Spinach Ravioli by Right Brain Joanna
These are delicious and green and cheesy. You can go to your local Italian food specialty shop to purchase ready made pasta in order to make the ravioli “pillows”. Or in a pinch, dumpling wrappers could be used. If there were enough time, we would experiment with a new recipe every week without fail!
Serves 4
Pasta Dough:
10oz/300g frozen spinach, drained thoroughly and squeezed dry in a tea towel
2 2/3c/340g pasta or all-purpose flour
pinch salt
2 eggs
2-3 tbsp/30-45ml olive oil
- Blend all ingredients (holding back some of the oil in case you don’t need it) in a food processor.
- Once just combined, mold into a rectangular shape and leave to relax, wrapped in plastic.
Asparagus Cheese Filling:
5oz/150g soft goat cheese
5oz/150g ricotta
1 ½ oz/60g parmesan, grated
½ clove garlic
1 sprig oregano, leaves pulled off, stalk discarded
5oz/150g asparagus, just blanched slightly
Some flakes of red pepper, if desired
Freshly ground black pepper
- In the food processor blend all the ingredients until incorporated and set aside.
Topping:
2oz/60g pine nuts
3oz/90g salted butter
1 lemon, zested and squeezed
To make
- Roll pasta thinly (using a pasta maker and ravioli maker if you have them). Cut into 3-inch (8-cm) squares and place a blob of the cheese in the centre. Told over into a triangle, seal edges with water and press firmly, removing any air pockets thus ensuring no leakage.
- Place on a towel to dry a bit, turning the packages so they don’t stick.
- Make the butter topping by simmering the butter until light brown, then introduce the pine nuts to turn golden. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice and zest.
- In a very large pot of boiling salted water, carefully add the ravioli, a few at a time, letting the water come to the boil. Cook for about 3-5 minutes dependent on how thin you managed to roll the pasta. Repeat.
- Drain the ravioli well and top with the butter mixture.
Enjoy with a tomato salad on the side.
