Ravioli with Lemony Ricotta
served with buttered broad beans, lemon zest and fresh mint
Serves 6
INGREDIENTS:
For the pasta dough
500g pasta flour
A large pinch of salt
6 medium eggs
Semolina flour, for dusting
Olive oil
For the filling
300g ricotta
Zest of 2 lemons
Sea salt
For the with buttered broad beans, lemon zest and fresh mint
100g salted butter
200g podded fresh broad beans
Zest of 2 lemons
2 tbsp fresh mint, finely chopped
METHOD:
Start by making the pasta dough. On a clean surface pile the flour into a mound. Make a wide well in the centre of the mound, it must be large enough for all the eggs. Crack the eggs into the well, beat the egg mixture with the fork, slowly pulling the flour from the sides of the well until the egg has all been absorbed by the flour. If the dough is still a bit dry, add a drop of olive oil to loosen.
Knead the dough by pressing the heel of one hand into the ball, keeping your fingers high. Press down on the dough while pushing it firmly away from you. Continue to knead the dough for 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and silky. Roll the dough into a smooth ball. Wrap the dough in cling film and allow it to rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Sprinkle semolina on the surface, and cut the pasta dough into 6 pieces. Using your hands, shape the dough into a rectangular piece. Set up your pasta machine and push the dough through the rollers 8 times. With each pass through the rollers reduce the setting, until you reach the final setting, so the pasta sheet is nice and thin. Rub the pasta sheets with semolina semolina fand hang over a clean clothes horse, hangers or something similar for 15 minutes.
Next get the filling ready. Place the ricotta and lemon zest in a bowl, season with sea salt and whisk together. Place a sheet of the fresh pasta on the semolina dusted surface. Using a teaspoon place a couple of spoons of the ricotta mixture at even intervals along the middle of the pasta sheet, about 3 inches in between each spoonful. Using a pastry brush and water, dampen the pasta around the ricotta filling. Take a second sheet of pasta and carefully lay it over the sheet with the spoons of ricotta, gently pressing down around the mounds of filling and pushing out any air pockets.
Using a sharp knife or pastry cutter, trim the pasta into evenly sized squares of ravioli, then lay them out on a tray, dust with semolina. Repeat the process with all the rest of the pasta and filling. When finished cover with cling film and store in the fridge until ready to cook. You can make these up to 3 days in advance or freeze them.
When ready to serve, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Cook the ravioli (in batches if necessary) in the boiling water for about 3 minutes.
At the same time place a large pan over a high heat and melt the butter, toss the broad beans in the butter, add the mint and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper – cook for 3 minutes.
Transfer the ravioli to the buttered beans with a slotted spoon and toss together. Serve with the zest of lemons.
