Directions

To make the pasta: Mound 3 1/2 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 1/2-inch round tip. Pipe a ring of the ricotta mixture about 1/2-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.Brush the egg water mixture around each of the 6 dough rounds. Top them with the remaining 6 dough rounds and carefully seal the edges, taking care not to break the egg yolks inside. Move the tray to the refrigerator while you prepare the sauce. To prepare the sauce: 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.

Directions

The Stuffing Heat the olive oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the smashed garlic cloves to the hot oil and swirl them around the pan. After a moment, remove the garlic cloves and discard. Add the Swiss chard, and a little salt and pepper. Cook stirring and tossing continuously until it is barely wilted, about 4 minutes. Put the chard into a colander to drain. When slightly cool use a paper towel to press out as much moisture as possible. Chop the chard and add it to a mixing bowl. Using the same skillet, wipe the bottom and sides with a paper towel and set it over medium heat. Once the pan has reheated Add the cut bacon strips to the pan, stirring occasionally. Once it begins to brown, but is not yet crisp remove it to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Reserving the bacon fat in the skillet still set over medium heat. Add the bread cubes and pine nuts to the skillet and cook giving the pan all of your attention until everything is toasted and golden brown. Then add the bread, pine nuts and cooled, cooked bacon to the same bowl as the Swiss chard. Add the diced sun dried tomatoes, sage chiffonade, and a pinch of pepper (salt is probably not necessary, but check). Set the stuffing aside. Chianti Sauce Add the red wine, one whole sage leaf, one sprig of thyme, and chopped parsley to a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil then lower the heat and cook until reduced to a syrupy consistency. Strain the herbs out and set the sauce aside. Potatoes Put the red potatoes, shallot halves, the remaining sprig of thyme, the sprig of rosemary and a good amount of salt into a large pot. Add enough cool water to cover the ingredients by 2 inches. Bring the pot to a boil and cook about 10 minutes. The potatoes should be cooked through, but still quite firm. Drain the potatoes and then immerse them in cool water. Set aside in the cool water while you prepare the pork. Pork Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Working with one pork chop at a time, lay one on it’s side in front of you and insert the tip of your knife into the center cutting a pocket into the chop. Making sure to leave 3 sides intact. Season the insides with salt and pepper and fill its cavity with about 1/4 of the chard stuffing. Press the meat closed around the mixture, pressing to evenly distribute the stuffing. Lay the chop flat again and top with four or 5 whole sage leaves. Wrap the pork with 2 strips of raw bacon, covering the sage leaves and winding the bacon around the chop slightly overlapping. Make sure you enclose the stuffing completely. Use toothpicks to secure the ends of the bacon slices. Continue until both chops are stuffed and wrapped. Find a pan with shallow sides (such as a cast iron skillet) that is ovenproof and large enough to hold both of the chops and all the potatoes. Use this skillet to warm the vegetable oil on a burner set to medium. Lay the chops in the pan in a single layer; cook 6-8 minutes, turning the as needed to assure even browning of the bacon. Add the potatoes to the pan surrounding the chops. It’s ok if the potatoes cover the chops somewhat. Move the pan to the preheated oven and cook another 5-7 minutes, until the pork has reached an interior temperature of 140 degrees F for medium rare. Move the chops to a cutting board and let them rest about 8 minutes. In the meantime put the potatoes on a warm serving platter. Once the pork has rested, slice each chop on a diagonal, across the grain into 1/2-inch thick slices. Top the potatoes with the sliced pork and drizzle about 1/2 of the Chianti sauce over the chops and toss the chopped sage across the platter. Serve warm with the remaining sauce passed at the table.