Sea Bass-filled Ravioli with Pumpkin Sauce and Crispy Leeks

Sift flour on wooden board and make well in center. Break eggs and pour them into center one by one. Using a fork, beat eggs together. Gently bring some flour into egg mix. Continue drawing flour into eggs a little at a time until all flour is absorbed.

Use your hands to obtain a uniform mixture, kneading pasta by pushing with the palm of your hands, until dough feels smooth and firm. Make a round, smooth ball and place on a plate.  Cover with moistened cloth or plastic wrap, and let dough settle in a cool place for 30 minutes.

Turn oven to 180C.  Clean sea bass under running water, removing inner organs and removing as many scales as possible.  Purchase precleaned to save a bit of prep time.

Put a sprig of rosemary, 2 sage leaves and a sprig of thyme in cavity of cleaned sea bass, add a pinch of salt. Cover sea bass with a piece of aluminum foil, place on roasting tray and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Once cooked, remove bones and skin from fish and put in a mixing bowl. Add some parsley and begin mixing, adding extra-virgin olive oil to obtain a solid cream. Add salt and white pepper to taste.

Grate pumpkin with a cheese-grater.

Heat 1 tbsp of extra-virgin olive oil in medium sauté pan, add grated pumpkin and a half-glass of room temperature water.  

Add salt to taste, and let simmer over medium heat until water is completely absorbed. Taste and add more salt if needed.  

Remove from heat and set aside.

In small pan, heat some extra-virgin olive oil with 1 sprig of rosemary, 2 sage leaves, 1 sprig of thyme and let them slightly fry, being careful they don't burn.

Turn off flame, leaving the herbs in the oil.  Let rest until ready to use on dish.

Cut dough into parts. Place one of the pieces on a work surface, and flatten with rolling pin until very thin, or use the pasta machine and roll out to desired thickness.

Dust surfaces with minimum amount of flour necessary, just enough to prevent dough from sticking to your hands, rolling pin or machine while working.

Repeat same steps with other half of dough, making pasta sheet of same size. Set aside, covered with a moist towel if necessary to prevent pasta from drying out.

Place about 1 teaspoon of filling on dough, closing ravioli, and overlapping pasta sheets. Seal borders with your fingers, then with fork.  Cut squares with pasta wheel cutter. Sprinkle kitchen tray with semola flour (this prevents pasta from sticking to each other), and put shaped ravioli on tray until ready to cook.

In a large pot, bring salt water to a boil.  Filter the flavoured extra virgin olive oil, discard the herbs.

Thinly cut the leek and coat the pieces with rice flour.  Heat the seed oil in a small deep pan, and fry the floured leeks until they become slightly golden and crunchy. Drain and put on a paper towel to absorb the oil.  Add salt.

Put the ravioli in boiling water.  In the meantime reheat the pumpkin sauce.  Drain the ravioli with a skimmer.  Transfer the drained ravioli to the pan with the pumpkin sauce. Stir gently until evenly covered with the sauce. Add the filtered flavoured oil.

Place ravioli in warm serving dish, top with salted crunchy leeks, a drizzle of aromatized extra-virgin olive oil, sprinkle with some white pepper and serve at once.