The first homemade dish I tried in Liguria was ravioli with ricotta and spinach in a deliciously rich local walnut sauce called salsa di noci.

“This is mind-blowing!” I thought, and ate nothing but this every day for a week. Admittedly, they were frozen from the supermarket, but even they were wonderful!

And now, after all these… 10 years (!), I finally decided to make my first homemade egg pasta. If we can’t go to Italy, then Italy will come to us!

It turned out to be not so difficult!

For fresh egg pasta:

  • 250 g 00 flour (finely ground)
  • 2 eggs + 1 egg yolk (125 g total)
  • semolina (or semolina flour, if necessary)

If you want a brighter color, you can use only egg yolks instead of whole eggs, at a ratio of 1 egg = 2 yolks. But it’s better to weigh everything 🙂

  • Pour the flour onto the table (leave 50 g, because eggs come in different sizes, and flour also varies. It is better to add flour during the kneading process)
  • Make a well in the flour and pour the eggs into it (you can do this in a bowl, but I find it easier on the table).
  • Using a fork or your hands, gently begin to mix in the flour so that the liquid does not spread.
  • Knead the dough until it is elastic. This took me 5 minutes at most. If the dough seems too dry, you can add a little warm water.
  • Wrap in plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for 30 minutes: the dough will become softer and more elastic, and easier to work with.

Filling:

  • 250 g fresh spinach (or 400 g frozen)
  • 125 g ricotta cheese
  • 50 g Parmesan cheese
  • nutmeg
  • salt
  • pepper
  1. Wash the spinach and blanch it in a dry frying pan with a lid. Cool, squeeze and chop finely. If you are using frozen spinach, it must be completely defrosted, drained and squeezed.
  2. In a separate bowl, mix the ricotta, finely grated Parmesan, nutmeg to taste, salt, and pepper. Mix well.
  3. Add the spinach and mix again.
  4. Transfer the filling to a pastry bag (with or without a nozzle). You can, of course, use a spoon, but this is more convenient.

Now for the most interesting part!

  • Divide the dough into 2 parts, wrap the second part back in plastic wrap so it doesn’t dry out.
  • Roll out the dough as thinly as possible (ideally 1 mm thick) on a surface dusted with semolina or cornmeal. It is more convenient, of course, to try to make a rectangle. Do not sprinkle with flour, because it dries out the dough.
  • Cut it into 2 approximately equal parts.
  • On one part, place the filling balls 3 cm apart.
  • Using water, a brush, or your fingers, moisten the space between the fillings to seal them

Cover with the second piece of dough and gently press down with your fingers, trying to remove any excess air from the ravioli

  • Cut with a shaped knife or a regular knife; the excess dough will no longer be needed
  • Place the finished ravioli on a dry towel sprinkled with semolina or cornmeal.
  • Repeat the same steps with the second half of the dough.

This amount of ingredients makes 25-30 ravioli measuring 4×4 cm, depending on how thinly you can roll out the dough.

Boil them in salted water for 3-4 minutes, and serve with various sauces.

And, of course, you can sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese on top! The most delicious things are simple!

By Blog, Recipes