Genoa claims a whole panorama of dishes as its own, and it is with difficulty that we limit them to a mere half dozen specialties. Among the farinaceous dishes, ravioli is considered to be the masterpiece of Genoese cooking. The familiar little paste pillow is rich and yellow with eggs, and stuffed with a subtle mixture of chicken, brains, sweetbread, spinach, and spices.
Ravioli alla Genovese
Sift 3 cups flour into a bowl with a dash of salt. Stir in 2 eggs, lightly beaten, and enough water to make a rather stiff dough. Knead the dough for 2 minutes, or until smooth, cover it with a warm bowl, and let it stand for about 10 minutes.
In a skillet saute half a chicken breast. 1 sheep's brain, 1 sweetbread, and 1 chicken liver in 2 tablespoons butter until lightly browned. Cover the skillet and cook the meat gently for 12 minutes. Run the meat twice through the fine blade of a meat chopper and moisten it with ¼ cup beef or chicken stock.
Add 2 tablespoons slivered ham, 1 cup cooked, sieved spinach, salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste, and the yolks of 2 eggs and mix well.
Cut the dough in half and roll out each half on a lightly floured board into a thin sheet. On one sheet place 1 teaspoon of the filling every 2 inches until the filling is used. Cover the filling with the second sheet of dough and, with the fingertips, press gently around each mound of filling. Cut the dough into 2-inch squares, miking sure that the dough is firmly scaled around the filling. Cook the ravioli in a large quantity of rapidly boiling salted water for 6 minutes, drain, and serve with pesto.
A large unsweetened pie is especially popular at Eastertime, hence its name torta di pasqua. Also called torta genovese, its stuffing is made of green peas. dropped artichokes, and often other greens, bound together with egg, sour cream, and a gentle savoring of cheese. Around the stuffing are wrapped multiple layers of flaky pastry. When it appears on the table, the different crackling layers of golden brown crust loom over the gold and green stuffing. This recipe uses kale.
Torta di Pasqua
Trim the coarse center stalks from 1 pound of kale. Chop the leaves, sprinkle them with salt, and soak in, water to cover for 2 hours. Drain the kale thoroughly and saute it in 3 tablespoons olive oil with 2 onions, sliced, until the kale is wilted. Stir in 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese.
Combine 1 3/4 cups ricotta cheese, 1 tablespoon flour, ¼ cup sour cream, 5 tablespoons grated Parmesan, and 4 eggs, well beaten, and mix well.
Sift 5 cups flour onto a pastry board and make a well in the center. In the well put 2 eggs, lightly beaten, ½ teaspoon salt, and 3 tablespoons olive oil. Gradually work in the flour, adding enough warm water to make a soft dough. Work the dough vigorously, lifting it up and crashing it down on the table until it becomes elastic and cleans the board. Divide the dough into 12 pans and let them stand for 30 minutes covered with a damp cloth. Then, on a lightly floured board, roll each part out into a paper thin rectangle the size of a large oblong baking dish.
Pour a little olive oil on the bottom of the baking dish and place the first layer of dough in the dish. Sprinkle the dough with olive oil or melted butter and place the second sheet of dough on top. Repeat this operation 6 times. Fold the edges of the dough into a firm border.
In a large bowl combine the kale and ricotta mixtures. With a small ladle, indent 8 pockets in this filling mixture. Break an egg into each pocket. sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and olive oil, and dot each egg with a small lump of butter. Cut the eggs gently into the mixture until they are lightly blended with the filling. Turn the filling into the dough lined pan and cover it with the other thin layers of dough, sprinkling each layer with olive oil or melted butter. With a large needle puncture the dough in several plates and bake the torta in a moderate oven (350° F.) for about 45 minutes.
An astonishing ceremonial salad-toend-all-salads, a pyramid of almost everything delectable in Liguria, is known as
Cappon Magro
Make a foundation for the salad with biscuits (wafers) soaked in olive oil and garlic. Add a layer of cooked vegetables a half dozen different ones marinated in French dressing. Then comes the gaudy part of the pyramid. Pile on top of the vegetables poached fish. lobster, shrimp, oysters, and thin slices of octopus, and decorate the fish with anchovy filets, slices of hard-cooked egg, olives, pimiento, capers, baby onions. Now garnish the salad with crisp fresh greens.
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