This is a very simple and easy to follow recipe for ravioli using three cheeses which serves 4 as a starter or two as a main course.
Serves
4
Cooking time
2 hours
Ingredients
Filling
250g container ricotta cheese
250g balls fresh buffalo mozzarella, water drained and shredded
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
2 cups fresh baby spinach, finely chopped
1 large egg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Sauce
4-5 tomatoes, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped or crushed
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 red chilli finely chopped
1 small onion finely diced
Bunch of parsley finely chopped
1 tsp salt and sugar
Pasta dough
300g of strong bread flour or 00 if you can get it
3 eggs, 1 egg yolk
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
First make the pasta by adding the flour to a large bowl, or just tip onto a large dry surface. Make a well in the middle and add the eggs, salt and olive oil. Gradually work the flour into the liquid in the middle until it starts to come together, it takes a but if practice but you soon get the hang of it. For a good tip watch this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twG7PCPDPEE
When the mixture starts coming together knead it roughly until it it forms a shiny ball, this will take 5-10 mins, wrap in cling film and leave in the fridge.
Next make the tomato sauce, this is a classic Italian staple and can be eaten just with pasta. Add the olive oil to a pan over a medium heat and add the garlic and onion, fry until soft before adding the chopped chilli and finally the tomato, salt, and sugar. Leave on a low heat with the lid off until it reduces to a rough sauce, basically once the tomato has broken down, typically around 45 mins set aside until ready to use.
Next make the filling by simply combining the ingredients in a bowl into a smooth mixture; taste for seasoning.
You are now ready to put everything together, remove the pasta from the fridge a good 15 mins before you roll it out, preferably using a pasta machine. Roll the pasta out and then cur circles onto the sheets, use the beaten egg to wash around the circles before placing some filling in the centre, don;t use too much or they will burst, for more tips check this out although she uses a cutter but you’ll get the idea https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGCe_qujRtc
Place another sheet of rolled pasta over the layer with the disks cut out, use your hands to form the pasta around the filling making sure to get the air out as you go along before cutting the ravioli out into disks and placing on a floured tray to stop them sticking.
For the final dish warm the tomato sauce through and add the pasta to a boiling pan of salted water, they will take about 3 mins to cook. Serve with the sauce and a nice salad with balsamic vinegar.