Crab Ravioli with Vodka Sauce

Dungeness crab from Washington State and British Columbia have landed in Northern California, and we're celebrating with 'the locals.' Try this homemade crab ravioli and creamy vodka sauce by our friend Dave. 

You won’t believe how good your lemon paste is! It adds a flavor reminiscent of a lemon flower to the very subtle taste of the crab. A match made in heaven. Both the crab and the artichoke are accentuated by this type of flavor combination.

Need

Pasta

1/2 lb egg pasta dough rolled out to #7 thickness in sheets

1 egg

Corn or potato starch

Filling

1/2 lb picked Dungeness crab or canned lump crab

3/4 cup ricotta cheese

1/2 cup chopped artichoke hearts

1/2 tsp Old Bay seasoning

1 1/4 tsp If & When Bay Leaf Black Pepper Preserved Meyer Lemon Paste

Salt to taste

Sauce

32 oz can San Marzano tomatoes

3 cloves garlic, finely minced

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil

1 TBS sherry vinegar

1 tsp sugar

3 TBS extra virgin olive oil

3 TBS butter

1/3 cup vodka

1 cup heavy cream

Basil and leaf parsley chiffonade as garnish

Do

1. Combine all of the filling ingredients in a bowl. Once mixed, cover and place in refrigerator.
2. For the sauce, add olive oil to a medium saucepan or skillet. When warm, but not smoking, add garlic and sauté until translucent. Add the tomato sauce, basil, sherry vinegar and sugar and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside.
3. Roll out pasta into 2” strips, moving up in the pasta roller settings to #7. Roll out a second pasta strip to 2 1/2”, moving up in the pasta roller settings to #7. Lay out the pasta strips on a flat working surface.
4. Crack egg into a small bowl. Whisk until whites and yolk are completely mixed.Using a pastry brush, paint one side of each of the two strips with the egg mixture. Using the narrow strip (2”), place 2 tsp of the crab mixture in the center of the first 1 1/2" of the strip. Repeat down the narrow strip.
5. Take the wider strip (2 1/2”) and cover the narrow strip, egg sides of the pasta facing each other. Carefully press the top sheet over the bottom sheet in between each pile of crab mixture. Seal one edge of the strip by pressing the dough together with your fingers. Press the other edge to seal making sure to get as much air out of the center as possible.
6. Cut apart individual ravioli, leaving space between the crab filling and the edge of the pasta.
7. Prepare a small sheet pan or plate with a dusting of corn or potato starch. Powder the cut ravioli with starch. Place them on the plate and dust the tops of the ravioli with more starch. Cover with plastic and repeat until the crab filling is gone. Place the covered ravioli into the refrigerator.
8. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to boil.
9. Return the sauce to medium heat. Add vodka, butter and cream to the sauce.
10. Gently cook the sauce while the ravioli cook. When the pot of water comes to a boil, add ravioli. Cook pasta for 3 minutes or until tender.
11. To serve, put a layer of sauce on the plate. Add ravioli and top with more sauce. Sprinkle with basil and parsley. Serve warm.

 Image - Svetlana Foote