Mushroom and Spinach Ravioli
Buy or find
1 batch fresh pasta
Ricotta cheese, 300g, drained
Baby spinach leaves, 350g
Brown onion, 1/2, diced
Garlic clove, 1, chopped
Unsalted butter, 20g
Olive oil, 1 tbs
Mushrooms, 200g, finely chopped (including stems)
Nutmeg, 1/2 tsp (or a little less)
Dried oregano leaves, 1 tsp
Semolina, 1 tsp
Parmesan cheese, 60g, finely grated using a microplane
Freshly ground black pepper
Do
Place the spinach in a large frying pan over medium-high heat and fry until wilted.
Remove from the heat and leave to cool in a colander.
Sweat the onion and garlic in the butter and olive oil in a frying pan over low heat until very soft and pale gold.
Tip in all of the chopped mushrooms. Continue to cook over medium-high heat, stirring now and then, until any liquid exuded by the mushrooms has evaporated.
Add the chopped spinach and the nutmeg, oregano, parmesan and semolina.
Mix very well, over medium heat.
Transfer to a bowl to cool once throughly mixed.
Mix the ricotta into the cooled mushroom mixture.
Season the filling with salt an pepper to taste.
Cool completely.
Place a sheet of pasta on a floured bench top and place teaspoons of the mushroom mixture at regular intervals along the sheet. (Place the line of filling, off centre, towards you).
Brush water around the edges of the pasta sheet and fold this sheet of pasta over the filling and press down to release any trapped air.
Line a baking tray or plastic container with baking paper and sprinkle some flour over the baking paper.
Use a ravioli cutter to press the pasta together and cut it into a ravioli shape.
Place the prepared ravioli on the prepared baking tray or plastic container until you plan to cook them.
Cook the pasta in water as salty as the sea for 3 minutes or until soft.
Serve with tomato sauce or sage butter.
Recipe for sage butter - 120g Unsalted butter, 18-24 sage leaves.
Heat the butter in a frying pan with the sage leaves over a low heat until the butter has melted and is starting to foam. Swirl the butter in the pan and keep a close eye on it. You want the leaves to become crisp and the milk solids to be released but you do not want the sauce to burn.