Seafood Ravioli

This will go against everything I say about quick and simple, because this process is neither quick nor simple, but we wanted a nice pasta dish as one of the components of our feast. And this does make a big batch, so you either have a meal for 6, or some you can freeze for later. You can also use the filling for a seafood lasagna, which can simplify the process considerably.

So basic homemade pasta is egg and flour. We usually start with 2 eggs and one cup of flour, and add flour until the dough is quite stiff. It is difficult to describe the proper stage, it is drier than pie dough. I had a hard time learning this, but Ray has been doing it for years. The best teacher here is experience, as it won't roll smoothly through the pasta machine if you have it either too wet or too dry. Then place your dough in the refrigerator until you are ready to assemble your ravioli.

Seafood Ravioli

Dough for pasta
1/2 cup raw shrimp
1/2 pound sea scallops
1/2 pound lump crab meat
1 pound ricotta cheese
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper

In separate batches, saute the seafood in garlic and olive oil, and place them all in a bowl. Add ricotta cheese, lemon juice and spices and stir together. Then, roll out pasta and place small spoonful of filling for each ravioli. Depending on how you are cutting, cut and seal each individual ravioli and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Start a pot of water boiling, and when it gets to a rolling boil, add ravioli. Cook only a few minutes, until they start to float, them gently remove from water with a slotted spoon.

For the sauce:
1/2 cup butter
1//4 cup fresh lemon juice
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 large fresh basil leaves, cut chiffonade

Saute garlic in butter until very soft. Add lemon juice and reduce to about half. Sppon sauce over ravioli, and top with fresh basil.