Spinach and Ricotta Ravioli with Sage Brown Butter
Hand-filled pasta squares of ricotta and spinach, finished in butter browned until it smells like hazelnuts.
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 1 hr 30 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Written
Method
-
Mound the flour on a board, make a well, and crack in the eggs and salt.
-
Work the eggs into the flour with a fork until shaggy, then knead by hand until the dough is smooth and springs back when poked, about 8 minutes.
-
Wrap the dough and let it rest at room temperature until relaxed, about 30 minutes.
-
Wilt the spinach in a dry skillet until collapsed, then squeeze it dry and chop fine.
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Stir the spinach with the ricotta, parmesan, egg yolk, and nutmeg into a thick, cohesive filling.
-
Roll the dough through a pasta machine, working down to the thinnest setting, until you can nearly read through the sheet.
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Spoon small mounds of filling across one sheet, brush water around each mound, lay a second sheet on top, and press out the air before sealing.
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Cut into squares with a knife or fluted cutter, pressing the edges firmly closed so nothing leaks.
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Boil the ravioli in salted water until they float and the edges taste tender, 3 to 4 minutes.
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Melt the butter with the sage in a skillet, swirling, until the butter turns golden brown and smells nutty.
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Toss the drained ravioli in the brown butter and serve with lemon zest and extra parmesan.
Notes
The dough needs the full rest — skip it and the gluten fights you every time you roll, tearing instead of stretching thin. Roll it thinner than feels reasonable; a sheet that still looks opaque will taste doughy once cooked, even with the filling.
Seal the edges harder than seems necessary, too. A ravioli that opens in the pot dumps its filling into the water and boils up an empty square. Extra ravioli freeze well uncooked on a floured tray — once solid, bag them and boil straight from frozen, adding a minute to the cook time.