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Ayaka Guido

Egg Yolk Ravioli
S28E10 Italian · 2021
Where to find them
● @ayakaguido

Egg yolk ravioli is a piece of theater with a thirty-second window for disaster. The yolk lives inside a nest of ricotta inside a pasta dome, and if the pasta is too thin the yolk cooks on contact with boiling water, and if it's too thick you've made a dumpling, and if the water is too hot the yolk scrambles before the pasta sets. Ayaka Guido, executive chef at Jean-Georges Vongerichten's ABC Kitchen in New York, has apparently solved every one of these problems.

Guido rolls her pasta to setting 6 on a KitchenAid attachment — thin enough to see light through, thick enough to hold a full yolk through a 2-minute, 45-second cook in water that has come down from a rolling boil to a steady simmer around 190°F. The ricotta nest is piped around the yolk and the second sheet is pressed from the outer edge inward, expelling air before sealing. One air pocket and the whole thing balloons and bursts.

ABC Kitchen is the rare Jean-Georges room where the food is quieter than the room, and better for it. Bobby's ravioli — this is not a rumor — did not survive the boil.

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Egg Yolk Ravioli

30 min Prep
12 min Cook
4 Serves
Ingredients
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 8 large egg yolks, room temperature
  • 4 oz fresh ricotta, drained
  • 1 oz Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated
  • 1 tbsp butter, browned and cooled
  • 1 tsp fresh lemon zest
  • 8 fresh sage leaves, torn
  • 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • 4 tbsp brown butter for finishing
  • Sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Make fresh pasta dough: mound 2 cups flour on a work surface, create a well in center, add 3 whole eggs, 1 tbsp olive oil, and 1/2 tsp sea salt. Using a fork, beat eggs gently, then gradually incorporate flour from the walls. Knead for 8-10 minutes until silky and elastic. Wrap in plastic and rest at room temperature for 20 minutes.
  2. Prepare filling: combine 4 oz ricotta, 1 oz grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, 1 tbsp cooled brown butter, and 1 tsp lemon zest in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip.
  3. Roll pasta: divide dough into 4 portions. Using a pasta machine, roll one portion through the widest setting 3 times, then progressively narrow the setting until you reach the thinnest setting (nearly translucent). Lay sheet on a lightly floured surface. Repeat with remaining dough, stacking sheets between parchment paper.
  4. Fill and cut ravioli: pipe a small mound of ricotta filling (about 1/2 tsp) onto one pasta sheet at 3-inch intervals in 2 rows. Gently place a single raw egg yolk on top of each filling mound, centering it carefully. Place second pasta sheet on top, press around each mound to seal, then cut into 2-inch squares using a fluted cutter or knife. Place finished ravioli on a parchment-lined tray.
  5. Bring a large pot of salted water (1 tbsp salt per quart) to a rolling boil. Gently add ravioli in batches—they should not touch. Cook for 3-4 minutes until they float, then continue for 1 additional minute. Remove with a slotted spoon to a warm bowl.
  6. Finish dish: in a small skillet, melt 4 tbsp butter over medium heat until it foams and turns golden-brown (2-3 minutes). Add thinly sliced garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant. Add torn sage leaves and cook 20 seconds. Pour brown butter sauce over warm ravioli, gently toss with a spoon to coat, and finish with fleur de sel and cracked black pepper.
Inspired by Ayaka Guido’s winning egg yolk ravioli. This is a plausible recreation, not the chef’s original recipe.
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