Spinach, Mint, Ricotta Ravioli with Lemon Butter Sauce

 

Lemon Ricotta Ravioli | Harris Farm Markets
Lemon Ricotta Ravioli | Harris Farm Markets

Lemon Ricotta Ravioli | Harris Farm Markets

Lemon Ricotta Ravioli | Harris Farm Markets

Lemon Ricotta Ravioli | Harris Farm Markets

This recipe for ravioli celebrates spring and summer – the fresh green and ricotta filling, the light lemon butter sauce…it’s a perfect weekend lunch or dinner feast. Once you make it you will want to keep trying to make ravioli in all its forms and fillings! The pasta dough is really easy to make - you just need to follow a few simple steps and then let it work its magic. We follow the pasta dough ratio of 1 egg to every 100g of flour, it’s a standard general rule. It’s also important to let the pasta dough rest once you’ve mixed it together…this will help make it more elastic when you roll it out (this is all explained in the method below).

You can even use the below pasta dough recipe to make your own lasagna, tagliatelle or any other sort of pasta! 

INGREDIENTS:

For the Pasta Dough 

  • 4 eggs
  • 400g flour (double 00) + extra for dusting
  • 1 pinch fine salt 

For the filling: 

  • 250-300g ricotta
  • 400-500g spinach 
  • 1x bunch mint (leaves only, stem removed)
  • 1 x lemon (juice and zest)
  • 1 tsp chilli flakes (optional)
  • Olive Oil 

For the sauce:

  • 2x lemons
  • 60g butter
  • Large Drizzle olive oil 
  • 1 large handful of mint and oregano
  • Pinch of salt 
  • 2x garlic cloves (finely sliced)

 1 cup parmesan (grated) (optional)

 

METHOD:

  1. In a large stand mixer with a dough hook, roughly combine the flour, eggs and salt for approximately a minute. Remove from the bowl and place on a lightly floured surface. Lightly flour your hands and knead the dough for around 10 minutes (see extra tip). The dough will be quite rough with some separate bits in the beginning but you will notice the texture changing every few minutes as you work the dough. By the end of kneading time the dough will become much smoother and change in colour to a richer yellow colour. Form into a round shape and place either into a plastic bag/wrapping or a bowl covered with a kitchen towel. Let it rest for at least 30 minutes.

  2. While the pasta dough is resting, create the ravioli filling. Place the ricotta, spinach, mint leaves, lemon juice and zest, the chilli flakes, a large pinch of salt and a drizzle of olive oil into a food processor. Process until well combined. Alternatively, you can finely chop the greens and combined all the ingredients together in a large bowl as it would have been done traditionally (just keep in mind the texture will be slightly different and less creamy – also delicious!). Taste and adjust the seasoning. Set aside.

  3. To roll out the pasta dough set up your pasta machine. Divide and cut your pasta dough into 4 pieces. Cover the dough that you’re not working with so that it doesn’t dry out. Take the first piece and lightly roll it out with a rolling pin until it’s a suitable thickness for the pasta machine. Begin to roll out and pass the dough through the pasta machine starting from number 1 which is the thickest setting. Repeat and each time increase the number from 1 to 2 to 3 and so on, up until till you get to the number 7 setting or however many options your pasta machine has.

  4. As you pass the dough through the pasta machine - use your hands to lightly move the pasta through and make sure that it doesn’t layer up and stick to any side by adding some extra flour if need be. Place the rolled out dough on a lightly floured surface on the side. Cover with a few kitchen towels. Move on to rolling out the next piece of pasta dough. In total you will have 4 pieces/strips of rolled out pasta dough. If you like, you can divide each strip again in half, if you will find that easier to work with.

  5. To make the ravioli, begin to add a small teaspoon of the mixture onto one of the strips of the rolled out dough – place 2 teaspoons in a row with enough equal space in between each teaspoon, approximately a few centimetres. Continue adding the filling down the strip of dough. Lightly coat the edges of the pasta dough with water using your finger or a kitchen brush and then place one of the whole pieces of rolled out dough strips over the top. Lightly cover it, carefully trying to match the edges. Use your fingers to press down finely to try and seal the edges. Use a knife or a pasta wheel cutter to slice off the very end edges (discarding or saving the leftover dough) and make the ravioli by rolling the pasta cutter, pressing it firmly to create the ravioli. If any individual ravioli needs to be sealed – just use your hands to do so.

  6. Place the prepared ravioli on a lightly floured surface (This can be a kitchen bench or platters/wooden boards). Cover with a kitchen towel and repeat the entire process with the two other rolled out pieces of dough.

  7. To make the sauce, in a large fry pan on a medium heat place the butter and olive oil in to melt. Add the juice and zest of 1 lemon as well as the sliced garlic. Slice the second lemon thinly and then again into halves, add to the pan. Cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and leave as is for the time being.

  8. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. In two separate batches transfer half the ravioli to the water and cook it until the ravioli is floating at the surface. Repeat the process with the second batch. Transfer the ravioli into the pan with the melted butter lemon sauce. Once you have all of the ravioli in the pan, turn the heat back on to medium high and lightly move the ravioli around. Mix and coat the ravioli in the lemon butter sauce. Add the extra herbs on top at the end. Season with extra salt. Serve with the finely grated parmesan and enjoy!!

 

Extra Tip

If you find that during the kneading process that the dough is quite separate, wet your hands a bit with water so that you can add a bit of moisture to the dough.

If you have any extra ravioli filling or scraps of dough leftover you can roll out the dough again and slice into thin strips of pasta, cook and coat in the leftover filling which can be used as a sauce!

 

 

Prep time:
30 minutes pasta resting time, approximately 45 minutes to create the dough, roll out the dough and make the ravioli
Cooking time:
10 minutes
Serves:
4 - 6 people

 

N.B: You will need a pasta machine to roll out the pasta dough and a pasta wheel cutter to make the classic ravioli cut or alternatively you can use just a butter knife

 

Recipe & Photography by Anastasia Zolotarev. Click here to see her blog and here to follow her on instagram.

Ingredients for Spinach, Mint, Ricotta Ravioli with Lemon Butter Sauce

Garlic Head Each

$2.00 ea
$19.99
 

Lemon Imperfect Each

$0.25 ea
$1.99
 

Lemon Premium Each

$1.22 ea
$6.99
 

Fresh Herbs Mint Bunch

$3.99 ea
 

Spinach Silverbeet Bunch Each

$1.99 ea
 

Reggiano Parmigiano Parmesan Cheese 150-350g

$19.50 ea
$64.99
 
 

Lurpak Butter Unsalted 250g

$5.80 ea
 

Fresh Herbs Oregano Punnet

$3.99 ea
 
 

Caputo Pizza Cuoco Chef Red Flour 1kg

$4.49 ea
 

Fresh Herbs Organic Mint

$5.99 ea
 
 

Caputo Manitoba Oro Flour 1kg

$4.99 ea
 

Caputo Semola Flour 1kg

$0.00 ea
 
 

Fresh Vietnamese Mint Punnet

$3.99 ea
 

Australian Lake Salt Fine 250g

$3.39 ea