Goats Cheese Ravioli

Goats Cheese Ravioli

Ingredients

To Make Up the Pasta Dough

  • 450g/1lb ‘00’ pasta flour plus extra for rolling
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 4 medium eggs, plus 2 egg yolks, beaten together
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 3-4 tablespoons cold water

Ravioli Filling

  • 5 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • 3 teaspoons chopped fresh lemon thyme
  • 450g/1lb soft goats cheese
  • 1 medium egg
  • 75g/3oz Parmesan cheese, finely grated
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

To Make Up the Raviolli

  • Semolina flour
  • 1 medium egg, beaten

To Serve

  • 350g/12oz pot of fresh tomato and basil pasta sauce
  • 1 tablespoon pine nuts
  • A few fresh basil leaves, shredded
Serves 6

Method

  1. To make the pasta dough: Sift the flour and salt into a mound on a clean work surface. Make a well in the centre, add the eggs, egg yolks, olive oil and 2 tablespoons water.
  2. Gently stir the liquid with a fork and work into the flour, adding more water if needed to form a soft but not sticky dough.
  3. Move the dough to a clean surface and knead for about 5 minutes until firm, smooth and elastic.
  4. Form into a flattish ball, wrap in clingfilm and allow to rest for at least 30 minutes while you make the filling.
  5. Mix together the herbs with the goat cheese and egg until smooth, add the Parmesan and seasoning. Cover and chill.
  6. Divide the pasta dough into 4. Roll out 1 piece using a pasta machine to the penultimate setting to form a long thin sheet of pasta. Lay this on a clean surface dusted with semolina flour, cut in 2 and cover with a clean damp t towel. Repeat with the remaining portions. If you do not have a pasta machine you can roll the dough out very thinly by hand on a clean surface. Keep lifting and turning the dough as you roll to prevent it sticking.
  7. Dust the surface again with semolina flour. Brush one sheet of pasta with beaten egg. Place heaped teaspoons of the filling 1cm/½inch apart. Cover this with another pasta sheet and starting in the centre, press down gently with your finger around the mounds of filling, expelling any air trapped inside and making sure the pasta layers are stuck together.
  8. Cut around each mound with a pastry wheel or knife to form pasta squares.
  9. Repeat with the remaining pasta to make about 30 ravioli in all.  Lay them on trays well dusted with semolina flour and leave to dry for 30 minutes.  Do this at room temperature; chilling them will make them sticky.
  10. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, add the ravioli and cook until they are al dente, about 3 minutes. While they are cooking, warm the pasta sauce.  Gently drain the ravioli, return to the pan and add just enough of the warmed sauce to coat the pasta. Sprinkle with the pine nuts and basil and serve.
Recipes Tags
MAINS
VEGETARIAN