Ravioli di baccala is a traditional from Italy's Veneto region, and is served on special occasions.

 

Ingredients

700g of baccala salted cod (bacalao)
1l milk
½kg of new potatoes
5 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Chopped parsley to garnish

For the pasta dough
6 cups flour
½ tsp salt
6 eggs
½ cup oil
½ cup water
Extra flour on hand for dusting

 

Method

  • For the baccala stuffing, soak the baccala in cold water three days before using and change the old water with fresh every night. After three days of soaking and draining the baccala needs to be de-boned and cut into four pieces, then placed into a big pan filled with milk (1 litre is normally enough to cover the fish) add chopped carrots, onion and cook it slowly until it becomes nicely tender.

  • Drain it and keep half of the milk on the side, put the baccala into a blender with olive oil, chopped parsley and a pinch of salt and pepper, then add the reserved milk. Meanwhile peel and boil the potatoes until soft and mash them with a fork.

  • Add the mashed potatoes to the just blended baccala, mix it all gently together and when finished taste the mixture to see if it needs more salt and then place it all into a piping bag.

  • For the dough, crack eggs into a mixing bowl and beat with a fork. Add water, oil and salt, continuing to mix. Add six cups of flour to wet mix (egg, water, oil, and salt) and stir with fork until it's well mixed. Repeat with the rest of the flour.

  • Clear and clean off a large surface and dust it with flour. This is where all of your ingredients should be and where you are going to roll out your dough. Take the dough out of the mixing bowl and place on counter. Ball up dough and knead so that the dough is well mixed.

  • Dust a rolling pin with flour (so the dough won't stick). Roll out dough so it is about 1/3cm thick. Turn the glass over and "cookie cut" circles in the dough (will make about 15-20 dough circles).

  • Ball up the rest of the dough and either repeat or place in plastic wrap and put in the freezer for another time (dough can keep for about a week or so in the freezer). To put the ravioli together, take the cod and potato filling out of the refrigerator and place a tablespoon of it in middle of the dough circle.
  • Fill a small ramekin with water, dip finger in the water and moisten top of the dough circle and the place another dough circle on top making sure all filling stays inside. Place ½ cup of flour in a mound on the counter. Roll ravioli in the flour.
  • Press firmly all the way around the lip of the ravioli with a fork. To cook the ravioli, fill a large pot with water and bring to the boil. Rinse flour off ravioli or dust them off as best as you can (the amount you are going to eat, the rest can be frozen) and place in boiling water for 5-6 minutes, or until they float.
  • Remember to place a sauce of your choice in a small pot and heat until it's hot. Take the ravioli out of boiling water with large slotted spoon and place on plates to serve.

 

Chef recommendations 

Tip: For a tasty alternative vegetarian option use spinach and ricotta as a filling instead of the baccala and potatoes.

Wine match: Vermentino from Sardinia.