MAKE THIS RECIPE
Ricotta-filled ravioli with simple tomato sauce
SERVES 8 PREP 40 mins COOK 5 mins
V2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced 1 chilli, finely chopped
3 basil leaves (optional) 800g passata
350g ‘00’ flour
350g semola flour, plus extra for dusting
2-3 eggs
4 parsley sprigs, chopped 1kg ricotta salted ricotta or mature hard pecorino, finely grated
1 To make the sauce, heat the oil in a pan and fry the garlic with a pinch of salt. When opaque, add the chilli, basil and passata and simmer over a low heat until well cooked – you want it to be thick and deep in colour. 2 To make the dough, follow the four-step instructions to the left, using the flours, 280ml water and 2 of the eggs.
3 While the dough is resting, make the filling. Use a fork to mix the parsley and a pinch of salt with the ricotta, then mix in the remaining egg, if you like (my grandmother told me that if the ricotta isn’t up to her standard, she adds an egg; I almost always add one). Cover a large board with a tea towel and lightly dust with some semola flour, then set aside.
4 To assemble the ravioli, cut off a piece of dough the size of two walnuts and roll out to a thickness of 2mm. If you’re using a pasta machine, adjust the thickness setting to about halfway.
5 Dollop teaspoonfuls of the ricotta mix along the long edge of the pasta sheet at 6cm intervals, leaving a slight border. Very slightly wet the pasta to one side of the ricotta, using a brush or your finger dipped in a glass of water, then fold the sheet of pasta over the filling and press down between the parcels, working from one end to the other and ensuring as little air is trapped inside as possible.
6 Cut around the ravioli using a butter knife or pasta wheel, trimming a couple of centimetres away from the filling and reserving any off-cuts. Set the ravioli on the floured board while you repeat the process with the remaining dough and filling, then store in a cool place until needed. Cook the same day.
7 When you’re ready to eat, boil the ravioli and reserved off-cuts in salted water for about 5 mins. Scoop out the pasta with a slotted spoon and transfer to plates. Serve with the tomato sauce and top with the grated cheese.
GOOD TO KNOW calcium • 1 of 5-a-day PER SERVING 569 kcals • fat 19g • saturates 10g
• carbs 73g • sugars 7g • fibre 4g • protein 24g
• salt 0.4g