Ricotta and fennel spinach ravioli
This bright green pasta is filled with a creamy ricotta and fennel mixture and served with buttery vegetables.
Ingredients
For the pasta dough
- 350g/12oz 00 flour
- 25g/1oz fine semolina flour, plus extra for dusting
- 1 free-range egg, plus 4 free-range egg yolks
- 50/1¾dz spinach, blanched, squeezed and finely chopped
For the filling
- 50/1¾dz wild rocket
- 50/1¾dz fennel green tops
- 500g/1lb 2oz ricotta
- 100/3½dz Parmesan, finely grated
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the vegetables
- 50/1¾dz unsalted butter
- 1 yellow courgette, cut into batons
- 200g/7oz datterini or cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 4 basilleaves
- 50/1¾dz Parmesan, grated, to serve
Method
To make the pasta dough, place all the ingredients in a food processor. Pulse for 3 minutes. If the dough seems dry, add 1 tablespoon of water and blend again. Tip the contents into a bowl, squeeze together and mould into a big ball. Divide into 4 pieces, wrap in cling film and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
To make the ravioli filling, blanch the rocket and fennel tops in boiling salted water for 1 minute, drain and leave to cool in a colander. Place in kitchen towel or a clean tea towel and squeeze out any liquid. Chop finely, add to a bowl with the ricotta, Parmesan, salt and pepper and mix thoroughly.
To roll out the pasta, roll out one of the dough pieces with a rolling pin on a lightly dusted work surface until the dough is thin enough to go through the rollers on your pasta machine. Place one end into the machine on the widest setting and roll the pasta through the machine. Fold the pasta in half and roll again. Repeat this process four times until it is as thin as possible. Dust the work surface with more flour and place the pasta sheet on a work surface.
Add a teaspoon of filling on to the pasta sheet, leaving a two-finger gap around each edge, then repeat to fill half the sheet. Brush water in between the filling and the edges of the pasta. Fold the pasta over carefully and use your fingertips to push down so you create little individual parcels, pushing down gently to remove any air. Take a zigzag pasta cutter and cut out the ravioli. Place the ravioli on a tray dusted with semolina flour. Repeat to use up all the pasta and filling. Leave the ravioli for 1 hour before you cook them.
To make the vegetables, melt the butter in a frying pan and fry the courgette, tomatoes and basil until the vegetables are softened and slightly syrupy.
Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil, add the ravioli and cook for about 3 minutes or until floating. Using a slotted spoon, carefully remove the ravioli and add them to the pan of vegetables. Add a ladle of cooking water and swirl the pan so the ravioli and vegetables become emulsified.
Serve immediately on warmed plates with Parmesan and black pepper on top.
