Fresh Ravioli with a Genovese-style Ragù, Salva Cremasco DOP, and a Pumpkin Mustard
Ravioli, Genovese-style ragù, Salva Cremasco DOP, and pumpkin mustard is the recipe Chef Michele Minchillo of the Vitium restaurant in Crema, the only Michelin-starred venue in the province of Cremona, proposes for a sophisticated winter menu.
The recipe, prepared in line with the chef’s gastronomic philosophy of intertwining flavours, creativity, and attention to detail, highlights pumpkin—a winter staple. In the first course, fresh pasta, a symbol of Italian gastronomic craftsmanship, meets Neapolitan Genovese-style ragù and Salva Cremasco DOP cheese. Mantuan pumpkin is used to create a slightly spicy mustard, emphasizing the chef’s strong connection to seasonality and the Lombard territory.
Ingredients for 4 people
For fresh pasta
For Genovese-style ragù and onion reduction
For Salva Cremasco cream
For pumpkin mustard
Procedure
For the fresh pasta
Knead all ingredients, form a dough, cover it with plastic wrap, and let it rest in the refrigerator.
For the Genovese-style ragù and onion reduction
Chop celery and carrot. Slice the onion thinly. Sear the meat in a saucepan. Add the onion and celery-carrot mixture. Deglaze with white wine, cover, and simmer slowly for about 5-6 hours. Strain the obtained liquid and reduce it by three-quarters to obtain an onion reduction. Adjust salt and pepper.
For the Salva Cremasco cream
Place both ingredients in a Thermomix and heat to 60°C. Blend until a smooth cream is obtained.
For pumpkin mustard
Bring water to a boil in a saucepan. Add sugar and dissolve it to create a syrup. Dice the pumpkin and simmer it in the syrup for about 10 minutes. Repeat the process three times, letting the vegetable rest for half an hour each time. Add a few drops of mustard essence and lemon juice, then blend.
Plate preparation
Roll out the pasta to a thickness of 4 mm and cut it with a 6 cm diameter cookie cutter. Fill the pasta with the ragù, previously placed in a piping bag. Seal the ravioli. Cook in salted boiling water until they float. Drain. Serve with Salva Cremasco cream, onion reduction, and pumpkin mustard.