Open raviolo with fish is a stacked pasta of fresh pasta squares, mussels, scallops, salmon and monkfish in dill butter, ready in 1 hour 50 minutes. It feeds 6 and suits a dinner party because nothing is sealed or folded.
Why This Recipe Works
The pasta is not filled and pinched shut like a classic raviolo. You cook flat squares, then lay one under the filling and one on top. That skips the sealing and removes any worry about split ravioli.
Every piece of seafood is cut to 1/4 inch. Small pieces cook through in a few minutes in the hot butter. The scallops and salmon stay tender instead of turning rubbery while the monkfish catches up.
Soaking the mussels for 30 minutes before cooking lets them spit out grit. A covered pot with a thin layer of water steams them open and leaves clean meat. Pulling the meat from the shells lets it mingle with the rest of the filling.
Open Raviolo with Fish Ingredients
For the pasta
- 1 1/2 pounds fresh pasta dough
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt, for the cooking water
For the fish filling
- 3 pounds mussels (about 48)
- 4 ounces butter, divided
- 1 garlic clove, very finely chopped
- 6 ounces fresh scallops, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
- 6 ounces fresh salmon, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
- 6 ounces monkfish or any other firm white fish, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
- 1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped dill, plus sprigs to garnish
- 2 tablespoons dry white wine
- 1 egg yolk lightly beaten with 1/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice (optional)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
How To Make Open Raviolo with Fish
Clean and cook the mussels
- Scrub the mussels: Scrub the mussels under cold running water and throw out any that are cracked or open. Scrape off the beards with a small sharp knife, then rinse in several changes of cold water until it runs clean.
- Soak: Put the mussels in a large bowl, cover with cold water, and leave them for 30 minutes so they release their grit. Drain and discard any with open shells.
- Steam open: Pour just enough water into a large pot to coat the bottom, add the mussels, and put the lid on. Cook over fairly high heat for 5 minutes, shaking the pot now and then, until the shells open. Discard any that stay shut, drain, and take the meat out of the shells.
Cut the pasta
- Portion the dough: Divide the pasta dough into 3 equal balls. Each ball becomes one sheet, so the squares come out even.
- Roll and cut: Roll each ball on a lightly floured surface into a sheet about 10 inches square and 1/8 inch thick. Cut each sheet into 4 squares and lay all 12 on clean kitchen towels.
Make the filling
- Fry the garlic: Heat half the butter in a large skillet and fry the garlic for a few seconds, just until it smells fragrant.
- Cook the seafood: Add salt, pepper, the scallops, the salmon, the monkfish and the mussel meat. Fry for a few minutes until the fish is just cooked through.
- Add herbs and wine: Stir in the parsley, chopped dill and wine. Let it bubble for 1 minute so the alcohol cooks off.
- Thicken if needed: If the filling looks thin, beat in the egg yolk and lemon juice mixture. It turns the loose juices into a light sauce that clings to the seafood.
Cook the pasta and assemble
- Boil the squares: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the oil. Slide the pasta squares in one at a time, so they don’t stick together, and cook for 4 minutes.
- Melt the butter: While the pasta cooks, melt the remaining butter.
- Dry the pasta: Lift the squares out carefully and pat them dry on clean kitchen towels. Work while they’re still warm, since cold pasta tears when you move it.
- Stack and serve: Set one square on each of 6 warmed dishes. Spoon the fish filling into the center of each, then cover with the remaining squares. Drizzle with the melted butter and top with a dill sprig.
Recipe Tips
- Cut the fish evenly: Pieces of the same 1/4-inch size cook at the same speed, so nothing overcooks while you wait for the rest.
- Warm the plates: A warm dish keeps the pasta soft and the butter loose. On a cold plate the pasta stiffens before you reach the table.
- Skip any mussel that stays closed: A shell that won’t open after steaming was likely dead before cooking. Throw it out.
- Try two pasta colors: Mix plain and spinach or tomato pasta for a more colorful stack.
