Staten Island's Bocelli serves up Sicilian style pumpkin ravioli

STATEN ISLAND (WABC) -- Bocelli's restaurant is hidden away in the non-descript Hylan Shopping Center on Staten Island.

"We were all born in Italy, developed a palate for real Italian food and that's what we try to bring to this restaurant," Vincent Damonte said.

On the inside, it's a totally different feel: wood work and murals and food at the hands of Stefano Sena and his brother Renato.

"Today with the knowledge of food people have, they want a little bit of everything," Stefano said.

And the menu does feature a little bit of everything - chick pea soup, inventive salads, agradolce calamari, pasta in champagne sauce with lobster and pumpkin ravioli.



Whether it's for the food, the service or the atmosphere, Bocelli (named for Andrea Bocelli) hits the high notes.


Sicilian style pumpkin ravioli from Bocelli

Ingredients:

16 pumpkin filled ravioli (homemade or purchased)

4 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp butter

1 medium onion sliced

cup dry fruit (diced and soaked ahead of time in sauterne wine... you can use apricots, white raisins, prunes)

1 tbsp toasted pine nuts

1 cup sweet marsala wine - with 2 vanilla bean sticks soaking in it ahead of time

2 oz honey

cup veal demi-glaze (make your own or purchased)

cup grated grana padano cheese

3 tbsp ground biscotti

3 sprigs of watercress for garnish

Directions:
Sautee onion in oil over medium low heat. Do not brown or burn the onions.

Once onions are soft add dried fruit.



Mix.

Raise heat to medium.

Add pine nuts and marsala with vanilla beans.

Mix.



Add honey and demi glaze. The sauce will thicken and reduce. After about 3 minutes of it reducing add just boiled ravioli and gently mix.

Plate ravioli with sauce (remove the vanilla beans). Garnish with watercress and top with cheese and ground biscotti.

Serves 4 for appetizer or 2 for entre.


For more information about the restaurant, please visit http://www.bocellirest.com.