Recipe: Maggiano's Mushroom Ravioli al Forno

MAGGIANO'S MUSHROOM RAVIOLI AL FORNO
Source: Jeff Beale, Executive Chef, Maggiano's Little Italy
From: Milwaukee Sentinel Journal Online, March 15, 2005

Ravioli mushrooms in popularity
Posted: March 15, 2005

I. G., Franklin, requested a recipe for a stuffed mushroom appetizer served at Maggiano's Little Italy located in Mayfair Shopping Center, Wauwatosa.

Jeff Beale, executive chef, said the stuffed mushroom recipe is an item on his menu that he is not able to share. Instead, he sent another recipe for a popular mushroom appetizer; Mushroom Ravioli al Forno. He said this recipe is also served as a main dish at the restaurant.

MAGGIANO'S MUSHROOM RAVIOLI AL FORNO

Fresh pasta (see note)
Cream sauce (see recipe)
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup diced Spanish onion, diced
Pinch fresh chopped thyme
2 to 3 medium cloves garlic, finely minced
1 1/3 pounds button mushrooms, chopped
1/3 cup plus 1 heaping tablespoon white wine
1/3 cup whipping cream
Salt and pepper to taste
4 ounces aged Asiago cheese, grated
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese to top ravioli
Freshly chopped parsley to garnish

Make pasta dough (if preparing yourself) and make cream sauce. Set aside.

For filling: In large, heavy-bottomed skillet or pot, melt butter. Add onion and saute over medium to medium-high heat until golden brown. Add thyme and garlic and saute without browning.

Add mushrooms, wine, cream, salt and pepper. Reduce until almost dry, stirring regularly. Turn off heat and add cheese, mixing well. Correct seasonings with salt and pepper. Puree into pulp using food processor. Let filling cool.

Brush beaten egg around edges of both top and bottom pasta squares. Fill each ravioli with a portion of mushroom mixture. If using homemade pasta, or purchased pasta squares that measure 2 by 2 inches, use about 1 heaping measuring tablespoon per ravioli. If using won ton skins, use about 2 tablespoons.

Pinch to seal. You should have about 24 ravioli.

Bring large pot of salted water to full boil. With wide, slotted spoon, drop ravioli into water and cook 2 minutes after water returns to boil and ravioli float to top. When done, remove from pot and drain.

If using pasta dough that is thicker, such as some frozen lasagna doughs, ravioli will have to cook longer. If using won ton skins, they will cook faster.

To serve: Preheat broiler. Divide ravioli between 2 or 4 ovenproof plates. Pour cream sauce over each serving, then top with a fourth of the Parmesan. Set under broiler until golden brown, about 1 minute. Garnish with parsley. Makes 4 appetizer servings or 2 main-dish servings.

Notes: If you have a pasta machine, make your favorite recipe for ravioli and cut into 2-by-2-inch squares. For those without pasta machines, frozen as well as freshly prepared sheets of pasta are available at some specialty food stores. These sheets may produce a thicker ravioli. Won ton skins also can be used but will produce a thinner ravioli. Adjust cooking time accordingly.

The number of ravioli you get will also depend on the type of pasta you use. For example there are 52 won ton skins per package. This will yield 26 ravioli; however they will be larger in size, and will hold more filling than those served at the restaurant.

CREAM SAUCE:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/8 cup diced Spanish onions (cut into 1/2-inch cubes)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Pinch of dried thyme
1 small bay leaf
1/4 cup white wine
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups whipping cream

In heavy-bottomed pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, thyme and bay leaf and saute until onions are translucent. Do not let them brown.

Reduce heat to medium-high and add wine, salt and pepper. Reduce wine until almost dry.

Add cream, bring to low simmer and reduce until slightly thickened, stirring regularly, about 5 to 10 minutes. Strain through fine mesh strainer and keep warm until ready to use. Makes about 2 cups.