Raviolo with Egg Yolk in Truffle Scented Sage Brown Butter Sauce

To make the pasta: Mound 3 ½ cups of the flour in the center of a large wooden cutting board. Make a well in the middle of the flour and add the eggs and the olive oil. Using a fork, beat together the eggs and oil and begin to incorporate the flour, starting with the inner rim of the well.As you expand the well, keep pushing the flour up from the base of the mound to retain the well shape. The dough will come together when half of the flour is incorporated.Start kneading the dough with both hands, using the palms of your hands. Once you have a cohesive mass, remove the dough from the board and scrape up and discard any leftover bits. Lightly re-flour the board and continue kneading for 5 or 6 more minutes. The dough should be elastic and a little sticky. Wrap the dough in plastic and allow to rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.

Roll out the pasta dough to the thinnest setting on a pasta rolling machine. From the thin pasta sheet, cut 12 circles with a 6-inch diameter. Set 6 of the circles on a sheet tray dusted with flour, cover with plastic wrap and set aside.To make the filling: Prepare an ice bath. In a large pot of salted boiling water, blanch the chard for about 3 minutes.

Drain, then quickly plunge it into the ice bath to stop cooking.

Drain again, then squeeze it in you fists to remove as much moisture as possible.

Transfer it to a food processor.

Add the drained ricotta to the food processor, pulse to combine.

Add the nutmeg, sea salt, pepper and 2 egg yolks. Run the machine until the mixture is well combines. You may need to scrape the sides of the bowl once to assure it is evenly incorporated. Spoon the blended mixture into a pastry bag fitted with 1 ½-inch round tip.Pipe a ring of the ricotta mixture about ½-inch from the edges of each of the 6 dough rounds that were set aside on the tray. The goal is to create a well to hold one of the 6 remaining egg yolks on each of the dough rounds.

Heat a heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat.

Add the butterchunks and the sliced sage, whisking frequently and watching carefully. You will notice the butter will get foamy, and then the milk solids will begin to brown. Once that starts, remove skillet from the heat. The butter will go from brown to black quickly, so set the skillet on a cool, heat proof surface to slow cooking before the butter turns black. Smell the butter; it should have a nutty aroma, and be caramel in color.To finish the dish: Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil in a large stock pot and add 2 tablespoons salt. Lower the heat to a simmer and let the bubbles subside. Gently, using a wide flat spatula, lower each raviolo into the water. Cook them for about 2 minutes.

Remove the, gently from the water and place them one at a time into the skillet with the brown butter sage sauce, use a spoon to coat each one well with the sauce. Repeat with remaining raviolos. Placing each one them carefully onto each of 6 serving plates.

Drizzle remaining sauce evenly on each plate, making sure to include some of the fried sage as well.

Garnish generously with a grating of Parmigiano-Reggiano, and an optional drizzle of truffle oil. Just a whiff of oil is all that’s needed. Truffle oil can be quite insidious when used with a heavy hand.