HOMEMADE RICOTTA AND CAVOLO NERO RAVIOLI WITH TOMATO SAUCE AND PARMIGIANO
This is usually made with spinach, and it’s delicious, but this might be more delicious. Kale is more prevalent here in Iceland, so we figured why not highlight what we’ve got. There’s definitely more character to this version, and the nutmeg complements just as well as it does with spinach. Here we are using cavolo nero (in Italian) or svart kál (in Icelandic), but you could use any variety of kale or spinach, as well as a slew of other leafy greens.
Ingredients for filling
200 g ricotta, (see page 304)
150 g cavolo nero
2 tbsp noisette, or butter and olive oil
1 tsp nutmeg, freshly grated
2 tbsp parmigiano reggiano, plus extra for topping, freshly grated
Salt and pepper to taste
Other ingredients
2 x recipe, pasta dough (see page 173)
1 x toasted garlic tomato sauce (see page 300)
Fresh basil (optional)
Parmigiano
Extra virgin olive oil
Recipe
Heat a medium-sized pot over medium heat until a flick of water sizzles on contact. Add a tbsp of butter, or 2 tbsp noisette, as well as ½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil, and allow to heat for about 5 seconds before adding the cavolo nero. Once the cavolo nero is added, season with salt, cover and give the pot a little shake, making sure to hold the lid firmly in place. Lower the heat and allow to cook, covered, for 5 minutes. Transfer to a food processor and pulse until fully blended, scraping down the sides as needed. Add the ricotta, freshly grated nutmeg and parmigiano, along with a drizzle of olive oil. Check the seasoning and adjust if needed. Set aside until ready to use, or place into a piping bag. Be sure to have your brush, with a little water, on hand before you begin rolling. Roll out and fill the pasta, as instructed on page 173 and 176. Bring a pot of water to a boil and salt like the sea. You may need to cook the ravioli in batches so as to not overcrowd the
pot. Gently heat a pan with some pasta water and a little butter or extra virgin olive oil. Cook the ravioli for 2–3 minutes, then, with a slotted spoon, transfer them to the pan and gently toss to coat and lubricate each individual pillow. Once all the ravioli are cooked, assemble three to five pillows per plate, and spoon over the tomato sauce. Garnish with fresh basil, a generous amount of freshly grated parmigiano and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Devour immediately.
METHOD FOR RAVIOLI
Generously flour your work surface, and lay out the dough, then fold in half, end to end. Mark the halfway point and fold back the upper half, exposing the bottom half for the filling. Working quickly so the dough doesn’t dry out, spoon or pipe the filling onto the lower half, making sure not to overfill to the point where the pillows won’t be able to be individually closed. Lightly brush the borders with water around the filling, then gently close the top half of the sheet over the bottom. Working from one end, gently but firmly close each pillow, making sure to push all the air out before fully sealing. Once all the pillows have been sealed, cut along the edges and in between each pillow with the pasta cutter. Once all the ravioli have been cut, go around the edge of each one, with the back of a fork, pressing lightly to create a
ribbed border. The texture created by this process looks nice, but is really there to catch more sauce and flavor on each pillow. Place each ravioli in a single layer on a flour tray, until ready to cook.