Making
Ravioli with
Chef Josh Campbell
photographed and designed by Gina Weathersby | written by Ilene Ross
Chef Josh Campbell of
Mayberry Chef Josh Campbell opened Mayberry in its current OTR Main Street location in February of 2012. He wanted to offer his version of grassroots American cuisine in a casual fine dining atmosphere where people could feel comfortable. Inspiration can come from any where, including a stint working in the Caribbean or trips to the local markets. Chef Campbell works closely with his sous on dishes, and items change frequently. “One week we could be doing one thing, and the next week it’s another,” he says.
Chef Campbell learned his pasta making skills while under the watchful eye of Boca’s Chef David Falk during his first restaurant gig in Cincinnati. “I picked up a lot working for him,” says Campbell. “He taught me that acidity is a big thing in food, and that I should be really bold with my flavors.” When it comes to pasta, Chef Campbell says that you should keep trying and that it will “never turn out right the first time.”
Chef Josh works his large hands skillfully yet gently through fresh pasta dough. The ingredients are simple; flour, fresh eggs, olive oil, and a bit of salt. A touch of fresh beet puree adds a pale pink hue. For the most part, it’s his technique that makes the fresh pasta perfect. Knowing exactly how much kneading is essential, and letting the dough rest for the right amount of time is crucial for the correct texture and mouth feel.
“If you’re going to hand roll your dough, let it rest a bit longer than if you’re using a machine.” – Chef Campbell
Recipes Pasta Dough Recipe
2 cups flour 2 large eggs, whole 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 1/2 tsp. sea salt 3 tablespoons Beet Puree Place flour in large bowl and make a well in the middle. Add egg, olive oil, salt, and beet puree. Mix with fork. Begin to pull flour from the side of the well until you have one homogenous mixture. Turn dough out onto work surface sprinkled lightly with flour and knead by hand for a minute or two, until smooth. Place the dough under a bowl to rest for 20 minutes before rolling, or refrigerate, tightly wrapped in plastic and stored in a plastic bag if not using right away. Use within a few hours for best results. Roll pasta out using a roller machine, beginning with the widest setting. Fold dough over and roll through again, gradually decreasing the roller setting as the pasta becomes smoother; dust lightly with flour as needed, but not too much. It helps to brush off excess flour with a pastry brush. When pasta is thin enough it is ready for use in making ravioli. Use the pasta sheets as soon as they are rolled; dry pasta sheets don’t seal as well at the edges as fresh sheets, causing the ravioli to separate when cooking. If your pasta sheets have dried out, brush the edges with an egg wash or water (where the pasta is crimped together).
Pasta Filling
2 cups Ricotta 4 cloves roasted Garlic 2 sprigs marjoram chopped 1 egg Tsp. salt Tsp. pepper Combine all the ingredients into a bowl and refrigerate before filling the raviolis. Method: (adding filling to dough) Roll out dough and cut in to whatever shape of ravioli you would like. Add a spoonful of filling and fold a piece of dough over the top. Cooking: Place the ravioli in a pot of boiling water when they rise to the surface they are cooked.
Ricotta Beet Ravioli with Prawns and Shellfish Broth
3 T butter 6 roasted garlic cloves ½ cup diced leek 1 cup cherry tomatoes quartered 1 cup diced zucchini 16 shell on deveined prawns ½ cup white wine 1 cup shellfish stock 12 Raviolis (Cooked in salted boiling water) Salt to taste Pepper to taste Take large sauté pan and turn to medium heat. Add 2 T butter, garlic, leek tomato, and zucchini and lightly sauté. Place shrimp in sauté pan and add white wine, and reduce by half. Add shellfish stock and raviolis and simmer for 2 minutes. Swirl in last tablespoon of butter and season to taste with salt and pepper. (Serves 4)
buon appetito