I thought it would be nice to hot-smoke a piece of salmon, make fresh ricotta, make home-made ravioli and serve it with a pink sauce. Turned out I was right, as it was delicious. For an easier version you could buy the smoked salmon (either hot-smoked or cold-smoked will work) and the ricotta, but it will be tastier, more rewarding as well as more fun to do it yourself…

Ingredients

For 16 ravioli (3 servings as part of a larger menu)

125 grams (1/4 pound) fresh salmon fillet, preferably with skin as that is easier to handle (substitute with store bought hot or cold smoked salmon)

2 Tbsp smoke dust

125 grams (1/2 cup) ricotta, preferably home-made

2 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped

salt and freshly ground black pepper

lemon juice

125 ml (1/2 cup) cream

125 ml (1/2 cup) passata/sieved tomatoes (US: tomato puree)

1 clove garlic

1 Tbsp butter

100 grams (about 3/4 cup) 00 flour

1 egg

Preparation

Rub the salmon with salt, freshly ground black pepper, and lemon juice.

Put it in the smoker with 2 Tbsp smoking dust.

Smoke for 15 minutes or until cooked through and golden brown. Let cool.

Meanwhile, make fresh pasta dough with 1 egg and the flour and let it rest in the fridge, covered in plastic wrap.

In a bowl combine the smoked salmon, ricotta, 1 Tbsp thyme and a bit of lemon juice.

If using store-bought cold smoked salmon, shred this first or use a food processor or blender.

Puree and mix with a fork until homogeneous. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt, freshly ground black pepper, lemon juice, or thyme.

Roll out the pasta dough as thin as possible and make ravioli according to my instructions.

Gather the ravioli on a tray dusted with flour. If not cooking straight away, turn them after 15 minutes to let the other side dry as well. This prevents them from sticking to the tray.

To make the pink sauce, heat 1 Tbsp butter in a frying pan and sauté the garlic clove until golden on all sides. Moderate the heat if needed so the butter does not burn (or use clarified butter). Discard garlic.

Add cream and sieved tomatoes and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Let this thicken a bit over low heat, stirring now and then.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the ravioli for a few minutes.

Add remaining 1 Tbsp thyme to the sauce and stir.

Drain the ravioli and add them to the sauce. Toss carefully to mix.

Serve immediately on warm plates. Parmigiano is not needed.

Wine pairing

This pairs well with a smoky complex full-bodied chardonnay, such as Cuvée Bois from Les Crêtes in the French-speaking Valle d’Aosta in North-West Italy.