When Marco Butturini came to Birmingham in the late 90s, a friend introduced him to Frank Stitt, and he spent several happy years working at Chez FonFon and Bottega, then Highlands Bar & Grill. “I was blessed to work with Frank,” he commented.
Born in Northern Italy near Verona, Marco humbly insisted he is “not a chef or a sommelier — just a lucky guy who’s worked with amazing people.” Those people, by the way, range from Frank to Roberto Mazzola, a Michelin-starred Italian chef, to others in locations like London and Bermuda.
Fast-forward to 2019, when Marco and his brother, Luca, shared dreams to open a place all their own: a pizza restaurant, given Luca’s ability “to cook pizza like no one else.” Though plans were forced to shift when Luca stayed in Italy, the brothers’ vision has continued to blossom. Today, Le Fresca serves fine Italian cuisine, including pastas, seafood dishes and, of course, authentic pizzas, cooked to perfection in their imported Neapolitan oven.
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Sweet Potato Ravioli, Courtesy of Le Fresca
Serves 2
For the beginner, this recipe may be a bit of work, but the reward will be well worth the effort. Rolling pasta is a never-ending learning process, but every time it is practiced, you get better and better! As far as the pasta dough, there are many different varieties — and how you approach it depends on experience level.
For the Filling
2-3 sweet potatoes, depending on size
1 whole egg
Pinch of salt and nutmeg
For the Cookie Garnish
1 cup almonds, blanched and peeled
1/3 cup sugar
Egg white from 1 whole egg
Couple drops vanilla and almond extract
For the Sauce
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons water
2 sage leaves
Pinch of salt
200g fresh pasta dough — we use an egg yolk and flour recipe
1. In a food processor, blend all ingredients for the cookie garnish until combined. Scoop onto a baking sheet and bake at 300F for 30 minutes.
2. Bake the sweet potatoes at 350F for an hour and a half to two hours, depending on size.
3. If making your own dough and not purchasing fresh dough from a store, make dough and wrap in plastic wrap, then set aside to rest.
4. Once the potatoes are at a manageable temperature, peel the skins off and scoop the potatoes into a food processor.
5. Season potatoes gently with salt and nutmeg, add the whole egg, then puree until smooth.
6. Roll out pasta dough until desired thickness — the thinner the better.
7. Fill the ravioli and seal.
8. Drop the pasta into boiling salted water until raviolis are floating.
9. In a saute pan, simmer water butter and sage with ravioli until sauce emulsifies.
10. Garnish with grated almond cookie.