RAVIOLI WITH RICOTTA DI BUFALA AND YOUNG NETTLES

Dismissed by many as a weed, nettles have a peppery, spinachy taste and are delicious in soups and stews – or with creamy cheeses as in this light supper dish.

Preparation 55 minutes, plus standing and resting Cooking about 5 minutes Serves 4

FOR THE FILLING

500G RICOTTA DI BUFALA (OR COW’S MILK RICOTTA

IF YOU CAN’T FIND IT)

500G YOUNG NETTLES

ZEST OF ½ LEMON

A PINCH OF FRESHLY GRATED NUTMEG

FOR THE PASTA DOUGH

520G 00 FLOUR

6 LARGE EGG YOLKS

3 LARGE EGGS

½ TBSP OLIVE OIL

SEMOLINA, FOR DUSTING

TO SERVE

80G UNSALTED BUTTER

A LARGE HANDFUL OF MIXED MARJORAM AND SAGE LEAVES PARMESAN, GRATED

1 Place the ricotta in a fine muslin cloth and either hang over a bowl or rest it in a sieve with a bowl underneath to catch the excess liquid. Leave in the fridge overnight.

2 To make the pasta dough, mix the flour and a big pinch of salt on a clean surface and make a deep well in the centre. Add the egg yolks, eggs and oil. Working quickly but gently, use your fingers to gradually combine. Bring together into a rough ball and then knead for 10-15 minutes until you have a smooth, elastic dough – it will be hard work at first, but keep going and it will come together. Alternatively, mix all the ingredients in a mixer with a dough hook. Wrap the dough and rest in the fridge.

3 Blanch the nettles in boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain and allow to cool, then squeeze out the excess liquid, making sure the nettles are really dry. Once dry, finely chop them and mix with the ricotta and lemon zest. Season to taste with salt, black pepper and grated nutmeg. Chill for 1 hour before making the ravioli.

4 Cut the pasta dough into two pieces of around 300g each. Roll each one out to around 1cm thick, then feed through a pasta machine, gradually reducing the settings until you reach thickness level 1.5. Cut each sheet in half so you have four pieces. Dust the worksurface with semolina, lay out a sheet of pasta and place heaps of filling (about ¾ tbsp each) along the pasta sheet about 3cm apart. Spray a little water on the pasta to help seal it and top with another sheet. Gradually push the air out of the pasta parcels and seal tightly. Cut with a ravioli cutter and store on a tray with plenty of semolina to prevent the pieces sticking to one another. Repeat with the rest of the pasta and filling

– you should make around 36 pieces in total.

5 Cook the pasta in boiling salted water for 2 minutes. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a frying pan on a medium heat and fry the marjoram and sage, then add the pasta along with a tablespoon of the cooking water. Serve sprinkled with the Parmesan.