A Recipe For . . .

. . . GT Fish & Oyster's Stinging Nettle Raviolo.


I wish I could tell you how many times I've been to GT Fish & Oyster, but I've honestly lost count. I'm obsessed with pretty much everything on the menu, from the spiked lemonades to the luscious lobster roll.

Honestly, I thought Executive Chef Giuseppe Tentori couldn't possibly top himself until he rolled out a new menu item during a recent media luncheon. The star of the afternoon was the Stinging Nettle Raviolo, and Tentori was generous enough to give us the recipe so you can re-create it at home:

Ingredients (makes six portions):

1 lb Stinging Nettles
1 oz Parmesan Cheese, finely grated
1/4 cup Fresh Ricotta
4 tbsp Mascarpone
1/4 tsp Ground Nutmeg
1 Egg Yolk
To taste Salt
To taste Pepper
6 whole Eggs
4 sheets Fresh Pasta, approximately 6"x24" (recipe below)
1 whole Egg, slightly beaten
2 tbsp Water
6 tbsp Parmesan Cheese, grated
2 tbsp Parsley, chopped
1 piece French, Bottarga
3 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tsp Sherry Vinegar
To taste salt and pepper

Filling:

Blanch the nettles in salted boiling water until tender. Immediately shock the nettles in ice water. When the nettles are completely cool, wring out as much water as possible. Finely chop the nettles with a sharp knife and place in a large mixing bowl. Add the Parmesan, ricotta, mascarpone, nutmeg and egg yolk. Mix thoroughly and season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Assembling the Ravioli:

Place two sheets of pasta on floured work surface. Drop three medium spoonfuls of filling, evenly spaced along one sheet of pasta leaving a boarder of two inches around each dollop. Repeat on second sheet. Use your thumb to press a shallow crater into each dollop of filling. Separate six eggs, discarding the whites, and dropping the yolk into each crater.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk one whole egg and two tablespoons of water. Brush this egg wash on the exposed pasta sheet in between the mounds of filling. Gently place a fresh sheet of pasta over the top. Starting at one end, begin to very gently press the top sheet onto the bottom being very careful not to let any air bubbles form. Work your way to the end of the sheet. Press tightly with your fingertips around the perimeter of each mound of filling. Use a round cutter to cut each raviolo from the sheet. Very lightly dust a tray with flour to place the ravioli on until they are ready to be cooked.

Cooking and Assembly of Plated Dish:

Place the ravioli in rapidly boiling, lightly salted water. Cook the ravioli for approximately five minutes, or until the filling is hot and the pasta is tender. Remove from the water with a slotted spoon, careful not to puncture the center. Place on six plates, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, a splash of sherry vinegar, and sprinkle with parsley and Parmesan. Using a fine grater, shave a small amount of Bottarga over the top and serve immediately.

Sub Recipe: Fresh Pasta (Yield: about 25 sheets 6"x 24")

500 grams Flour, "OO" pasta flour
23 Egg yolks
1 tbsp Olive Oil
To taste salt
To taste pepper

Combine the flour, salt and pepper and gently whisk with a fork. Place on a clean work surface in a heap. Use your fingers to create a well in the center large enough to contain the liquid ingredients. Pour in the yolks and olive oil. Using the fork, gently whisk the yolks slowly working your way around and incorporating a small amount of flour at a time. As the dough begins to form, you can work in the flour quickly. Knead the dough with the heel of your hands to create a silky, evenly colored dough. Divide the dough into two pieces and rub the surface with a small amount of olive oil. Wrap in plastic and rest in the refrigerator overnight.

On a floured worktable, use a rolling pin to roll the dough thin enough to fit the largest setting on a pasta roller. Run the dough through the machine, flouring the surface when necessary and decreasing the thickness with each pass through until desired thickness is achieved. Use immediately or place on lined tray and wrap tightly with plastic. Will keep up to 24 hours in the refrigerator.