Ravioli di Ricotta e Spinaci

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Hand-crank pasta machine (strongly recommended)
• •Large wooden board or clean work surface
• •Rolling pin (if rolling by hand)
• •Pastry wheel or sharp knife for cutting
• •Pastry brush for egg wash
• •Fine-mesh strainer and cheesecloth for draining ricotta
• •Sheet pans for holding finished ravioli
• •Spider or slotted spoon
• •Large skillet for sauce

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the pasta dough

   Mound the flour on a large wooden board or clean work surface. Make a well in the center, wide enough to hold the eggs. Crack the eggs into the well. Add the olive oil and salt. Using a fork, beat the eggs gently, then begin incorporating flour from the inner walls of the well, working in small circles. When the dough becomes too stiff to work with a fork, use your hands to bring it together into a shaggy mass.

   The well must be wide and the walls must be thick, or the eggs will breach and run across your counter. Work slowly. There is no emergency.
2. 2

   Knead until silky

   Knead the dough vigorously, pushing it away with the heel of your hand, folding it back, rotating it a quarter turn, and repeating. The dough will feel rough and unpromising at first. After 8 to 10 minutes of steady kneading, it will become smooth, elastic, and silky. Press your finger into it: the indentation should spring back slowly. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic and rest it at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.

   Do not skip the rest. The gluten needs time to relax or your dough will fight you when you try to roll it thin. Patience here saves frustration later.
3. 3

   Drain the ricotta

   Line a fine-mesh strainer with cheesecloth and set it over a bowl. Spoon the ricotta into the strainer. Let it drain for at least 30 minutes while the dough rests, pressing gently once or twice to encourage the liquid out. Wet ricotta is the enemy of good ravioli. It will soak through your pasta and cause bursting.

   Supermarket ricotta contains stabilizers that make it wetter. If you can find fresh ricotta from an Italian market, it will drain more quickly and taste far better.
4. 4

   Prepare the spinach

   If using fresh spinach, wash it thoroughly and place it in a large pot with only the water clinging to its leaves. Cover and cook over medium heat until completely wilted, about 3 minutes. If using frozen spinach, simply thaw it. Squeeze the spinach in a clean kitchen towel, wringing out every possible drop of liquid. The spinach should form a tight, dry ball. Chop it finely.

5. 5

   Make the filling

   In a bowl, combine the drained ricotta, chopped spinach, egg yolk, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly with a fork until the filling is uniform in color and texture. Taste and adjust seasoning. The filling should be flavorful on its own, as the pasta will dilute it slightly. Refrigerate while you roll the pasta.

6. 6

   Roll the pasta sheets

   Cut the rested dough into four pieces. Keep the pieces you are not using covered. Flatten one piece with your palm and pass it through the pasta machine at the widest setting. Fold it in thirds like a letter and pass it through again. Repeat this folding and rolling three or four times until the dough is smooth and rectangular. Then begin narrowing the settings, passing the dough through each setting once, until you reach the second-thinnest setting. The sheet should be thin enough to see the shadow of your hand through it.

   If you do not have a pasta machine, you can roll by hand with a long wooden dowel. This requires considerable skill and arm strength. A hand-crank machine costs little and transforms fresh pasta from an expert skill into a learnable one. I recommend it without apology.
7. 7

   Fill the ravioli

   Lay one pasta sheet on a lightly floured surface. Working quickly before the pasta dries, place rounded teaspoons of filling along the sheet in two rows, spacing them about 2 inches apart. You want perhaps 2 teaspoons of filling per raviolo, no more. Brush egg wash around each mound of filling, covering all the pasta that will become the sealed edge.

   The pasta dries quickly. If you are slow, cover the sheet with a barely damp towel while you work. Dry pasta will not seal properly.
8. 8

   Seal with precision

   Fold the pasta sheet over the mounds of filling, or lay a second sheet on top. Press firmly around each mound with your fingertips, pushing outward from the filling toward the edges. You must eliminate every pocket of trapped air. Air expands when heated and will burst your ravioli. Press the edges together firmly, ensuring no seam is visible. The two layers of pasta should become one.

   This is where ravioli succeed or fail. Press harder than you think necessary. Check every edge. If you can see where the two sheets meet, you have a weakness that will fail in the pot.
9. 9

   Cut and check

   Using a sharp knife, pastry wheel, or ravioli cutter, cut between the mounds to form individual squares. You should have about 2 centimeters of sealed edge around each mound of filling. Check each raviolo by pressing the edges once more. Place the finished ravioli on a floured sheet pan in a single layer. They should not touch or they will stick together.

10. 10

    Repeat with remaining dough

    Roll and fill the remaining pieces of dough the same way. Work systematically: roll a sheet, fill it, seal it, cut it, then move to the next piece. The ravioli can sit at room temperature for up to 30 minutes, or refrigerated for up to 2 hours, before cooking.

11. 11

    Make the sage butter

    In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. When the foam subsides, add the sage leaves. Let the butter continue cooking until it turns golden brown and smells nutty, about 2 minutes. Watch carefully. The distance between brown butter and burnt butter is seconds. Remove from heat immediately when ready.

12. 12

    Cook the ravioli

    Bring a very large pot of water to a boil. Salt it generously. Reduce the heat so the water simmers gently rather than boiling violently. Violent boiling can tear delicate filled pasta. Slide the ravioli into the water in batches, being careful not to overcrowd. They will sink, then rise. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes after they float. Fresh pasta cooks quickly. Remove them with a slotted spoon or spider.

13. 13

    Sauce and serve immediately

    Transfer the cooked ravioli directly to the skillet with the sage butter. If the butter has cooled, warm it gently. Toss the ravioli carefully to coat them with the butter, spooning it over the top. Divide among warm plates. Scatter freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano over each serving. Once the pasta is sauced, serve it promptly, inviting your guests and family to put off talking and start eating.

Chef Tips

• •Your first batch of ravioli will not be beautiful. They may not even survive cooking. This is normal. The second batch will be better. By the third, you will understand what your hands need to do. Do not expect perfection the first time.
• •If ravioli burst during cooking, your edges were not sealed properly or you trapped air inside. Both problems are solved by more careful pressing. There is no other solution.
• •Filling that is too wet will soak through the pasta and weaken the seal. If your filling seems loose, add more grated cheese or a tablespoon of breadcrumbs to absorb the moisture.
• •A fluted pastry wheel makes the traditional crimped edge, but a knife works equally well. The decoration is nice. The seal is essential.

Advance Preparation

• •The filling can be made up to one day ahead and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before using.
• •Uncooked ravioli can be frozen in a single layer on a sheet pan, then transferred to freezer bags. They keep for two months. Cook directly from frozen, adding one to two minutes to the cooking time.
• •The pasta dough can be made up to 24 hours ahead and refrigerated, wrapped tightly. Bring to room temperature for 30 minutes before rolling.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 230g)