Ricotta and Spinach Ravioli

Serves: 4

Ingredients

Method:

1. Put the flour, 4 eggs and a large pinch of salt into the bowl mix gently until it comes together. After it comes together add a teaspoon of water and keep kneading until dough is smooth. Divide the dough into four equal pieces, wrap tightly in cling film and pop in the fridge for 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, put the spinach into a large dry pan and place over a high heat. Cook the spinach minutes until it has completely wilted. Drain in a sieve, pressing out as much liquid as possible, then wrap in a tea towel and press out any remaining liquid. Finely chop the spinach and transfer to a bowl. Using the sieve drain the excess whey from the ricotta.

3. Mix your spinach, ricotta, 20g of Parmesan and lemon zest. Season to taste with salt and pepper, mix and set aside.

4. Put the sage, finely chopped garlic and butter into a large saucepan. Place over a medium heat until the butter melts, simmer gently for 5 minutes, then remove from the heat and leave to infuse.

5. Take one quarter of dough from the fridge, remove the cling film and lightly dust the dough with ‘00’ flour. Flatten and feed the dough through on the largest setting. Adjust the machine to the next setting and roll the dough through again.

6. Continue to feed the dough through the machine, changing the machine to a thinner setting each time.

400g ‘00’ flour

5 large eggs

200g spinach

200g ricotta

100g butter

50g Parmigiano Reggiano

1 lemon, grated zest

20g sage leaves, stalks discarded

1 garlic clove

Handful of Pine nuts

7. Once you have rolled it through the thinnest setting, cut the long sheet of pasta in half width ways. Lay one length on a floured work surface and set the other half to one side.

8. Place teaspoonfuls of the ricotta mixture at even intervals along the middle of the pasta sheet. You should be able to fit about ten teaspoons of filling along the sheet of pasta.

9. Using a pastry brush and egg wash, dampen the pasta around the ricotta filling. Now take the other half sheet of pasta and carefully lay it over the ricotta, gently pressing down around the mounds of filling and pushing out any air pockets. Using a knife or ravioli cutter, trim the pasta into squares. Lay them aside in a large container and repeat this 4 times until all the dough and mixture is used.

10. Before cooking toast off a few pine nuts in a dry pan until golden and place in the butter sauce.

11. When finished, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and place the pan of sage butter over a very low heat. Cook the ravioli in the boiling water for about 4 minutes. Remove with a large serving spoon spoon and add to the pan of sage butter. Gently stir to combine, then serve immediately with Parmesan and pepper.