Jumbo Crab Ravioli in Lemon Cream Sauce

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A weeknight shortcut to a steakhouse-Italian classic: square wonton wrappers become tender, ruffled-edge ravioli around a filling that's mostly lump crab and barely any binder. Instead of a heavy red sauce, they get a glossy lemon-cream pan sauce with shallot, white wine and parmesan — bright enough that the crab still tastes like crab. Fifty minutes start to finish, no pasta machine.

Ingredients

• 8 oz lump crab meat, drained and picked over
• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup finely grated parmesan
• 2 tbsp panko breadcrumbs
• 1 tbsp finely chopped chives
• 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

• 48 pieces square wonton wrappers (about 3.5 inches)
• 1 egg, beaten with 1 tbsp water
• all-purpose flour, for dusting the tray

• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 small shallot, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/3 cup finely grated parmesan
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
• freshly ground black pepper

• 2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tbsp chopped chives
• lemon wedges, for serving

Instructions

1. Squeeze the drained crab gently in a clean kitchen towel to remove excess moisture — wet filling will blow out the wrappers. Pick through it once more for shell fragments.
2. In a medium bowl, stir the softened cream cheese with the parmesan, panko, chives, lemon zest, salt and cayenne until smooth. Fold in the crab with a rubber spatula in just 6 to 8 strokes, keeping the lumps intact. Refrigerate while you set up.
3. Line a baking sheet with parchment and dust lightly with flour. Lay out 8 wonton wrappers at a time on a dry work surface, keeping the rest under a damp towel so they don't dry out.
4. Brush the entire surface of each wrapper lightly with egg wash. Mound a scant 1 tablespoon of filling in the center of half the wrappers, then top each with a second wrapper. Press out from the center with your fingertips to seal, chasing out air pockets, then press the border firmly all the way around. Trim to a neat square or press the edges with a fork. You should get 24 ravioli. Transfer to the floured sheet in a single layer and refrigerate up to 2 hours.
5. Bring a large pot of water to a bare simmer (about 190°F — a rolling boil will tear wonton ravioli) and salt it lightly, about 1 teaspoon per quart.
6. Make the sauce: melt the butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook 2 minutes until translucent, then add the garlic and cook 1 minute more without browning. Pour in the wine and simmer 2 to 3 minutes until reduced by about half.
7. Add the cream and simmer gently 4 to 5 minutes, stirring, until it coats the back of a spoon. Reduce heat to low, whisk in the parmesan until melted, then the lemon juice, zest, salt and several grinds of pepper. Keep warm over the lowest heat; do not boil after the lemon goes in.
8. Cook the ravioli in 2 batches: slide them into the barely simmering water and cook 2 to 3 minutes, until they float and the wrappers turn translucent and silky at the edges. Lift out with a spider or slotted spoon, letting them drain for a few seconds.
9. Add each drained batch directly to the warm sauce and turn gently to coat, loosening the sauce with a spoonful or two of the cooking water if it has tightened.
10. Divide 6 ravioli per plate, spoon extra sauce over, and shower with parsley and chives. Serve immediately with lemon wedges and a little more parmesan at the table.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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