Bottega - Michael Chiarello [41]
Ask your fishmonger for the shrimp shells; most stores that carry loose shrimp will have shells if you call in advance. Otherwise, use 3/4 cup of the least expensive shrimp you can find in place of the shells.
Save this dish for the summer; winter tomatoes don’t provide enough juice.
Wine Pairing: Pigato, a white wine from Liguria
TOMATO FILLING
6 pounds Roma (plum) tomatoes
1 tablespoon sea salt, preferably gray salt
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup chopped garlic
3 cups chopped fresh basil leaves
1 large egg
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan
Freshly ground black pepper
SHRIMP OIL
1 ¼ cups olive oil (see Chef’s Note)
1 cup chopped yellow onion
½ cup peeled and chopped carrot
½ cup chopped celery
2 cups shrimp shells, or 3/4 cup small shrimp
2 tablespoons tomato paste
All-purpose flour or semolina for dusting
1 pound fresh egg pasta sheets or store-bought
24 large shrimp (about 1½ pounds)
2 tablespoons Blanched-Basil Pesto
1½ cups halved cherry tomatoes (about 3/4 pint)
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
FOR THE TOMATO FILLING: Peel, core, and quarter the tomatoes, taking care to catch and reserve all their juice. In a large, nonreactive pot, combine the tomatoes and salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the tomatoes release most of their water, about 15 minutes.
While the tomatoes simmer, line a large colander with two layers of cheesecloth and place it over a heatproof container large enough to hold the colander steady. The cheesecloth should be long enough to extend over the sides of the colander. Pour the hot tomatoes into the colander. Fold the cheesecloth over the tomatoes and weight them down with a sturdy plate and a few clean, heavy cans. Let the tomatoes sit overnight to force out as much liquid as possible. Add the liquid that falls through the cheesecloth to the tomato juice reserved when you chopped the tomatoes. Cover and reserve in the refrigerator. You should end up with about 1½ cups of liquid.
When you’re ready to cook, heat a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat, add the olive oil, and heat just until it begins to smoke. Add the garlic and cook until golden brown, about 1 minute. Add the basil and stir until wilted, about 30 seconds. Add the compressed tomato solids to the pan and cook, stirring frequently, until there’s very little liquid left, about 5 minutes. Transfer the tomato mixture to a platter to cool to room temperature, at least 30 minutes.
In a blender or a food processor, combine the egg and tomato mixture and blend, in batches if necessary, until smooth. Add the Parmesan in three additions, blending after each addition until smooth. Season with pepper. Set aside and let cool completely. The tomato filling can be made the day before and refrigerated if you like.
FOR THE SHRIMP OIL: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F. Heat a large, ovenproof sauté pan or skillet over high heat, add 1/4 cup of the olive oil, and sauté the onion, carrot, and celery until the vegetables begin to show some color, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the shrimp shells and tomato paste. Stir well and transfer the pan to the hot oven. Let it cook until the tomato paste melds with the vegetables, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and pour the contents into a blender, working in batches if necessary. Add the remaining 1 cup oil and blend until smooth. Line a colander with flat-bottom coffee filters and strain the oil into a bowl. Transfer the oil to a squeeze bottle, or cover the bowl. Refrigerate.
Spoon the tomato filling into a pastry bag. Dust a baking sheet with flour. Gently place one sheet of the pasta dough onto a lightly floured surface and cut it into two long sections. Before you begin piping the filling onto the dough, envision folding over one half of the dough sheet length-wise to encase the filling into individual raviolis. Pipe filling into 8 small mounds