Thursday, March 13, 2008

Sage and ricotta ravioli

Sage and ricotta ravioli

Some things are worth repeating; there are movies I have seen more than five times and I’ll gladly catch any TV reruns.

So here I am, more than a year later, making raviolis with Deb’s pasta recipe again. It’s so divine I don’t know what took me so long.

I still haven’t bought a pasta machine but made it anyway, so put a little faith in your arms, grab a good rolling pin and you are good to go.

I used a sage and ricotta filling this time - an idea from Donna Hay Magazine #32. The small article suggests mixing ricotta, sage and parmesan and making raviolis using wonton wrappers. I used this recipe and added a bit of color with basil.

Since there are no measurements in the magazine, I’m posting what I used and it was enough for me and Joao to share.

Sage and ricotta ravioli

Sage and ricotta ravioli
adapted from Donna Hay magazine

Pasta:
210g all-purpose flour
2 large eggs
½ teaspoon salt
1 handful basil leaves
2 tablespoons water

Filling:
¾ cup ricotta cheese
1 ½ tablespoons olive oil*
7-8 large sage leaves, finely chopped
3 tablespoons grated parmesan
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Tomato sauce and grated parmesan, to serve

Make the pasta: place basil and water in a small food processor and process until the water turns dark green. Set aside.
Mound flour on a work surface, preferably wooden – I used granite - and make a well in center. Add eggs and salt. With a fork, gently beat eggs until combined. Gradually stir in enough flour to form a paste, pulling in flour closest to egg mixture and being careful not to make an opening in outer wall of well. Knead remaining flour into mixture with your hands to form a dough, adding the water (dough should be firm and not sticky) – I added bits of processed basil along with the water:



Knead dough until smooth and elastic, 8 to 10 minutes. Place it in a dish, cover with an inverted bowl and let stand 1 hour.

For the filling: place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well using a fork.

On a lightly floured surface, place amounts of pasta and roll out with a rolling pin, making a rectangle.
Drop mounds of filling in a row down center of one half of sheet. Brush egg wash around each mound – I used water - then fold other half of sheet over filling. Press down firmly around each mound, forcing out air. (Air pockets increase the chance that ravioli will break during cooking.)
Cut pasta (between mounds) with cutter into rectangles.
Line a large shallow baking pan with baking paper then arrange ravioli in 1 layer in it.

Proceed with the remaining pasta/filling the same way.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add ravioli, carefully stirring to separate, and, adjusting heat to keep water at a gentle boil, cook until pasta is just tender, about 6 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a colander.
Serve at once with your favorite sauce.

* the ricotta we have here it’s a bit dry, that’s why I added olive oil

Serves 2

36 comments:

  1. That dish looks beautiful Patricia! You must have really good arms! ;)

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  2. I am so making this! Sage and ricotta are a grand combo. I really like the simplicity of this yet the full flavors! Great!

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  3. Looks so so so good!!! I'll take the nails, too....haha, pretty!

    I think I'm going to try my hand at the ravioli later and use rosemary (the only one I have).

    Thank you once again for being such a food inspiration! :)

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  4. Those look fantastic! After my gnocchi experience, I'm a little afraid of making homemade pasta, but might get over my trepidation for these. :)

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  5. Patricia - your raviolis look great, and with no pasta machine! Great work!

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  6. Oh, these look SO good! The sage sounds wonderful!

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  7. I've never been brave enough to make pasta, especially without a pasta maker!! This sounds absolutely divine!

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  8. Lovely Patricia really lovely. Sage and ricotta (and just that little parmesan) that is just the best! Those look beautiful - I don't think you need a pasta machine!

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  9. And I have a little pot of sage that despite my efforts is thriving. ;) Guess what I'll be using it in? Delicious!

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  10. Pillowy-soft and very flavourful I imagine.

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  11. Oh I love sage with pasta! Yum.

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  12. oh yes sage and ricotta are a great marriage. Your dish makes me hungry Patricia!

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  13. Those look soooo good! I'm very impressed that you made ravioli by hand.

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  14. A classic combination Patricia. So simple yet so flavourful. Well done

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  15. Great job making ravioli pasta by hand! It looks good.

