Ravioli with ricotta and zucchini with olive oil, lemon and wild fennel emulsion / Ravioli alla ricotta e zucchine con emulsione di olio evo, limone e finocchietto

It has been was quite a while since I last made pasta from scratch, and it’s just the second time I do some stuffed pasta for the blog. Not having any finely ground semolina (like the wonderful friscello speciale from Maroggia ‘s Mill), which unfortunately was to be found infested by moths on my return from vacation, I opted for normal semolina. Unthinkable, with my back bruised from the accident Copenhagen, going to the Mill to pick up the usual pack of 5 kilos. As a result I liked it. You will not feel much difference from the usual pasta, maybe yes it is a bit unrefined compared to the other version, but I quite like a rustic touch! The filling is very delicate and fresh, especially if you find the time to make ricotta at home as I did. What can I say, I should do it more often! It is worth taking the time to knead, roll out the dough to the thickness that suits you best, and prepare a stuffing from A to Z. What a satisfaction! And you, what are you waiting for? Try out for yourself and let me know what you think about it!

Dried wild fennel leaves, Lemon and Pepper crackers / Sfogliate di pane al finocchietto, limone e pepe

Lately baking disasters have been the norm, the uneasy feeling of not doing it right, of not being focused. Yet another batch of grissinis gets burnt, the ciabatte do not rise as expected and every single recipe and experiments turns into drama. Not good. To get back on the track and to push myself I turn to the easiest solution to soothe the wounds to my confidence: online challenges and contests. When improvising too much I often lose concentration, having to participate to contests is another thing…there are deadlines and a recipe can turn out bad once, maybe twice. I started with a quick and easy recipe, because as always I put myself in the position of squeezing my urge of baking between chores and appointments. Renouncing is not an option.