Ravioli with Mouth-Watering Spanish Sauce and Queso Fresco

Basic Spanish Sauce Ingredients:
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, very finely chopped
• 2-3 plum tomatoes, diced
• ½ cup white wine (optional)
• 1/2 - 1 cup chicken stock
• Stick of cinnamon
• 1 bay leaf
• Dash of sweet paprika
• Pinch of sugar
• 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil

Queso Fresco Filling:
• 7oz. queso fresco (farmers cheese) grated
• 1 egg
• 3 tablespoons parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon finely minced fresh flat leaf parsley
• salt and pepper to taste
• 6 egg roll wrappers

Directions:
1. In a saucepan heat vegetable oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring regularly, until softened and a light golden brown.
2. Add the pepper and carrot, and cook for a few minutes, until they start to get soft. Add the paprika and wine.
3. Add the chopped tomatoes and half a cup of stock or remaining stock if not using wine. Add cinnamon stick, bay leaf and pinch of sugar. Stir and leave on a low simmer for at least half an hour.
4. While the sauce is simmering, prepare the filling by combining grated queso fresco, egg, parmesan cheese , parsley and salt and pepper.
5. Line up 3 egg roll wrappers on a cutting board or wax paper. Brush with water.
6. Using a tablespoon, arrange 4 dollops of the filling on each wrapper .
7. Place another wrapper directly on top, pressing around the filling and sealing the edges.
8. Using a fluted ravioli cutter, cut out squares of ravioli or simply cut with a knife and press with a fork. Each filled wrapper will yield 4 raviolis, giving you a total of 12.
9. Place ravioli onto a floured baking sheet.
10. In a large pot, bring to a boil 4 quarts of salted and oiled water. Carefully add small batches of ravioli, about 3 to 4 at a time. This will prevent them from crowding in the pot and sticking together.
11. Place ravioli onto a floured baking sheet.
12. In a large pot, bring to a boil 4 quarts of salted and oiled water. Carefully add small batches of ravioli, about 3 to 4 at a time. This will prevent them from crowding in the pot and sticking together.
13. Spoon sauce over ravioli and top with more parsley and parmesan cheese.

Makes 2 romantic servings or 4 appetizer servings.

Elizabeth Carrion, a Dominican, co-founded Mi Cocina, a New Jersey-based catering service that also offers cooking classes, with her sister, Ana Martinez.