Ingredients
- 350 g (12 oz) English spinach, trimmed and washed
- 150 g (5 1/2 oz) fresh ricotta cheese
- 25 g (1 oz) finely grated parmesan cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
- 1 quantity fresh pasta dough
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 80 g (2 3/4 oz) butter, chopped
- 2/3 cup sage
- shaved parmesan cheese, to serve
Method
1. Cook the spinach in boiling salted water until just wilted. Drain and immerse in iced water to cool completely. Drain, squeeze out all the moisture, finely chop and combine in a medium bowl with the ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese and lemon zest. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
2. To prevent the dough from drying out, work in batches, using one-quarter of the dough at a time, leaving the rest covered with a clean cloth until needed. Roll out the pasta dough, following the step-by-step instructions on pages 18-19, to form sheets of pasta about 1 mm (1/16 inch) thick and about 14 cm (5 1/2 inches) wide. Working with one sheet at a time, place 1 teaspoon of ricotta mixture on one of the pasta sheets, leaving about 4 cm (1 1/2 inches) in between each mound. Brush around the filling with some egg. Place another pasta sheet on top, then press around the edge of each mound of filling to enclose it, taking care to expel any air.
3. Cut into ravioli 6.5 cm (2 1/2 inches)square using a fluted pastry wheel (roller cutter) if you have one, or a sharp knife if you don't. Place, so that they don't touch each other, on trays that have been lined with baking paper and lightly floured. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
4. Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water for 7 minutes, or until al dente.
5. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a frying pan over high heat. When it starts to turn nut brown, add the sage and continue to cook for 1 minute or until the foam subsides and the butter is golden with light-brown flecks. (If you overcook and burn the butter, the flecks will be dark brown and it will taste bitter.)
6. Drain the ravioli and combine in a large bowl with the burnt butter and sage sauce. Gently toss to coat and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve with the parmesan cheese.
