Smoked Tomato Sauce
1/2 cup wood chips (hickory or cherry)
4 ripe tomatoes, deseeded, smoked and chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2/3 cup chicken stock
salt
freshly ground white pepper
Remove tomato cores and score skins with a paring knife. Blanch in boiling water for 10 seconds. Immerse in ice water and peel tomatoes when cool. Cut tomatoes in half and gently squeeze to remove seeds and excess juices.
It is not necessary to have a food smoker for this recipe; all you need is an aluminum baking dish large enough to fit a cake rack. Soak wood chips in water for 30 minutes before placing on the bottom of baking dish. Place cake rack over the wood chips. Place tomatoes on the rack and cover the whole “smoker” with foil to create an airtight chamber, then put the smoker directly over stovetop heat. The length of time required to smoke depends on taste. The only rule is not to over-smoke anything as it will mask the natural flavors of the ingredient; it should only take 5 minutes to flavor the tomatoes once the wood chips start to smoke. Immediately turn off the heat and allow the tomatoes to cool in the smoker.
Sweat the onion and garlic in the 2 tablespoons of olive oil for 5 minutes until softened but not colored. Chop up the smoked tomatoes and add. Cook for 3 minutes, add chicken stock, and season with salt and pepper. Cook at a gentle simmer for 20 minutes. Puree and strain. Check seasoning and put aside.
Shrimp Stuffing
1/2 pound small to medium raw shrimp
2 tablespoons basil
1 raw egg
1/2 cup whipping cream
salt and pepper
Remove the heads, shells and tails from shrimp. Cut in half lengthways and remove entrails. Place half of the shrimp into the bowl of a food processor. Add the basil and pulse the motor a few times to roughly chop. Add the egg, and pulse a few more times. Add the cream, and pulse again. Remove from the food processor and place in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Cut the reserved shrimp halves in half again and add to the shrimp basil mix. Season with salt and freshly ground white pepper. Mix well.
Pasta Dough
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
3 eggs, plus 1 egg beaten
2 tablespoons olive oil
Place flour and salt in the work bowl of a food processor with the plastic blade in place. With motor running, add the 3 eggs, 1 at atime, finishing with the olive oil. Stop motor as soon as incorporated. Turn out mixture onto a clean counter and knead into a dough. Wrap in a plastic wrap and rest for 20 minutes.
Roll the dough into thin sheets and divide into 3 parts. Roll each part through the pasta machine, starting on the thickest setting and working the dough gradually to the thinnest setting. Cover each part with plastic wrap before proceeding to the next one.
To assemble the ravioli, place a pasta sheet on a lightly floured counter. Spoon a tablespoon of shrimp mixture every 3 to 4 inches on the pasta sheet. Lightly brush beaten egg around each shrimp mound and carefully lay another rolled pasta sheet over the top. Press down with your fingers so that each shrimp mound is completely enclosed in a pasta “cocoon.” Using a biscuit cutter or the mouth of a glass, cut into rounds so that you do not have too much excess pasta around the edges of the ravioli.
Cook in lightly salted simmering water for 4 to 5 minutes, drain, toss in a little extra-virgin olive oil and serve with the smoked tomato sauce. Serves 2 to 4.
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