Wonton Ravioli
minimally adapted from Jennifer McLagan’s Bitter
yield: 25-50 ravioli
Prep time: It is impossible to offer a prep time apart from saying this isn’t fast food. The filling takes about an hour to cook, and may be left to drain overnight or squeezed very dry and used immediately. Filling the ravioli is the most time-consuming part of the recipe, but it’s pleasant, relaxing work.
Notes before starting: Wonton wrappers are sold in varying sizes and packaging, You are starting with 6 cups of raw greens that will cook down to about 2 cups. You’ll need 24 ounces of square wonton wrappers. Leftover wonton wrappers freeze well.
When you get to the wrapper-filling stage, it’s helpful to have a small bowl of clean water and a clean, dry towel handy to wipe your hands.
It is also helpful to arrange your work station in an orderly fashion: bowl, towel, bowl of egg wash, brush, wontons, filling, baking sheet.
For the filling:
Six cups of mixed fresh greens of your choice, washed and trimmed.
I used dandelion, kale and bok choy. Other choices include turnip greens, mustard greens, broccoli rape, or escarole.
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 scallions or spring garlic, cleaned, trimmed, and sliced into pieces
1/4 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
black pepper to taste
For the wontons:
24 ounces square wonton skins: either two 12-ounces packages or four 7-ounce packages
1 egg white
1 teaspoon water
Make the filling. Wash the greens and trim any thick stems. Heat the olive oil in a large, lidded sauté pan. Cook the greens over low heat, covered, until completely softened and cooked through. Depending on the greens used, this could take up to an hour.
Before filling wontons, greens must be completely dry. Do this one of two ways:
Place greens in a food processor with scallions or spring garlic. Process to a paste.
Scrape into a bowl. Add the ricotta cheese, salt, and plenty of black pepper. Stir until completely blended.
To fill the wonton skins:
Whisk egg white with teaspoon of water. Have wonton skins, filling, a brush for egg white, bowl of clean water, clean hand towel, and a large baking sheet lined with parchment ready.
To make ravioli, place one wonton skin floured side down on counter. Place teaspoon of filling in center. Brush egg white liberally around each side of square.
Now take a second wonton skin and drape it over, floured side up. Think of spreading a blanket over a bed. Press wonton down around filling with fingers, expelling as much air as possible.
Using a cookie cutter, cut ravioli into a round, pressing again with fingers to seal edges. Move ravioli to baking sheet.
Continue filling wontons, arranging ravioli in overlapping layers until filling is used up.
To cook immediately:
Bring a medium pot of water to a rolling boil. Salt the water. Using a mesh skimmer, lower a few ravioli into the water at a time. They will sink to the bottom, then float, cooking in about three minutes. Gently remove with skimmer either to plate or to a sauté pan for further cooking (see below).
To cook later the same day:
Cover baking sheet with clean dishtowel and refrigerate up to four hours.
To freeze:
Cover baking sheet with clean dishtowel and slip carefully into freezer. When ravioli are frozen, store in layers, with parchment or wax paper between layers. While McLagan says they may be cooked from frozen, ravioli are fragile. I had better luck allowing them to defrost for an hour before cooking.
Cooking notes:
Ravioli are exquisite just boiled and served with your best olive oil and lemon. McLagan sautés hers in a pan sauce of clarified butter, lemon juice, and Pecorino Romano; I did this using butter, olive oil, and lemon, and it was wonderful.
Ravioli are at their most durable when cooked immediately. Handle carefully from frozen. Should a few break, view it as an opportunity to appreciate the filling in all its green mosaic beauty.
As we move into Spring…or at least, we do here, the rains seemingly gone, this dish cries out for fresh artichokes, peas, asparagus, and shavings of (real) Parmesan.