Late last month, I found out I won the Morton’s Steakhouse Recipe Contest for my family’s grouper chimichurri, which entitles us to a page in their 2009 cookbook and a free trip to Chicago to have dinner with the owner. Yeah, I KNOW! How awesome is that? Although I’m a little worried about what in the world I’m going to say to this man for a whole two hours, Moose keeps telling me that it’s not like I’m interviewing for a job or anything, so quit worrying about it. I must remember not to drink too much wine and overshare.

Ever since, Simons has been even more enthusiastic about my messing about in the kitchen, suggesting dinner parties and cookouts, and even going on a mission to purge the courtyard of the ten million air plants and empty terra cotta pots (if you live in SF and want some pots, I’m your girl [NOT “pot,” I mean pots]). I say that without even rolling my eyes. So when I told him about the Whip It Up recipe challenge, he actually offered to cut short his Saturday afternoon post-surf nap and roll out the pasta dough. I think one of the nicest things about being married is having someone to cook with.

Here is the recipe we chose: Artichoke Ravioli With Tomatoes.

Simons is ace with the pasta machine, so he took my beautiful ball of dough and rolled it out, where I filled it with the artichoke and Parmesan puree. Then we boiled them up, layered them in a dish and baked them with cream and cheese and lots of tomatoes. And, oh sweet Jesus…don’t you wish you had one?

We thought this recipe was delicious and cozy, but maybe not as interesting as it could be. I think if I had it to do over, I would add toasted pine nuts to the filling, with a few sprinkled over each plate as a crunchy garnish–this really needed some texture. And definitely add a few shakes of red pepper flakes to the artichoke and tomato mixture. A hint of spice would be perfection! Definitely a keeper.

artichoke ravioli with tomatoes
Adapted from Gourmet | January 2007 (my changes in itallics)
Makes 4 servings

For pasta
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons water
1 Tbs olive oil

For filling
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 small onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1 (12-oz) can frozen artichoke hearts, well drained and squeezed
1 oz finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (1/2 cup)
1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 large egg white, lightly beaten with 2 teaspoons water (for egg wash)

For assembly
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3 medium plum tomatoes, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch dice (3/4 cup)
1/4 cup water
1/3 cup half-and-half
1 oz finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (1/2 cup)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Special equipment: food processor; pasta machine; ravioli press; rolling pin; glass baking dish (12 by 8 1/2 inches)

To make pasta dough in a food processor:
Blend flour, eggs, salt, olive oil and water in processor until mixture just begins to form a ball, adding more water, drop by drop, if dough is too dry (dough should be firm and not sticky). Process dough for 15 seconds more to knead it. Transfer to a oiled bowl, covered with a towel, for 1 hour to let the gluten relax and make rolling easier.

Make filling:
Heat butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then sauté onion, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 6 minutes. Add artichoke hearts and sauté, stirring occasionally, until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

Transfer all but 3/4 cup artichoke mixture to cleaned bowl of processor (reserve remaining artichoke mixture in skillet), then add cheese, parsley, yolk, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and nutmeg and pulse until mixture is coarsely chopped.

Roll pasta and make ravioli:
Cut pasta dough into 4 pieces, keeping them in the oiled bowl until you’re ready to use each one. Set rollers of pasta machine on widest setting. Lightly dust 1 rectangle with flour and feed through rollers. Dust with flour if necessary to prevent sticking. Turn dial to next (narrower) setting and feed dough through rollers without folding. Continue to feed dough through rollers once at each setting, until you reach narrowest setting. Dough will be a smooth sheet (about 24 inches long and 4 inches wide). Cut in half with scissors and fit one half over pasta mold.

Press “piece that looks like an egg holder” into pasta to make a round center to hold the filling.

Drop 6 (1 1/2-teaspoon) mounds of filling in center.
Brush egg wash around each mound, then stretch other half of sheet over filling.

Press down firmly around each mound, forcing out air. (Air pockets increase the chance that ravioli will break during cooking.)

With rolling pin, roll pasta closed, and the metal mold will automatically cut the raviolis. Line a large shallow baking pan with wax paper, liberally sprinkled with flour, then arrange ravioli in 1 layer in it.

Make more ravioli with remaining pasta dough, 1 sheet at a time, and remaining filling, transferring ravioli to lined pan.

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter baking dish.

Bring a 6- to 8-quart pot of salted water to a boil. Add ravioli, carefully stirring to separate, and, adjusting heat to keep water at a gentle boil, cook until pasta is just tender, about 6 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a colander.

Assemble and bake dish:
While ravioli boils, reheat reserved artichoke mixture in skillet with butter over moderately high heat, then add tomatoes and water and cook, stirring, until tomatoes are softened, about 5 minutes.

Transfer half of ravioli to baking dish and top with half of artichoke mixture, half of half-and-half, and half of cheese. Repeat with remaining ravioli, artichoke mixture, half-and-half, and cheese. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Bake, uncovered, until ravioli is heated through and half-and-half is bubbling, about 15 minutes.

Cooks’ notes:
• Dough can be made (but not rolled out) 4 hours ahead and chilled, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap.
• Ravioli can be made (but not cooked) 4 hours ahead and chilled in lined baking pan, covered.