Vegetarian mains
Pumpkin, spinach and ricotta ravioli with sage butter
This vegetarian stuffed pasta recipe is labour intensive but exquisitely delicious. It calls for a pasta machine to get the sheets rolled thin enough. If you want to make a double batch, uncooked ravioli can be frozen: boil them from frozen for 5-6 minutes rather than 3-4. The rich, nutty browned sage butter is good with pretty much anything else as well – gnocchi, fried mushrooms, white fish or roasted veg.
Cook's notes
To clarify butter, gently melt unsalted butter over a low heat until you can see a milk layer, a clear yellow layer and froth on top. Spoon off the froth and then carefully pour off the clear yellow layer, discarding the milk layer. Removing the milk solids from butter allows the clarified butter to be heated to a higher temperature than butter before burning.
Ingredients
for the pasta
- 500g flour
- 3 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- pinch of salt
for the filling
- 1 medium pumpkin or 2 small squash
- 400g spinach
- 150g ricotta
- ½ tsp fresh oregano, finely chopped
- pinch dried red chilli
- pinhc nutmeg, grated
- 100g butter
- handful sage leaves
- Parmesan, to serve
- salt and pepper
Method
Make your pasta dough
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Step 1
by mixing together all the ingredients, until it forms a smooth ball, being careful not overwork the dough. Leave to rest for 2-3 hours and roll on a pasta machine into thin sheets.
To make the filling
-
Step 1
preheat oven to 190°C/Gas 5. Peel and evenly chop your pumpkin, season and oil and roast for 25 minutes till tender.
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Step 2
Blanch your spinach in boiling water for 1 minute, refresh immediately in ice cold water and squeeze out the excess water, finely chop.
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Step 3
Crumble the ricotta, add a pinch of salt, some freshly chopped oregano and a little crumbled dried chilli.
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Step 4
Mix your pumpkin, spinach and ricotta together, breaking it up but not so much that it turns mushy. Taste and season to your liking with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
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Step 5
Mark your pasta into 2-3 inch squares, place a generous teaspoon of mix on one half of each square. Dab 2 sides with egg wash and fold over into a triangle parcel, matching the edges, pressing out any trapped air and gently pressing together to seal.
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Step 6
Clarify your butter, and gently fry a handful of sage leaves in it till starting to brown.
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Step 7
Cook your ravioli in boiling salted water for 3-4 minutes and serve with your sage butter and a good grating of Parmesan.
