Ravioli with ricotta, artichoke, hazelnuts and brown butter

Last week my daughter Jade was home with a couple of her friends and made fresh homemade pasta and roasted tomato sauce for dinner. We all joined the pasta party, rolling and cutting the dough to the dance tunes of Mambo Italiano and That’s Amore in the background. It was a memorable evening and put me in the mood for more fresh pasta.

Today I set out to make ravioli with soft egg yolk inside, a unique dish that I will publish in the next post. Since the Raviolo al Uovo means one large ravioli per serving I only made two and used the remaining dough to make smaller ravioli with ricotta and artichoke filling.

I kept it simple with brown butter sauce (beurre noisette) and a sprinkling of chopped hazelnuts. Sometimes simple is best.

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Ingredients:

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Pasta dough:

2 cups flour
3 large free range eggs with bright orange yolks
A large pinch of salt
A small drizzle of olive oil

Filling:

1 1/2 cups ricotta
1 cup grated parmesan
1 small jar artichokes, drained well
1 egg

Brown butter sauce:

1/2 cup butter
1 wedge of lemon
Salt and pepper

1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts

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Directions:

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Making the pasta:

Place the flour on the counter and make a large well in the center.

Break the eggs into the well and add the olive oil and salt.

Begin mixing the eggs with a fork slowly incorporating some of the flour from the edges into the egg yolk mixture without breaking the walls around the eggs.

When you have incorporated enough flour to the eggs will not run over the counter, begin to mix and knead the dough first with your fingers and then when it comes together knead it for a few minutes until smooth, 5-8 minutes.

Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate 30 minutes.

When ready, roll the pasta into long strips of equal size. They should be thin, about level 8 on my pasta machine.

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To make the filling:

Drain and finely chop the artichoke. You can do it in a food processor but don’t make it into a paste.
Combine the ricotta, parmesan and artichokes in a bowl and mix with a spatula.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Add the egg and mix to combine.

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To make the ravioli:

With a small ice cream scoop or a piping bag place equal mounds of the filling along the pasta strip.

Brush egg white around the filling to help the dough stick.

Lay another strip of dough over the strip with the filling and with your fingers gently press around the filling to remove air pockets.

Cut the ravioli into desired shape (I used round metal cutter).

Place on a lightly floured surface (a baking pan or parchment sheet) until ready to cook.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add plenty of salt.

Slide the ravioli into the water in batches so they are not crowded and cook until the float to the top.

Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate.

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Making the brown butter sauce:

Place the butter in a small pan over medium heat and cook until it turns golden brown, being careful not to burn it.

Add the juice from the lemon wedge, salt and pepper

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Serving:

Place a few ravioli on each plate.

Serve with a sprinkling of chopped hazelnuts, a drizzle of the brown butter and shaved parmesan.

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