Rivarolo Abitanti Recipes

RAVIOLI HOMEMADE WITH RICOTTA

Steps:

• Chop a handful of parsley with a clove of garlic, transfer this to a bowl with 1/2 cup of Pecorino cheese, season with salt, pepper and nutmeg, and mix.
• Pound the slice of beef, spread with the filling, then place the pancetta on top, roll the meat up tightly and tie it at several points.
• Fry the diced lardo in a saucepan with 2 tablespoons of oil, place the meat in the pan and brown for a few minutes on high heat, then add wine a little at a time (1/2 cup in all).
• Peel the tomatoes and pass them through a vegetable mill. Add this to the meat when all the wine has evaporated, season with salt, and cook on low heat for about 2 hours, adding a little water if it dries out too much.
• In the meantime, form the flour into a well on a work surface and break 2 eggs inside. Season with salt and knead together, adding warm water as necessary until you achieve a firm dough, then roll it out into thin strips. Place the ricotta in a bowl and mash it with a fork.
• Add 1 egg, salt, pepper, the rest of the Pecorino cheese, and a large bunch of chopped parsley; mix well and place the filling in small dollops on the lower half of each pasta sheet.
• Cover with the empty side of the dough and cut into ravioli with a fluted pasta cutter. Cook in plenty of salted boiling water and toss with the meat sauce. Sprinkle with chili pepper and serve.

HOMEMADE RAVIOLI

Steps:

• To make the pasta, put the flour in a bowl and make a well in the middle. Add the eggs and egg yolks and mix with a fork, bringing more of the flour in from the sides as you mix. Once the mixture comes together into a ball, tip it out onto a work surface and knead for 10-15 mins until firm and smooth. Wrap and leave to rest for 30 mins.
• Meanwhile, make the filling. Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and fry the garlic for 30 seconds. Add the spinach with a few tablespoons of water, and cook until the spinach has wilted and is dark green and the water has evaporated. Stir in the lemon zest, grate over some nutmeg and season. Tip the mixture into a bowl and leave to cool.
• Cut the pasta dough into four pieces so it's easier to work with. Run one piece through a pasta machine (leaving the remaining pieces covered to prevent them drying out), starting with the widest setting and working down to the thinnest setting. Keep the machine and the pasta well floured to prevent sticking or tearing.
• Mix the ricotta into the spinach mixture and season well. Do this just before you're ready to fill the pasta, or chill until needed.
• To make the ravioli, cut a sheet of pasta in half so you have two equal lengths. Lay out on a well-floured work surface, then spoon heaped teaspoons of the filling, spaced 5cm apart, over one of the pasta sheets. Brush the exposed pasta around the filling with water. Gently lift the second pasta sheet over the fillings, and use the side of your hand to press the pasta sheets together around the fillings to seal, ensuring there are no air bubbles.
• Stamp out the ravioli using a round cutter (position it so the filling is in the centre of the circle), or use a sharp knife to cut out square ravioli. Arrange in a single layer over baking trays dusted with flour, then repeat the process with the remaining pasta dough pieces. Will keep, covered and chilled, for up to two days.
• To cook, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and gently lower in the ravioli using a slotted spoon. Boil for 2-3 mins until the pasta is cooked through, then remove to a bowl using a slotted spoon. (You may need to cook the ravioli in batches to ensure it's evenly cooked.)
• Heat the butter in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat, drop in the sage and fry until the butter turns a nutty brown and the sage leaves are crisp. Remove from the heat and toss in the ravioli. Sprinkle with parmesan and some lemon juice, then season with cracked black pepper and toss gently in the butter to coat. Divide between warm bowls and sprinkle with more parmesan before serving.