Ravioli with Ricotta and Spinach

-Serves 4
Homemade Ravioli with Ricotta and Spinach - a classic Sunday lunch in the Italian kitchen, where the family gathers around the dining table meticulously rolling, filling and folding these delicious dumplings over plenty of chatter and laughter. Making ravioli is easier than you think and with just a handful of ingredients easily found at your nearby baking store. You just need to remember to use quality ingredients as that is what makes Italian food so special. Use good chunky Ricotta for texture and flavor, and quality aged parmesan for umami. Not to forget quality extra-virgin olive oil and good, seasonal tomatoes or the best passata you can find - the rest will follow.

Ingredients for Ravioli with Ricotta and Spinach 

Dough:
200g Tipo 00 Flour
35g fine semolina
6 large eggs
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2-3 tablespoons cold water
Filling:
400g spinach leaves
400g ricotta
100g grated parmesan, plus more for garnish
Good pinch of nutmeg
Salt and pepper, for seasoning
Tomato Sauce:
2-3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
8 fresh basil leaves
200g or more good quality Passata
A pinch of salt

Recipe
  1. Pile the flour and the semolina in a large bowl and make a well in the center. Separate eggs and add the yolks to the well. Add extra-virgin olive oil and water to the well. With a fork whip up the yolks until smooth, then gradually bring in the flour in from the outside until it becomes too hard to mix. Get your floured hands in there and bring it together into a ball of dough, then knead it on a flour-dusted surface for 4-5 minutes or until smooth and elastic (add a touch more of water or flour if needed). Wrap in cling film and leave to relax for 30 minutes (best to refrigerate in hot weather).
  2. Boil the spinach in salted water for a few minutes, drain and squeeze out the excess water. Chop finely and mix it with the ricotta, parmesan and nutmeg. Add a little bit of salt and pepper if you wish.
  3. Divide pasta dough into 4 pieces, covering everything with a clean damp tea towel to stop it from drying out. You can roll it to your desired thickness (1mm for filled pasta) with a rolling pin or a pasta machine. Cut into 6cm wide strips.
  4. Use a teaspoon to place the filling along one side of the strip, evenly spaced about 7.5cm apart. When each strip is complete, fold over the pasta to enclose the filling and use your fingers to press all around to seal, leaving no air pockets.
  5. Cut the pasta within the mounds of filling with a sharp knife or a pasta wheel and spread them out on a lightly floured work surface while you finish preparing the rest.
  6. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil, add the ravioli, cook for 3-4 minutes or until al dente. Serve hot with tomato sauce with more freshly grated Parmesan.
  7. To make tomato sauce: Heat extra-virgin olive oil in a saucepan, add the shredded basil leaves and the passata. Lower the fire and cook for about 6-7 minutes. 
​Note: To freeze Ravioli, simply place it on a flour-dusted tray and freeze for 2-3 hours until frozen solid, then store and freeze in sealed Ziploc bags until ready to use. Cook directly from frozen, until al-dente.
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