Carefully lift the 2nd half of the empty dough strip and pull it over the top of the filling mounds. Help the dough by lightly guiding it over and around the filling, pushing the edges together and push together the dough between the filling mounds. Your ravioli should be shaped relatively like a square. Cut the dough between the ravioli, then use the tins of a fork to seal all the edges. Repeat with remaining dough.

You can cook these immediately or freeze for later use. If you freeze them, place the ravioli on a floured cookie sheet, place in the freezer overnight. Then place in freezer bags until ready to use. To cook them, add them into boiling, salted water while still frozen. Do not defrost them.

To serve immediately, fill the largest pot you have with water and bring to a boil. Add a good teaspoon of salt. Place the ravioli into the boiling water and cook until done. Fresh pasta cooks in a matter of a minute or two (the ravioli will float when ready). Take one out and test it!

Strain the ravioli and toss with the Caraway Cream Sauce. For an extra kick, finish with a pinch of a wasabi or horseradish (spicy) shredded cheese on top.

Corned Beef Ravioli Filling

• 1 cup jarred or canned sauerkraut
• 3 cups cooked corned beef, thinly cut and finely diced
• 1/2- 1 cup Havarti or Swiss cheese, shredded

Toss the ingredients together. Stuff the ravioli with this mixture as noted above.

I would suggest cooking your own corned beef, but if you have a trustworthy deli, go ahead and let them do the work for you! If you do cook your own, cook the corned beef one day prior, or at least the morning of assembling the ravioli so it has time to cool before stuffing the ravioli to avoid cooking from the inside.

Caraway Cream Sauce

• 2 shallots, finely diced
• drizzle of olive oil
• 1 tsp caraway seeds
• 1/2 cup stock
• 1 pint of cream
• 3/4 cup shredded havarti or Swiss cheese
• salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup wasabi or horseradish cheese, shredded (optional)

Over medium-low heat, cook the shallots in a drizzle of olive oil until they soften, being careful not to burn them. Add in the caraway seeds, the stock and the cream.

Simmer on low until the cream thickens, about 15 minutes. Stir as needed. Remove from heat and stir in the cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste. Sauce the cooked ravioli immediately.

Fat and Happy Food Blog Tips and Techniques: For a simpler take on this recipe, skip the homemade pasta and ravioli portion. Cook up a pot of dried pasta (a bow tie or penne pasta should work great), drain and then toss with the corned beef filling and cheesy caraway cream sauce.