Cod with Pesto Ravioli and Sauce
Pretty Plates on the Holiday Table
First of all, believe me, please! This pesto ravioli is absolutely not complicated. I wrote all very small steps into the instructions. But who are cooking generally at home they do not need this very detailed step-by-step list. I wanted to create a fancy plate for the holiday table. It’s pretty and colorful. Last but not least, this dish is very delicious.
In Hungary, it is tradition to eat fish at Christmas. The fried fish is the most popular. They are rolled in breadcrumbs and fried in oil. Fortunately, traditions are changing, and more modern and healthier methods of preparation are becoming increasingly popular. There are many cooking shows on television channels have also good effects. I really like to watch the Masterchef show. Of course, I don’t make complicated dishes with many ingredients every day. But I like to make something different for the holidays than on weekdays.
Pesto Stuffed Gluten Free Ravioli
I like pine nut pistachio pesto very much. I usually make a bottle of it. It can be stored in the fridge for a long time. You save time if you prepare pesto in advance. Pesto filling in ravioli and pesto sauce with almond cream are two different textures of basic flavor. It is always interesting to process the same ingredients in different ways and serve them together.
You can save time if you make the ravioli ahead also. You don’t have to do anything than warm it up before serve with the pesto sauce together. I colored the pasta with natural carrot powder. It gave a nice light orange color for the ravioli. I’ve been experimenting with colors a lot these days. Spinach and beetroot powder or squid’s dye are healthy natural food coloring. They don’t have strong flavor you can use them easily.
Cod
The cod is the only one what you have to make fresh and serve immediately. I chose the simplest method of preparation. Just seasoning with salt and pepper and frying in butter for 2 minutes on each side. No other strong taste is needed because the pesto’s taste is characteristic enough. Pesto’s flavor should be dominance.
Pretty Mains:
Cod with Pesto Ravioli and Sauce
Ingredients
For Fish
- 4 slices cod
- 4 tbsp butter
- salt and pepper
For Ravioli
- 140 gram cassava flour
- 50 gram almond flour
- 120 ml water
- 1 tsp carrot powder to color optional
- 2 pinches salt
- 1 egg
- ½ tbsp coconut oil
- 2 tbsp butter
For the Pesto Filling and Sauce
- 80 gram pine nut roasted
- 60 gram pistachio roasted
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 80 ml olive oil
- 60 gram Parmigiano Reggiano parmesan cheese grated
- 40 gram fresh basil leaves
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper freshly ground
- 280 ml almond cream
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 tsp tapioca flour
For Top (optional)
- 60 gram Parmigiano Reggiano grated
- 4 fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Make the pesto first. Put all ingredients except olive oil into the food processor and pulse it for 2 minutes.
- Add olive oil very slowly while the food processor is working.
- When all ingredients in it, pulse it for another 1 minute. Set aside.
- Make the crispy Parmigiano to the top (optional). Turn the oven to grill function on highest heat. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Place walnut size grated Parmigiano on it and bake for 4-5 minutes until golden brown. Set aside to harden.
- Make the ravioli. Boil water in a large pot with 1 tsp salt and some drops of olive oil.
- Mix all ravioli ingredients by hand until the dough is well combined and formed to ball.
- Add 1 tbsp water (or more if it’s necessary, 1-1 tbsp after each other) if the dough cracks.
- Sprinkle a parchment paper with cassava flour, place the formed dough into the middle of it.
- Sprinkle the top of the dough with a bit of cassava flour, place another parchment paper on it.
- Roll the dough to 2 - 2,5 mm thin with a rolling pin.
- I used 8 cm diameter ravioli cutter (or glass) to cut out the ravioli pieces. Knead, roll and cut the remaining dough again. Repeat it as long as you have dough.
- Fill each ravioli with 1 teaspoon of pesto, then fold in half by hand or with ravioli cutter. Close the edges very well.
- Add some of the ravioli to boiling water. Not all, because they will cold down the water and stick to each other. They will sink at first. When raviolis float to the top of the water, they are ready. Cook each batch about 3 minutes. I suggest you taste one and you will see 3 minutes cooking time was enough or not.
- Melt 2 tbsp butter in a wide pan on medium heat and add raviolis. Turn them very gently, until they are covered with butter both sides then turn off the heat. Set aside.
- Make pesto sauce. Warm up almond cream and add 4 tbsp pesto, cook for 2-3 minutes until it’s hot but it’s not boiling. Stir constantly.
- Add 1 tsp tapioca flour to 1 tbsp water in a small bowl and stir to homogeneous.
- Add tapioca mixture to the pesto sauce and cook for 2 minutes, until it’s thickened. Set aside.
- Season the cod slices with salt and pepper. Melt butter in a wide frying pan. When it’s hot place two slices of cod in it and fry both sides for 2 minutes. Turn them very gently, because they are fragile. Then fry the other two slices.
- Heat up the sauce and raviolis if it’s necessary before serving.
- Pour a bit of sauce onto the plate, place the cod on it, and raviolis to the top of the cod then decorate with Parmigiano chips and fresh basil leaves. Enjoy!