Levin - Chicago chefs table: extraordinary recipes from the windy city

(Serves 4, about 6 pieces each)

For the filling:

1 cup fresh ricotta cheese

2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiana Reggiano cheese

2 tablespoons Capriole Farms, locally sourced, or other good-quality goat cheese

2 tablespoons chopped Gorgonzola Dolcelatte cheese

1 teaspoon chopped Italian parsley

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the dough:

23/4 cups semolina flour

11/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon sea salt

4 egg yolks, plus 1 yolk for egg wash

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons water

For the Marsala glaze and sauce:

1 cup Marsala wine

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 teaspoon heavy cream

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 tablespoon toasted pine nuts

Block of Parmigiana Reggiano cheese

For the filling, in a medium bowl combine the four cheeses, parsley, salt and pepper.

For dough place both flours and the salt in a food processor. Add 4 egg yolks and oil; pulse until dough forms a ball. (To prepare by hand, in a large bowl, make a well in the center of dry ingredients. Add 4 yolks and oil to the well; using a fork, beat the liquid until smooth and so that it picks up the dry ingredients. Keep mixing until dough forms a ball.)

Knead the dough by hand until slightly firm, similar in feel to your ear lobe. Add water, 1 teaspoon at a time, if dough becomes crumbly or too dry. Rest dough for 10 minutes.

Make the Marsala glaze. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, cook wine until reduced to 2 or 3 tablespoons. Consistency should be thick and syrupy. Set aside.

Roll out the dough in one piece using a pasta machine or by hand until the dough is thin enough to see your hand through it. Brush dough with wash made of remaining egg yolk. Drop quartersize dollops of the cheese filling about 11/2 inches apart on one half of the dough. Fold opposite half of the dough over the filled side. Using an inverted shot glass, push down over a mound of filling, pressing air out. With a paring knife, cut around the glass to cut out the ravioli. Press the edges of each ravioli gently to seal. Cover with a damp cloth.

Next, prepare the sauce. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, reduce the chicken broth by half. Remove from heat, cool slightly, and add the cream and butter, stirring briskly with a wire whisk or fork until sauce is smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the ravioli and cook until al dente, about 2 minutes. Drain and toss with sauce.

Divide ravioli among four plates or shallow bowls. Drizzle with Marsala glaze in a zigzag using a spoon or squirt bottle. Garnish with toasted pine nuts and shavings of Parmigiana Reggiano made using a vegetable peeler.

LITTLE ITALY

European awnings and sidewalk patios. Strolling young families and rustling leafy trees. Thick wooden doors and big storefront windows. The famous bright red sign for Als #1 Italian Beef. Taylor Street, the heart of Little Italy, has kept its charm since Chicagos largest wave of Italian immigrants settled in this neighborhood in the early 1900s. These days, the transforming Near West Side neighborhood reflects a wider cross section of cultures and backgrounds, but its three main traits remain: tree-lined streets, friendly people, and, of course, delicious food.

When Al Capone finished his daily gangster activities, he likely feasted on a big bowl of pasta with a chunky red Bolognese sauce, or maybe a creamy risotto, on this side of the tracks. And although he started Chicagos bad rap as a mobster town, both Italian immigrants and Chicago residents continue to enjoy the legal favoritesbaked clams with a garlicky breaded crust, popcorn calamari dipped in spicy tomato sauce, big chops of chicken, veal, pork chops, and steaks simply grilled with olive oil, thyme, and, of course, garlic.

Nowadays, old school serves alongside new school. Scott Harris, notable for starting the Mia Francesca empire that contemporized traditional Italian food for the masses in the early 90s with restaurants that were fun, informal, affordable, and yet trendy, has returned to his roots to help contemporize modern-day Little Italy. This has included moving and retooling the iconic Gennaros, announcing plans for a kitschy meatball-only eatery, and opening up Davanti Enoteca, the answer for tapas-style Italian. In a reflection of his now-closed first small-plates concept, Francesca Fresco, this upscale rendition also presents a lineup of small plates, but with an added focus on high-quality, simple ingredients and thoughtfully paired wines, reminiscent of true regional Italian cuisine. Think: sauted sardines, crispy pork belly, smooth ricotta, and honeycomb in a mason jar, risotto carbonara with a runny egg yolk.