Potato & Parma ham-filled ravioli with Amalfi lemon

Drawing on Italian heritage ingredients, this creative pasta dish perfectly balances the creaminess of the potatoes and the saltiness of Parma ham, with everything brought together by a beautiful Amalfi lemon emulsion. Potato with pasta may seem odd, but it’s common in Italy, and a firm favourite in our restaurants. We recommend using fresh, high-quality potatoes and taking your time with the emulsion.

SERVES: 6 TAKES: 1 HR 30 MINS

INGREDIENTS

300g plain flour

3 eggs

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for frying egg white, for dabbing

12 slices of Parma ham (or a 200g piece chopped

into small, thin sticks)

FOR THE FILLING

500g potatoes, peeled and cubed (use a variety that’s good for mashing, such as Maris Piper or King Edward)

100g parmesan, grated, plus extra, to serve pinch of nutmeg

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

50g butter 80ml extra virgin olive oil

2 Amalfi lemons, 1 zested and both juiced (to make

100ml fresh lemon juice)

METHOD

Tip the flour onto your work surface and create a well in the middle. Add the eggs, olive oil and a pinch of salt to the well. Starting from the centre, gradually work the flour into the liquid until it forms a dough, continuing to knead until smooth (around 10-15 mins).

Wrap the dough in cling film and let it rest in a cool, dry space for at least 30 mins before using.

Meanwhile, make the filling. Boil the potato cubes in unsalted water until soft and easily penetrated by a knife or fork. Drain, reserving some of the cooking water, then transfer the potatoes to a bowl and mash into a puree. Add the parmesan, nutmeg, salt, pepper and butter and mix well. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. If the mixture is too tough, add a little of the reserved cooking water to loosen it up slightly.

For the sauce, warm the oil in a pan set over a medium heat. Add the lemon zest, then immediately remove the pan from the heat and let it get cold.

Once the oil has cooled, use a fine mesh strainer to strain the lemon juice into a large bowl. Add a pinch of salt and begin to emulsify with a whisk or mixer. Once the salt has dissolved, add a pinch of black pepper and continue stirring. Add the now-cold oil and continue to whisk until the ingredients are well combined and have formed a slightly dense emulsion. Set aside.

Roll out the dough on an even work surface to a thickness of around 0.25cm (almost paper-thin). Stamp out 36 discs, each roughly 8-10cm in diameter. Spoon around 1 tbsp filling into the middle of 18 of the discs, then dab a little of the egg white around the edge of each of these discs.

Top each one with an unfilled dough disc and press the edges together with a fork to create 18 ravioli.

Boil the pasta in 4 litres of salted water for 3 mins. (If you’re not using them straight away, you can freeze the pasta; simply boil straight from frozen, but add a minute or two to the boiling time.)

Meanwhile, if you’re using chopped Parma ham, heat a little olive oil in a pan, add the ham and fry for a few minutes until crisp.

Drain the pasta and place in a large serving dish. Top evenly with the emulsion, extra grated parmesan and either the sliced or fried Parma ham.