Large ravioli filled with spinach & egg yolk

These large filled ravioli (cappelli di frate), named after the shape of a monk’s hat, make a stunning dinner party dish as the egg yolk oozes out as you eat them. We use an 11cm pastry cutter but you could instead draw a knife around a small 10-12cm diameter saucer to make the circles of pasta.

SERVES 6 PREP 40 mins plus chilling COOK 15 mins MORE EFFORT V

For the filling

200 spinach, cooked and squeezed dry

30g fresh ricotta

30g grated parmesan or vegetarian alternative, plus 25g to serve

1/4 tsp grated nutmeg 6 egg yolks

For the ravioli 1 quantity fresh pasta (see recipe, p92) coarse semolina or ‘00’ flour, for dusting For the sauce 150g salted butter 18-20 sage leaves 30g pine nuts, toasted

1 To make the filling, finely chop the cooked spinach on a chopping board or in a food processor. Mix in a bowl with the ricotta, parmesan, nutmeg, 1/4 tsp salt and freshly ground black pepper. Adjust the seasoning as necessary. Cover and set aside until required.

2 Roll out half the pasta at a time, following the instructions on p92, to the width of the pasta machine. Lay the first sheet on a floured board and cut the length in half. Don’t get flour on the pasta on the top side. Use an 11cm cutter to lightly make three circles – these will be the size of your finished cappelli di frate. Use a spoon to place three equal heaps of half of the filling into the circles. Lightly press the filling outwards, leaving a 1cm border around each mound with a well in each one large enough for the yolk. Put 1 egg yolk or 1 quail’s egg into each well. Lay the other length of pasta on top and press down, pushing out the air and sealing the edges down. You shouldn’t need water to stick the pasta together, but if it is dry, brush lightly with water to help it stick. Use your cutter to cut through the layers of pasta. Set aside on a floured plate and make up the rest. Leave on a floured plate for no longer than 2 hrs in the fridge.

3 To cook, bring a large pan of salted water to a rolling boil. Make the sauce by melting the butter in a large frying pan. Add the sage leaves, a pinch of salt, pepper, and the pine nuts and fry for a couple of mins. Add a ladleful of pasta cooking water and stir. Keep the sauce warm but not bubbling while you cook the pasta.

4 Gently lower the ravioli into the boiling water, and stir gently to make sure they don’t stick together. Cook for 4 mins for a soft yolk and 6 mins for firm. When cooked, remove the ravioli gently with a slotted spoon and put them into the warm butter and sage sauce. Shake the pan to coat the pasta and serve immediately in warm bowls with the sauce and grated parmesan.

GOOD TO KNOW folate

PER SERVING 465 kcals • fat 34g • saturates 17g • carbs 26g • sugars 1g • fibre 2g • protein 12g • salt 0.8g