Late to the Party – Ravioli with Fennel Pollen Broth

I read a lot of cooking magazines, so I see the waxing and waning of trends and fads in restaurants and kitchens. Mostly I ignore them. In one ear, out the other, although maybe they leave a tiny impression in a far off corner of my brain.

Fennel pollen is one such trend, which must have planted a seed in my memory sometime in the past, finally germinating this summer, decades after its popularity peaked. Introduced from Italy to the United States in the 1990s, I’ve seen it in recipes and magazines for years, usually sprinkled as an accent on top of gourmet dishes just before serving. I never really gave it much thought; a little too snooty for me.

For some reason, this year, the fennel I planted blossomed, which has never happened in my garden. Butterflies and bees swarmed around the bright golden flowers going about their business assisting the plants in reproduction. Often I let flowers go to seed, which I collect to sow the following spring. Knowing I had time before the seeds would be mature enough to harvest, I ignored them. But as I walked through my garden a day or so later, I caught a vague scent of anise. I couldn’t quite place it, until it dawned on me that it was from the fennel blooming in the summer sun. And then from the recesses of my memory…fennel pollen. I wondered if I could harvest it and incorporate it into dinner.

The fresh pollen tasted of fennel, of course, although more mellow; subtle licorice and slight citrus notes. I would need to prepare a dish in which the flavor of the pollen would neither get lost nor overwhelm, which I read can happen if not used with restraint. A shallow broth with ravioli came to mind, the broth scented by both fennel and pollen, with most of the pollen sprinkled on top as a finishing touch.

The dish was exquisite. A hole in one. It’s rare that a recipe works so well on the first attempt, but this one did. Flavorful ravioli stuffed simply with pork and Parmesan. Chicken broth, reduced with shallot, a stalk of fennel, and a pinch of the pollen, clinging to the ravioli with the addition of a bit of creamy butter at the very end. And then a sprinkling of the delicate pollen on top of it all, rich and decadent, no need for extra grated cheese on this pasta, which would dilute the flavor of the pollen.

I was going to stop growing fennel in my garden. No one in my family really likes the stalks, and it takes up valuable garden real estate that could be better used for a more popular harvest. However, now I’ve discovered fennel pollen – albeit a little late – and it has earned a spot among my crops. Maybe I should pay more attention to the fads and trends when they are actually popular. I’m a little late to the party.

Ravioli with Fennel Pollen Broth

If you grow fennel, let some flower to harvest the pollen; you will be well rewarded. If gardening is not your thing, dried fennel pollen can be purchased from many spice purveyors, although it can be expensive. For this dish, I made my own ravioli because, well, that’s what I like to do. But fresh, store-bought ravioli (all cheese and use vegetable broth for vegetarians) would be just as delicious and would be considerably less work.  This recipe only makes a few large ravioli, but could easily be scaled up to make more. But because of its richness, a little goes a long way.

makes 4 large ravioli, 1½ hours total, 45 minutes active

For the ravioli:

½ cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

¼ cup semolina flour, plus more for dusting

1 extra large egg, divided

4 oz. ground pork

⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese

½ tsp. pepper

For the broth:

2 Tbsp. butter, divided

1 large shallot, chopped

1 stalk from a head of fennel, chopped

2 cups chicken broth

¼ tsp. kosher salt, plus more for pasta water

½ tsp. fennel pollen, divided

Make the pasta dough:

1. Put the all-purpose and semolina flours in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Pulse once or twice to combine.
2. Crack the egg in a small bowl and beat with a fork. Add all but 1 tablespoon to the flour. Reserve the extra tablespoon of egg to assemble the ravioli. Run the food processor until well-combined. You are likely to have a pebbly or sandy looking mixture.
3. Add warm water, one tablespoon at a time until you get the right consistency for pasta dough – similar to that of Play-Doh. The dough should be soft enough that all components are well-combined and can be easily kneaded, but not so soft that it is wet, too mushy to work with, or will stick to itself, the pasta maker, your hands, or the counter when rolling it out. Add more water or flour as needed.
4. Remove the dough from the food processor and knead it for a few minutes until all ingredients are fully combined and the dough is smooth.
5. Form dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and let sit at room temperature for about an hour.

While the dough is resting, make the broth:

1. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a 10-inch skillet on medium-low heat.
2. Add the chopped shallot and fennel stalk and cook until soft, about 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Add the chicken broth and salt, raise heat to medium, and cook until reduced to a half cup, stirring occasionally, about 20 to 30 minutes.
4. Allow to cool and then strain out the solids, squeezing them to remove all liquid with its concentrated flavor. Discard the solids and reserve the broth until just before serving.

While the broth is reducing, make the filling:

1. Mix together ground pork, Parmesan, and pepper in a small bowl until well combined.
2. Cover and set aside in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Assemble the ravioli:

1. Lightly dust a plate with semolina flour and set aside.
2. Unwrap the dough and dust it with flour. If using a pasta maker, flatten it into a rectangle the width of the pasta maker. Pass the dough through the rollers set on the largest setting. Fold the dough in thirds, and roll it through again. Do this several times until is it smooth. Then roll the dough out into a long sheet using consistently higher numbers (narrowing the rollers) until you get to a thickness of about one sixteenth of an inch (five on my pasta maker). At some point you will need to cut the dough in half when it gets too long and complete rolling each half separately. As you finish, lay the dough on a counter dusted with flour, and cover it with plastic wrap. Continue rolling the other half of the dough. If you are not using a pasta maker, roll the dough into a long strip until it is about one sixteenth of an inch thick, then cut into two pieces.
3. Divide the filling equally into four dollops and place them equidistant from each other on one of the flat sheets of pasta. They should be separated by about two to three inches.
4. Beat the reserved egg with a teaspoon of water and brush it lightly on the dough, around each dollop of filling. This will help the dough stick together, sealing the ravioli.
5. Take the second sheet of dough and place it over the first. Starting at one end, stretch the dough carefully around each mound of filling and seal the dough, trying to push out all of the air from between sheets to prevent air pockets.
6. If using cutters, find one that just fits around the filling and press lightly with the top (the non-cutting edge) to seal the dough. If not using cutters, press lightly around the mounds of filling with your fingers to seal the dough.
7. If using cutters, pick a larger size and cut out each ravioli. If not using cutters, cut the dough between each ravioli using a knife or fluted roller.
8. Place each formed ravioli on the semolina-dusted plate and allow to dry for at least 10 minutes. If you are not cooking them right away, cover the plate with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.

To cook the ravioli:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
2. Cook ravioli in boiling water until pasta is done, about 4 minutes depending on the thickness of the dough.
3. Drain ravioli and place them on two small plates to be covered with broth.

To complete the broth:

1. While the ravioli are cooking, heat the reserved, reduced broth over a medium heat until warm and stir in ¼ teaspoon of fennel pollen.
2. Just before serving, add the remaining tablespoon of butter and whisk into the broth as it melts. Taste and add more salt if necessary.
3. Immediately spoon the broth over the ravioli and then sprinkle with the remaining ¼ teaspoon of fennel pollen. Serve hot.

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