Lobster Ravioli with Summer Vegetable Herb Sauce

For the sauce:
2 small yellow squash
2 small zucchini
1 cup fresh peas
4 vine ripened tomatoes
1 whole head of garlic
10 fresh basil leaves
1 Tbs. fresh dill
1/3 cup olive oil
Dozen shucked clams with their juices
Salt to taste

Dice squash and zucchini into small pieces. Add to saute pan with peas and saute for 2-3 minutes. Remove and shock in cold water to stop cooking. Set aside.
Core and chop tomatoes, and transfer to blender along with all their juice. Blend until pureed. Pour into strainer lined with cheesecloth and let sit.
Cut garlic head in half and place in pot with cold water. Bring up to simmer and remove. Remove cloves and place back in pot with fresh cold water. Bring back up to simmer. Remove cloves, discard water, and repeat process with cold water, bringing back up to simmer, 4-5 times. Last time, replace water with olive oil and wait until garlic is fragrant. Remove from oil and puree in blender until smooth. Set aside.
Blanch herbs in simmering water for 30 seconds and shock in cold water to stop cooking. Blend with olive oil until smooth. Set aside.

For pasta:
1 1/2 cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/2 cup Semolina Flour
Pinch of salt
6 egg yolk
3 Tbs. olive oil

Make a well with the flours and salt. Whisk in egg yolks and olive oil with fork until well mixed. Transfer to stand mixer with dough hook attachment and mix on medium for 5 minutes or until dough pulls away from bowl. Wrap in plastic and let sit for at least 30 minutes, or up to 1 day. Cut dough ball into 4 pieces and using a pasta roller attachment, starting with the #1 setting, push dough through roller. Continue 3-4 times on each setting working up to the #4. Transfer pasta sheet to floured work surface and cover with damp towel until ready.

Filling:
1 1/2 lb. fresh lobster
2 whole eggs
1/4 fresh heavy cream
1 small shallot, diced and sauteed
Boil lobster tail and claws. Transfer to ice bath to halt cooking. Remove meat from shell and chop finely. In a blender, combine tail meat, eggs and heavy cream and pulse until smooth. Transfer to work bowl and stir in claw meat an shallots.

Assembly:
Dollop 3 Tbs. filling on pasta sheets leaving at least 5" space in between. Dab your finger in water and make a square outside the filling. Fold pasta sheet over top to cover the filling. Seal edges where you wet it with your finger. Using a ring mold, ensure the filling is sealed well. Trim pasta into squares and set aside until ready to boil. Generously salt the water and boil pasta 3-4 minutes or until they float to the surface. Remove and set aside.

To finish sauce, combine tomato water, garlic puree, herb oil and clam juices and blend until smooth and creamy. Add drained vegetables to saute pan and reheat with clams and blended sauce. Gently move cooked ravioli into pan with sauce to coat. Serve immediately.

©2009 Amanda Dalmath Eat Sweetreats Recipes