Goat cheese ravioli with a tomato sausage sauce

Served with broccolini (the sauce is underneath)

Haven't made pasta at home in a while, so I figured it was time to get back into it. My significant other loves goat cheese, and the sausage was something we had in the freezer that we felt like eating. Everything else just came together.

If you do not have a pasta roller of some description (either a hand-crank model, which I have, or a motorized one - you can get one that will attach to a Kitchenaid mixer), you will probably find it easier to purchase dumpling wrappers (try Nasoya brand, in the cooler near the tofu in most supermarkets).

To make the pasta dough, put 3/4 cup durum (semolina) flour (see notes if you cannot find this) and 3/4 cup all-purpose flour into a food processor with the blade attachment. Add 1 tsp salt and pulse briefly to mix. Add 2 eggs and 3 tbsp olive oil. Pulse until a firm dough forms. You may need to add a tablespoon or so of water to get it to come together. Remove the dough from the machine and knead for a couple of minutes until smooth. Wrap the dough tightly with plastic wrap and allow it to 'rest' at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, start your sauce: Cut 2 small shallots into small dice and put in a medium saute pan with a little olive oil and some butter. Cook gently for a few minutes, then add 2 sweet Italian sausage links, cut into small pieces (we had some great lamb sausage from Willow Hill Farm, VT) and saute until well-browned. Add 1 garlic clove, minced, allow to almost color, and then add 3 fresh roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped. Increase the heat and allow the tomatoes to cook down into the sauce. Reduce the heat and continue until the sausage is cooked through. Add a little fresh basil and salt and pepper to taste. Set the pan aside.

Once the pasta has rested, remove the plastic wrap and cut the dough in half. Rewrap one half and refrigerate (you can use it to make a second batch of ravioli with a different filling, or some lasagna or noodles). Take the other half and roll with your pasta roller all the way to the thinnest setting (expect to end up with a few long pieces - you will probably have to cut it a few times). Dust the pieces of rolled-out dough with flour and, using a round cookie cutter or an upturned glass, cut rounds of dough. Set them out on a well-floured counter (or, if you are using dumpling wrappers, remove them from the packet and set out on a floured counter...) and quickly make the filling: Take 4 oz fresh goat cheese (I used Vermont Butter and Cheese chevre) and season with a little salt and pepper. Spoon small dollops of filling onto your rounds of dough, then wet your finger with a little water, trace around half the circle, and fold over carefully to form a half-moon, with the filling inside. Repeat with the rest of your filling. Dust your ravioli with flour and set aside.

Boil some salted water. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Add the ravioli and wait until they float, then cook for a minute or so longer. Remove with a slotted spoon or pour carefully through a strainer. Meanwhile, reheat your sauce with a little butter. Serve the ravioli with the sauce, plus a vegetable if you wish. We had broccolini with ours. Enjoy!

This recipe should be good for 3-4 adults, although if they are hungry, you might want to double the sauce.

Note 1 - If you do not have access to durum/semolina flour, you can use 100% all-purpose flour. You may need to adjust the consistency with a little water to get a smooth dough.

Note 2 - You can make the ravioli any shape you like. For instance, if you are using square wonton wrappers, you can make rectangular ones - just fold in half over the filling.

Note 3 - Any kind of savory sausage could work here, and it need not be lamb.

Note 4 - If you do not have fresh roma tomatoes, you can use canned plum tomatoes. Don't add too much of the sauce from the can.

Note 5 - Metric info: 3/4 cup = 180 ml; 4 oz = 110 g.