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  16. Yumm....This sounds great! Especially the sage. I love sage. We grow tons of it in our garden. It makes me think of fall, but also Italian flavors.
    Great job.

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  17. This looks fab...even more so as you've done them by hand! :)

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  18. How much is a ticket to Brazil? I can almost taste that pasta and the lush filling. Another winner Patricia>

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  19. LyB, thank you! :)

    Meeta, I hope you try it, sweetie.

    Joy, you are making me blush! :)
    I keep them short but I like having them done, anyway. :)
    You are so sweet! Tks!

    Cookworm, this recipe is a winner, I can guarantee. :)

    T.W., thank you, my friend!

    Christine, thank you!!

    Deb, you are so talented I'm sure you'd make it wonderfully well!

    Tanna, you are far too kind, my dear! Tks!

    Susan, put that sage to good use. :)

    Cynthia, thank you.

    Pea, it was my first time and I'll be trying it again.

    Bea, thank you! :)

    Susan, I did! :)

    Peter, you've said it all - simple yet good.

    Kevin, thank you!

    Emiline, it was my first time cooking with sage, and I was pleased with it!
    I have been growing it in a vase, I hope it grows beautifully like the other herbs I have there.

    Joey, tks, darling!

    Maya, you'd be more than welcome here!

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  20. That's enough to make me unearth my pasta machine from the dark recesses of the pantry shelf! Absolutely beautiful...

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  21. That sounds very tasty, thanks for a great idea. Although I may not always love pasta, I do have a special place in my heart for ravioli. Yum!

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  22. These sound delicious and I love how rich and chunky your tomato sauce looks.

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  23. Everyone's talking about the food [which is lovely, as always, Patricia--of course]. I was fascinated by your movie choices. If you like director Michael Mann, who directed Heat, you must see Collateral, starring Tom Cruise, Jamie Foxx and the city of Los Angeles. I'm not a fan of Cruise, but he is a wonderful villain in this. If you rent it, watch the "making of" feature. It shows the level of craft in moviemaking and, in particular, the obsessive artistry of Mann. Among other films I will gladly watch again and again are all three Bourne films, The Wizard of Oz and Charade, with Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant.

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  24. I loooove this dish! Never made my own pasta before, & I'm sure homemade pasta are unbeatable!

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  25. I'm so impressed that you nixed the wonton wrappers and made your own pasta... without a pasta machine!!! Lots of work... but a great reward. They look delicious!

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  26. Wow Pat! Doesnt that ravioli look just fabulous!

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  27. fantastic dish! Would you send some over to me?!? Yummmm

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  28. Oh I love ravioli any which way, but this one looks especially tasty :)

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  29. Mouthwatering! Absolutely mouthwatering, and very impressive that you made the ravioli from scratch! Love the fact that you've included basil in the dough!

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  30. Lydia, thank you, dear! I want to buy one for me too.

    Gretchen, ravioli is really good. :)

    Julie, I used canned whole tomatoes for that.

    Terry, I love Michael Mann. Love him. I have seen Collateral and it's the only movie I can stand Tom Cruise in (I don't like him). And he also turned Jamie Foxx into a serious actor. The guy is a genius. :)

    Stella, my dear, tks!!

    Hi sweetie! It was worth it. :)
    Tks for your comment!

    Dharm, thank you!

    Hi there! I'd gladly do so. :)

    Michelle, I'm glad you like it. :)

    Marianna, tks for visiting! The basil touch was a nice thing. :)

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  31. I love sage in pasta--this ravioli is making my mouth water!

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  32. Oohh that looks wonderful! And I am very impressed, it doesn't seem like your first time! :) I'm with you in Under the Tuscan Sun and Room with a View as movies you can watch over and over, really any movie with beautiful Italy in the background I LOVE! :)

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  33. i need to use my KA pasta attachment more often! i would love to try this :) i'm bookmarking it for later...

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  34. Sage and ricotta sounds delicious and nothing beats homemade ravioli.

    BTW, I've watched Room With A View many times -- it's among my favorite movies.

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  35. I don't have a pasta machine either. That you've made this beautiful dish without one has me very excited!

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  36. Sounds absolutely delicious and without a pasta machine! I think we should take our hats off to you! Thanks again.

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