Spinach & Ricotta Ravioli

Pasta making is one of those skills which has been lost during the past 30 years, as more and more companies are making both dried and fresh pasta we have it readily available whenever we go food shopping. This ease in finding pasta has taken away all the fun that homemade pasta making can be - apart from fun it is also healthier and better for our health. The following recipe is not vegan but the dough can also be done without eggs simply with flour, semolina flour and water!

Today we will show you how easy and satisfying it is to make homemade raviolis - perfect for a date night or when you have guests over!

Prep Time: 60 Minutes

Cooking Time: 3 Minutes

Ingredients for 24 Raviolis:

For the dough:

• White Flour - 250 g

• Eggs - 2 eggs + one egg yolk

For the filling:

• Spinach - 250 g

• Ricotta - 125 g

• Grated Parmesan - 50 g

• Nutmeg

• Salt

• Pepper

How to:

1. To prepare the spinach and ricotta ravioli start by preparing the fresh egg pasta. Take the flour (you can leave about 50 g aside to add it as needed) and pour it into a bowl  together with the beaten eggs 

2. Work the ingredients well with your hands to create a homogeneous mixture, if the dough is not very elastic add lukewarm water to make the pasta softer. If on the contrary it is sticky, you gradually can add the flour kept aside.

3. Transfer the dough to a work surface and work it vigorously with your hands. Once you have obtained a smooth and homogeneous dough, form a ball that you will wrap with transparent food film. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes away from light and air currents (in a shelf is perfect).

4.  While the dough rests, you can work on the filling: take a non-stick pan with a wide bottom into which you will pour the rinsed spinach covering it with a lid to let it dry. Let it cook until soft and until most of the water has evaporated.

5. When the spinach is soft enough, drain it to eliminate excess liquids and keep it aside. 

6. Take a large bowl and pour in the ricotta and grated parmesan. Add nutmeg, salt and pepper and whip everything together by hand, creating a paste. Chop the spinach with a mixer and add it to the ricotta cream you just made - whisking until you have made a homogenous paste.

7. The dough should be will rested by now, take it and cut it in half, working both halves the same way. Pull the dough either with a puff-rolling machine or with a rolling pin, you will need to obtain two rectangular or oval sheets about 1 mm thick. 

8. Roll out the two rectangles of puff pastry on a work surface lightly floured with flour and create small piles of filling with two small spoons.

9. You can either arrange the filling 3 cm away from each other or cut out rounds from the dough with a glass, sprinkling water on the edges of the sheet so that when you spread the second sheet over it it will attach easily. Make sure you press the two sheets well together in order for the filling to stay inside the ravioli.

10. Once all the raviolis are done cook them in salty water for 3 minutes and enjoy them with some butter and sage!