Sweet Ravioli with Bitter Honey

Submitted by Judy on Sat, 09/15/2007 - 6:06pm.

from Sweet Myrtle and Bitter Honey: The Mediterranean Flavors of Sardinia
(Rizzoli International) by Efisio Farris with Jim Eber.

Makes 12 to 16 pastries

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 whole egg and 2 egg yolks, divided
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups fresh sheep's milk ricotta cheese (or other creamy ricotta cheese, about 3/4 pound)
1/2 cup sugar
Zest of 1 lemon, finely grated
Zest of 1 orange, finely grated
1/2 cup bitter honey
Vegetable oil for frying
Powdered sugar for dusting

On a clean workspace, mound the flour with a well in the center. Sprinkle the salt evenly over the flour. Add the whole egg and 3/4 cup warm water into the well and gradually mix into the flour with your Hands. When the mixture begins to come together, add the olive oil and knead to fully incorporate. Cover dough with a cloth and let rest at room temperature for 1 hour.

In a mixing bowl, combine the ricotta, sugar, egg yolks, and zests.

On a lightly floured workspace, roll out the dough to a rectable about 1/4 inch thick. Using a sharp paring knife or a large cookie cutter, cut into 3-inch-diamter rounds. Reroll the scraps and cut again as necessary. You should end up with between 24 and 32 rounds.

Set aside half of the rounds. With the remaining rounds, lightly mound about 2 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture into the center of each. Top with the other dough rounds and lightly press edgees together, crimping edges with a fork to seal. Lightly dust the ravioli with flour to prevent sticking and set aside.

In a saucepan over low heat, warm the bitter honey.

In a deep heavy saucepan, add enogh oil to reach a depth of about 2 inches. Place over high heat oil is ready when a small piece of bread browns in 30 seconds). Fry the ravioli in batches to avoid crowding until golden brown, turning once, approximately 3 to 4 minutes per batch. Remove with a slotted spoon. Set on paper towels to drain. Serve topped with warmed bitter honey and a dusting of powdered sugar.