What To Serve With Open Raviolo with Fish
Serve this as a first course on warmed plates, with the dill sprig on top. A crisp green salad and a chilled dry white wine, the same kind you cooked with, go well alongside.
How To Store
- Fridge: Keep the filling and the pasta squares in separate covered containers for up to 2 days.
- Reheat: Warm the filling gently in a skillet until hot all the way through. Dip the pasta in hot water for a few seconds to loosen it.
- Freezer: Skip freezing this dish. Cooked seafood turns tough and watery once thawed.
FAQs
Can I use frozen mussels?
Yes, if they are already cooked and shelled. Thaw them in the fridge and skip the scrubbing, soaking and steaming steps. Add them to the pan with the other seafood and warm them through.
What fish can I use instead of monkfish?
Any firm white fish that holds its shape works, such as cod or halibut. Soft fish like sole breaks apart in the pan and turns the filling mushy.
Can I make this ahead for a dinner party?
Cut the pasta squares and the fish ahead and keep them chilled. Cook the filling and the pasta shortly before serving, since both are best warm.
Why does my sauce look thin?
The seafood releases juice as it cooks. Beating in the egg yolk and lemon mixture thickens it into a light sauce. You can also let the filling simmer for a minute longer.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving (1 of 6), worked out from the ingredients.
- Calories: about 620 kcal
- Total Fat: 28g
- Total Carbohydrate: 55g
- Dietary Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 38g
Open Raviolo with Fish
6
servings1
hour50
minutes110
minutesFresh pasta squares stacked around mussels, scallops, salmon and monkfish in a dill and white wine butter. An elegant first course for 6, without any folding or sealing.
Ingredients
- For the pasta
1 1/2 pounds fresh pasta dough
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt, for the cooking water
- For the fish filling
3 pounds mussels (about 48)
4 ounces butter, divided
1 garlic clove, very finely chopped
6 ounces fresh scallops, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
6 ounces fresh salmon, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
6 ounces monkfish or any other firm white fish, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped dill, plus sprigs to garnish
2 tablespoons dry white wine
1 egg yolk lightly beaten with 1/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice (optional)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Scrub the mussels: Scrub the mussels under cold running water and throw out any that are cracked or open. Scrape off the beards with a small sharp knife, then rinse in several changes of cold water until it runs clean.
- Soak: Put the mussels in a large bowl, cover with cold water, and leave them for 30 minutes so they release their grit. Drain and discard any with open shells.
- Steam open: Pour just enough water into a large pot to coat the bottom, add the mussels, and put the lid on. Cook over fairly high heat for 5 minutes, shaking the pot now and then, until the shells open. Discard any that stay shut, drain, and take the meat out of the shells.
- Portion the dough: Divide the pasta dough into 3 equal balls. Each ball becomes one sheet, so the squares come out even.
- Roll and cut: Roll each ball on a lightly floured surface into a sheet about 10 inches square and 1/8 inch thick. Cut each sheet into 4 squares and lay all 12 on clean kitchen towels.
- Fry the garlic: Heat half the butter in a large skillet and fry the garlic for a few seconds, just until it smells fragrant.
- Cook the seafood: Add salt, pepper, the scallops, the salmon, the monkfish and the mussel meat. Fry for a few minutes until the fish is just cooked through.
- Add herbs and wine: Stir in the parsley, chopped dill and wine. Let it bubble for 1 minute so the alcohol cooks off.
- Thicken if needed: If the filling looks thin, beat in the egg yolk and lemon juice mixture. It turns the loose juices into a light sauce that clings to the seafood.
- Boil the squares: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the oil. Slide the pasta squares in one at a time, so they don’t stick together, and cook for 4 minutes.
- Melt the butter: While the pasta cooks, melt the remaining butter.
- Dry the pasta: Lift the squares out carefully and pat them dry on clean kitchen towels. Work while they’re still warm, since cold pasta tears when you move it.
- Stack and serve: Set one square on each of 6 warmed dishes. Spoon the fish filling into the center of each, then cover with the remaining squares. Drizzle with the melted butter and top with a dill sprig.
