Crab Ravioli and Crab Cakes for Dad's 86th Bday
I served the ravioli with a modified penne a la vodka sauce made with olive oil, dried hot pepper flakes, vodka, 1 percent milk, and classico spicy red pepper sauce. The crab cakes are great with this sauce or with a mango wasabi sauce or salsa.

Ravioli Filling - (you'll also need an egg for the crabcakes, but don't add yet)
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 Yellow Onion, small dice
2 Zucchini, small dice
2 teaspoons Mixed Fresh Herbs
1 pound Lump Crabmeat, remove all shells
1/2 cup Dried Bread Crumbs
1 bunch Green Onions
Salt and White Pepper to taste
20 wonton wrappers

Heat olive oil in sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add yellow onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add zucchini, cook 5-7 minutes. Add salt, white pepper, mixed herbs and green onions. Cook additional 5 minutes. Remove mixture from heat, pour into colander to drain all liquid. Once mixture has cooled, add crabmeat and bread crumbs. Season to taste.

Make ravioli. Add an egg to remaining crab, form into cakes, saute in canola oil.

To Cook Pasta: Place ravioli in boiled salted water and cook for 3 1/2 to 4 minutes, then drain. Add cooked ravioli to sauce as directed.

This is the sauce recommended to go with this recipe:
Lemon Basil Butter Sauce:
1/4 cup White Wine
1/4 cup Seasoned Rice Vinegar
2 tablespoons Lemon Juice
1 Shallot, minced
1 pound Whole Butter (cut into cubes) - no way!! too much. use 1/3 c. olive oil and some chicken broth!!
1/8 cup Heavy Cream
2 tablespoons Fresh Basil (cut into strips)
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a small sauce pan, combine white wine, rice vinegar, lemon juice and shallots. Over medium heat reduce until syrupy. Add cream and reduce by half. Adjust heat to low. Whisk in one cube of butter at a time, making sure each cube of butter is melted before you add the next, until all the butter is incorporated. Strain and season with salt, pepper and basil. Toss cooked raviolis in sauce and serve immediately.

Beet Ravioli, courtesy of Desert Candy

Lindsey saw this and wanted us to make it. So, we did... with some changes. So good.


Beet Ravioli with Poppy Seed Olive Oil
These would make an elegant first course or light lunch.

2 large red beets (about 14 ounces)
1/2 cup fresh ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons dried breadcrumbs (seasoned)
1 1/4 pounds fresh wonton wrappers
4 tbl (1/2 stick) olive oil
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Roast beets until tender when pierced with knife, about 1 hour. (In pan covered pan). Open foil carefully (steam will escape). Cool. Peel beets; finely grate into medium bowl. Add ricotta cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in breadcrumbs.
2. Place a few of the wonton wrappers on your work surface, keeping remaining dough covered with plastic. Place a small bowl of water nearby. Spoon 1 teaspoon beet filling onto half of each wrapper. Dip fingertip into water and dampen edge, so you can trim edges to make a semi-circle if desired. Fold dough over filling, pushing out as much air as possible and pressing edges firmly to seal. Repeat with remaining rounds.
3. In a wide skillet, heat olive oil with the poppy seeds, keep warm over very low heat. Working in batches, cook ravioli in large pot of boiling salted water until just done, about 2 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer to skillet with olive oil; toss to coat. You may need more oil, but move the ravioli around to coat both sides and . Place ravioli on plates; sprinkle with Parmesan if desired.