LEMON RAVIOLI IN BUTTER AND MINT SAUCE

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Lemon Ravioli in Butter and Mint Sauce

Serves 4 as a main course or 6 as a starter

Makes 25–30 ravioli

1 quantity of Fresh Pasta semolina or plain flour, for dusting

For the filling 250 g (9 oz) ricotta finely grated zest of 1/2–1 lemon salt and freshly ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

For the sauce 125 g (4 oz/1 stick) butter 1 tablespoon roughly chopped mint leaves

Step 1

Start by making the filling. Drain the ricotta then combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Go easy on the lemon zest as it can be quite overpowering, but as you want the flavor to shine through the pasta and sauce, slightly over-season rather than under-season. Bring a large pan of well-salted two-thirds full water to the boil.

Step 2

To make the ravioli, divide the pasta in half and wrap one half in clingfilm. Flour the work surface, but do not flour the top side of the pasta or it will be hard to seal. Roll out half the pasta using a rolling pin or a pasta machine until you can see your hand through it. Set the machine to the setting before last – the last setting makes the thinnest pasta but this is too fragile for ravioli.

Step 3

Cut the pasta into rectangles roughly the length of a cook’s knife. Dot a heaped teaspoon of the filling at even intervals (two fingers’ width apart is ideal) onto a length of pasta. Cover with another length of pasta and press down around the filling to expel the air and seal the pasta sheets together. Using a pasta wheel or a sharp knife, cut the ravioli into even 5 cm (2 inch) squares. Set the shapes aside on a surface dusted with flour or semolina (semolina is good as it does not stick to the pasta).

Step 4

Cook the pasta for 4–6 minutes, until al dente – test by sampling the edge of a raviolo. Meanwhile, make the sauce by melting the butter in a large frying pan. When the ravioli are done, drain and add to the butter in the pan with a little of the cooking water. Shake the pan to amalgamate the water and butter and add the chopped mint. Serve immediately in warmed bowls or plates.

Step 5

This ravioli recipe is excerpted with permission from Wild Rosemary and Lemon Cake: A Collection of Italian Recipes from the Amalfi Coast by Katie Caldesi and published by Hardie Grant Books.

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