• Pasta dough.
• Egg yolks - Use room temperature eggs, I tend to separate each whole egg yolk from the white right at the time it goes on top of the filling. You can freeze the leftover egg whites to use at another time.

 

For The Filling

• 1 tablespoon butter.
• 300 grams frozen spinach thawed and any moisture squeezed out.
• 220 grams ricotta about a cup.
• 20 grams parmesan finely grated with a microplane or star side of box grater.
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice.
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg optional.
• Salt and pepper to taste.

 

For The Sauce

• 150 grams butter cubed.
• 1 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice depending on your preference.
• ¼ cup pasta water.

 

Optional finishing touches

• Crispy sage leaves
• Roasted red onion petals instructions for both of these in body of post above

 

Making The Filling

• Melt the butter in a frypan on a medium heat and gently fry the spinach for 4 - 5 minutes to get rid of any excess moisture. Take off the heat and mix in the ricotta really well (I do this in the fry pan).
• Transfer to a bowl and add the parmesan, lemon juice, a good few cracks of black pepper then taste to see if it needs salt. I usually add a couple of pinches.
• Put into a piping bag, or snap lock bag to cut the corner off later and put in the fridge for at least 20 - 30 mins to solidify slightly. It helps to form the ravioli if it is not super soft.

 

To Shape The Pasta

• ONE: Have a nice clean work surface. Roll out your pasta dough and cut into 2 x 15cm squares.

 

 

• TWO: Pipe an even ring of filling, you can use a cookie cutter to lightly stamp a guide. I used a 6.5cm (2.5 inch round cutter). You can use your fingers to neaten up the ring after if you need.

 

 

• THREE: Separate an egg and plop the yolk into the middle of the ring. The piped ring should be small enough that the yolk sits on top rather than touching the bottom layer of pasta.

 

 

• FOUR: Start to encase the filling with your second sheet (the video below will help here). Press the layers at the centre back together.

 

 

• FIVE: Keeping the front lifted up work around the filling, pressing the two layers together. You want to work all the air out.

 

 

• SIX: Always keep a part of the top layer lifted up so you don't trap air in. If you get pleats in the pasta along the way it's no big deal!

 

 

• SEVEN: Work your way around the other side until you get to the middle. Get that last piece of air out as best as you can. It's quite impossible to get all the air pockets out with a raviolo this big so don't stress.

 

• EIGHT: Press the two layers of pasta together so they are nice and secure and thinned out slightly. Don't press too hard or it will be hard to lift off the board

 

 

• NINE: Cut the edges with a fluted wheel, pizza cutter or regular knife.

 

 

• TEN: Place the finished ravioli (they are quite delicate to pick up) onto a tray lined with baking paper and dusted generously with semolina. Lightly drape some cling film over them.

 

• Try and cook within 30 minutes if you can, they won't last too long out on the bench.
• Boil in a really large pot of well salted water for 4 minutes. You could use separate pots if cooking a few. I wouldn't do more than 3 - 4 per pot at a time.

 

For The Sauce

• Melt the butter over a medium heat until just starting to sizzle.
• Add the lemon juice and agitate really well to emulsify. I like to shake the pan back and forth with my left hand and whisk with my right. Don't be afraid to really go for it!
• Add ¼ cup pasta water and do the same action to emulsify again.
• Keep it gently bubbling giving it a good whisk every so often to keep it from separating. It should thicken slightly.

 

To Serve

• Place 1 - 2 ravioli on a plate and spoon the butter sauce on top. You could finish with a simple grating of parmesan, black pepper and lemon zest.
• I have topped with crisp sage and roasted red onion and instructions for those are in body of post above.