New Year’s Eve is upon us, folks!  It is, without a doubt, one of the busiest nights for restaurants… but there are many of us who prefer to enjoy a nice meal in the comfort and safety of our own home.  For us, it is usually steak and lobster in our pajamas.  Everyone seems to have their own tradition.  Just in case you are on the hunt for something a little more special, this is a great recipe to try out!

You will need 8 ounces of cooked lobster meat.  I used a frozen claw & knuckle meat.  The brand I used comes with three 4-ounce packages inside the bag, so you can just take out what you need.  That is a major plus when dealing with an expensive product.

Lobster Ravioli

• 8 ounces cooked and cooled lobster meat
• 8 ounces Mascarpone cheese
• Fresh tarragon
• 2 cloves minced garlic

Go ahead and chop the lobster meat.  Mix in the Mascarpone cheese.  (If Mascarpone is not available, ricotta or cream cheese will do!)  Add in the garlic and tarragon.  If you want to use any other seasonings, now is the time.

Mix it thoroughly, cover it, and put in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it.

For the actual raviolis, you can use wonton wrappers in a pinch.  If you want to make your own dough (easy!), I suggest the following recipe:

Ravioli Dough

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 eggs
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt

Mix the flour and salt.  Mix in the eggs.  Do this in a large bowl or in your stand mixer with a dough hook attached.  Drizzle in the olive oil.  Knead until it is smooth and almost elastic.  Cover with plastic wrap and allow it to rest for at least 15 minutes.  That should be enough to make 6 sheets, which will yield around 36 raviolis with careful planning.  Make sure to roll it out with plenty of flour.

I used a ravioli mold (around $25 and an amazing investment for your kitchen).  If you use a mold, make sure to flour the mold and the underside of the dough you put in it.  I used Semolina for this, but all-purpose will work just fine.

    
Fill each well with around a teaspoon of filling.  If you are doing this without a mold, just evenly space 12 teaspoons of filling on the sheet.  Brush the underside of the second sheet with an egg wash and gently press it down on top, being careful to remove as much air as possible.  (Brushing the egg wash on is a GREAT job for little kitchen helpers!)

If you are using a mold, roll over the top of the entire thing with a rolling pin and it will separate all the individual raviolis.  If you are doing it on the counter, just cut around the fillings, leaving enough of a border to contain the filling.  Carefully separate them.

Store them on a plate with extra flour to keep them from sticking to each other.  Repeat the process until you have 3 dozen raviolis.  Store them in the refrigerator until you are ready to boil them.

Lemon-Saffron Cream Sauce

• 1 diced shallot
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 2 cups heavy cream
• A few threads of saffron
• Zest and juice of one lemon

Over medium heat, melt the butter and cook the shallot until soft.  Add in the wine, lemon zest, and lemon juice.  Cook it for a few minutes or until some of the wine evaporates.  Mix in the cream and saffron.  Simmer over low for around ten to twelve minutes or until slightly thickened.  Stir it frequently.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add a few tablespoons of olive oil to prevent sticking.  Add the raviolis to the water and keep it at a LOW boil, so you don’t break them up.  Stir very gently.  When they are all floating and the pasta is cooked, drain them.

Pour the sauce over the raviolis.  Serve with a salad and some bread… and you have a meal!

Yes, this takes some time.  This is a nice thing to make on a Sunday or a holiday when you have a little extra time.  I will tell you that it was worth EVERY second of it!  Once in a while, it’s nice to splurge.  Be generous with your time in the kitchen.  Everything else will still be there later.