Potato ravioli with courgette and spinach
Buttery potato and Parmesan make a wonderful filling for ravioli, served with garlicky greens.
Equipment and preparation: You will need a pasta machine, zigzag-edged pasta cutter and pastry brush for this recipe.
Ingredients
For the the pasta dough
- 350g/12oz tipo '00' flour
- 25g/1oz fine semolina flour, plus extra for dusting
- 2 free-range egg yolks
- 4 whole free-range eggs
For the ravioli filling
- 800g/1lb 12oz red-skinned Desiree potatoes, peeled, cut into into 2cm/¾in cubes
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú unsalted butter
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú Parmesan cheese, gratedÌý
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the vegetables
Method
To make the pasta dough, in a large bowl, mix the flours together. Beat the egg yolks and whole eggs in a smaller bowl, and mix together with the flours. Add 1 tablespoon of water and knead the dough to a smooth texture. Wrap in cling film and set to one side.Ìý
To make the ravioli filling, cook the potatoes in a pan of boiling salted water until there is no resistance when pricked with a shap knife. Drain the potatoes in a colander so that the water evaporates.
Put the cooked potatoes through a potato ricer or beater. Once the potatoes are a fine mash, add the butter and parmesan, place the pan back on the stove on a moderate heat and beat the mixture until it is smooth and creamy. Add black pepper and salt, to taste. Leave to cool.
Once cool, roll the potato mixture into 3cm/1¼in balls and keep to one side.
To assemble the ravioli, divide the dough into four pieces. Roll out one of the pieces with a rolling pin, on a flour-dusted surface until the dough is thin enough to go through the rollers on your pasta machine. Place one end into the machine on the widest setting and roll the pasta through the machine, fold the pasta in half and roll again. Repeat this process 4 times for each quarter of pasta. This process makes the pasta more elastic so that it will be much more durable and won't break.
When you have rolled all the pasta through, then you can start making the ravioli. Roll out the pasta as thin as you can and place one sheet on the work surface with some extra flour to stop the dough from sticking.
Place a rolled potato mixture ball on one end of the rolled pasta sheet and repeat this along the length of the sheet, leaving a two finger gap between each ball. You should now have even amounts of filling on your sheet of rolled pasta with sufficient space to fold over and seal the pasta. Using a pastry brush, brush water in between the filling and on the edge of the pasta. Fold over carefully and, using your fingertips, push down so that you create little individual parcels. Cup your hand and push down on each ravioli to remove any unwanted air pockets.
Take a zigzag-edged pasta cutter and cut out the ravioli. Place on a tray with a good dusting of semolina flour on the bottom so the pasta doesn't stick to the tray. Repeat this process until you have used all the dough and filling.
For the vegetables, heat a large pan of boiling salted water, add the white asparagus then add the ravioli and cook for 3 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a hot non-stick frying pan, add the butter, garlic and the baby spinach. After 3 minutes, remove the cooked ravioli and white asparagus from the pan and transfer to a frying pan with the butter, garlic and spinach, and a ladleful of the pasta water. Toss together and add the Parmesan. Check the seasoning, adding salt and pepper if needed.
Serve in hot pasta bowls with a little extra Parmesan cheese and black pepper on top.