People think I’m a little crazy when I tell them that one of the best meals I’ve ever had was at Walt Disney World’s EPCOT. They say something along the lines of, “Really? One of your favorite meals was at Disney World?” As if this beloved vacation spot of ours is only capable of paper-thin, tasteless hamburgers and mass-produced french fries. Where was there a world class meal to be had at “The World?” Why, at Monsieur Paul’s, in EPCOT’s France Pavilion.
The idea for this ravioli and carrot soup recipe came from an incredibly inspiring meal that we had at Monsieur Paul’s on the last night of our most recent trip to Walt Disney World. My fiancé and I had spent a week wining and dining around the various parks and hotels with my parents back in June, and Monsieur Paul’s was not the only amazing food that we had.
Pre-dinner margaritas at La Cava del Tequila.
We had refreshing margaritas in the Mexico Pavilion at La Cava del Tequila (try the Cucumber or Avocado margaritas!). We had Indian-African fusion food to die for at Sanaa at Kidani Village at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. We had one of the best burgers my parents (also big foodies), my fiancé or I had ever had at Hollywood Studios’ The Hollywood Brown Derby.
And we dined on escargot and roasted duck breast at Monsieur Paul’s in the France Pavilion. One thing I love about Monsieur Paul’s is that they offer both a regular à la carte menu and a reasonably priced prix-fixe menu. My fiancé and I decided to split the prix-fixe menu and ordered one additional appetizer, and it was more than enough food for the two of us. And I am so incredibly glad that we decided to order that extra appetizer of carrot soup with goat cheese ravioli and roasted red peppers because it led directly to my desire to create this creamy, refined carrot soup recipe.
The soup itself is luscious and creamy and full of roasted carrot flavor. Which we all know is the epitome of deliciousness. It pairs perfectly with the rich, tangy goat cheese filling of these ravioli (which we seriously could not stop eating, by the way. I’m pretty sure the fiancé and I ate about five ravioli fillings worth by the time we were done making the ravioli.) Pair this with a glass of crisp sauvignon blanc and a salad and it makes for a beautiful fall meal. Be sure to thank Mickey while you are devouring this dish! 🙂
My two little kitchen helpers!
Did you make this recipe? Let me know by commenting below or tagging #thecharmingdetroiter! I would love to see your dishes!
Ingredients
- For pasta dough:
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 cups semolina flour
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tbsp. milk
- 2 tbsp. water
- For filling:
- 1/2 tbsp. butter
- 1/2 tbsp. olive oil
- 6 oz. pancetta, finely diced
- 1 shallot, finely diced
- 11 oz. goat cheese
- 1/2 lemon, juice
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
- For soup:
- 1 tbsp. bacon fat or lard
- 3 lbs. carrots, roughly chopped
- 1 medium-sized yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 3 thyme sprigs
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 3/4 cup cream
- Water
- Micrograms, for garnish (optional)
- Special equipment:
- Blender (I recommend a Vitamix) or immersion blender
- Pasta dough roller
Instructions
To a large stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, add all-purpose flour, semolina flour, and salt. Mix to combine. With mixer running on medium, add eggs, olive oil, and milk. Mix until the dough comes together into a rough ball. It may be necessary to add a little bit of water: put the 2 tablespoons of water into a small cup and add just a splash or two at a time. Wait 10-15 seconds and repeat if the dough still has not come together. (You will be able to tell when it is ready!) Turn out dough onto a smooth flour-covered surface and knead for 1-2 minutes. Cover with saran wrap and allow to rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the filling. Preheat a small skillet to medium-high heat. Melt butter and oil and add pancetta. Cook for 3-4 minutes. Add shallots and cook for 6-8 minutes until the shallots are golden brown and the pancetta is crispy. Transfer mixture to a bowl, draining as much as oil as possible. Add lemon juice, goat cheese, and pepper. Stir to combine. Allow mixture to cool before filling ravioli.
To make soup, heat bacon fat or lard in the bottom of a heavy bottom stock pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once melted, add carrots and onions and sauté until browned and beginning to char, about 18-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic cloves and cook 1 minute. Deglaze the pan with white wine, using a wooden spoon to scrape off the baked on bits from the bottom of the pan. Add chicken stock, thyme, bay leaf, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Cover the pot and turn the heat down to low-medium. Allow to simmer for 50-60 minutes, until the carrots are fork-tender.
While soup is simmering, fill the ravioli. A larger sized ravioli is ideal for this recipe, approximately 3-4 inches in diameter if possible. While filling the ravioli, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. (For tips and techniques on filling raviolis, check out this video.
Once the carrots are tender, remove bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Use a blender (I recommend a Vitamix) or an immersion blender to blend the soup until it is smooth. Depending on the thickness of the soup, you can now either add hot water to thin it out, or reduce further over low heat to thicken it for a few minutes. Add cream and stir to combine.
When the salted water has come to a boil, add desired amount of ravioli and cook until they float.
To serve, add ravioli to a wide soup bowl. Ladle soup over top of the ravioli and serve with microgreens and extra heavy cream, if desired.
