There is nothing more satisfying than making your own pasta. The bright pink showing through the thin ravioli adds drama to the dish. Make the pasta while the beetroots are in the oven and allow to rest for at least 30 minutes in the fridge. This will serve 4 as a main course or 6 as a starter.
Best to make the filling the day before or at least with enough time to baked the beetroot and totally cool the filling before assembling the ravioli.
Filling
Preheat the oven to 180c fan. Wrap the beetroot in foil and drizzle with some olive oil and sprinkle with the salt, seal the parcel and bake for 2 hour. remove from the oven, leave to steam in the foil for 10 minutes then open the parcels. When cool enough to handle, slip the skins off and add to the bowl of a food processor. Add the ricotta, lemon zest and parmesan to the processor and whizz until smooth taste and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a piping bag and put in the fridge to cool completely.
Pasta dough
Place the flour on a clean work surface and make a well in the centre, Place the eggs and yolks in a bowl with the olive oil and lightly whisk with a fork, pour into the well and start to incorporate with the fork.
Slowly using the tips of your fingers, bring the flour into the centre and mix until the dough comes together. Knead the dough with the palms of your hands until it becomes smooth and silky. Wrap the dough in baking paper and put in the fridge for an hour to rest.
Cut the pasta dough in half, working with one piece at a time. Using a pasta machine, start on it’s thickest setting, Sprinkle the work surface with semolina flour, pass the dough through the rollers, fold the pasta in half and pass again. Repeat running the pasta through several times, decreasing the setting and dusting the pasta with flour between each pass to prevent it from sticking to the rollers. Keep passing until you have a very thin regular sheet about 2mm thick. Place the pasta on the floured work surface, repeat with the rest of the dough.
Lightly brush half the sheet with water then pipe small balls of filling (about the size of a cherry tomato) 6 cm apart over half the pasta sheet then gently fold the other half back over the top. Gradually push the air out of the pasta and seal tightly. Using a 5 cm pastry cutter, cut out the ravioli. Lift the excess dough away. Heavily dust a tray with semolina and transfer the ravioli to the tray. Repeat with the other piece of dough. Cover with a tea towel until ready to cook
To serve
Melt the butter and olive oil and set aside. Bring a deep pan of salted water to the boil. Cook the ravioli for 3 minutes until they float, drain, return to the pan and gently toss with melted butter and olive oil. Serve immediately.
Beetroot ravioli
Ingredients
Filling
- 400 g beetroot scrubbed clean
- 100 g ricotta
- 1 tsp salt
- 40 g parmesan grated
- 1/2 lemon zested
Pasta dough
- 500 g 00 flour
- 6 large egg yolks
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- plenty of semolina for dusting and rolling
To serve
- 80 g butter
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
Filling
- Preheat the oven to 180c fan. Wrap the beetroot in foil and drizzle with some olive oil and sprinkle with the salt, seal the parcel and bake for 2 hour. remove from the oven, leave to steam in the foil for 10 minutes then open the parcels. When cool enough to handle, slip the skins off and add to the bowl of a food processor. Add the ricotta, lemon zest and parmesan to the processor and whizz until smooth taste and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a piping bag and put in the fridge to cool completely.
Pasta dough
- Place the flour on a clean work surface and make a well in the centre, Place the eggs and yolks in a bowl with the olive oil and lightly whisk with a fork, pour into the well and start to incorporate with the fork.
- Slowly using the tips of your fingers, bring the flour into the centre and mix until the dough comes together. Knead the dough with the palms of your hands until it becomes smooth and silky. Wrap the dough in baking paper and put in the fridge for an hour to rest.
- Cut the pasta dough in half, working with one piece at a time. Using a pasta machine, start on it's thickest setting, Sprinkle the work surface with semolina flour, pass the dough through the rollers, fold the pasta in half and pass again. Repeat running the pasta through several times, decreasing the setting and dusting the pasta with flour between each pass to prevent it from sticking to the rollers. Keep passing until you have a very thin regular sheet about 2mm thick. Place the pasta on the floured work surface, repeat with the rest of the dough.
- Lightly brush half the sheet with water then pipe small balls of filling (about the size of a cherry tomato) 6 cm apart over half the pasta sheet then gently fold the other half back over the top. Gradually push the air out of the pasta and seal tightly. Using a 5 cm pastry cutter, cut out the ravioli. Lift the excess dough away. Heavily dust a tray with semolina and transfer the ravioli to the tray. Repeat with the other piece of dough. Cover with a tea towel until ready to cook
To serve
- Melt the butter and olive oil and set aside. Bring a deep pan of salted water to the boil. Cook the ravioli for 3 minutes until they float, drain, return to the pan and gently toss with melted butter and olive oil. Serve immediately.
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