Ravioli di Ricotta e Menta (Ravioli with Ricotta and Mint)-Video with Cristina
From Laney – It was sort of Girl’s Night Out but we did it in at Cristina’s house for another one of her fabulous meals. But this time, we were going to help her make homemade ravioli. Monica picked me up at Col delle Rane, then we picked up Marisa and off we went to Cristina’s house. But before we started cooking, we picked a few ripe figs from Cristina’s trees, the last of the late summer tomatoes and some fresh herbs from her garden.
Since we needed an aperitivo to get us going, we started with a glass of Prosecco as we were in Valdobiadene in the heart of Prosecco country. Okay…maybe two glasses. And then we got to work…actually Cristina did most of the work, but we helped!
Aside from the fun factor of making homemade ravioli, it’s not very difficult and uses just a few simple ingredients. For Cristina’s pasta, she uses flour and eggs and tops it with a very simple sauce of smoked ricotta and butter. And we played around some more and made fettucine with some of the extra dough.
We hope you enjoy the video and the recipe…
- Dough:
- 2 cups flour
- 2 cups semolina flour
- 4 eggs
- Pinch of fine salt
- Filling
- 1½ c. dry whole milk ricotta
- 2 T. grated Parmesan Cheese
- ½ c. fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
- Pinch of ground nutmeg
- Pinch of cinnamon
- Pinch of pepper
- smoked ricotta to taste
- 80 grs. butter
- Combine the flours on a wooden work surface and make a well in the center.
- Add the eggs and salt and carefully start working with a fork until a shaggy dough forms.
- Work the dough until it is smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes). Let it stand in the refrigerator wrapped in a plastic film half an hour.
- Stir the ricotta together with Parmesan, mint, nutmeg, cinnamon and pepper in a bowl.
- Start with a piece of the dough running it through the pasta machine on the widest setting several times, folding the dough in half each time before rolling it again. Keep on rolling through the machine once at each setting until the last one. Always put some flour during these operations.
- Lay the pasta sheet on the lightly floured work suface, place a generous teaspoon of the filling at about 5 cms one from the other near the top edge of the dough.
- Wet the sides that will be sealed and press, fold the pasta in half to close it.
- Cook the ravioli in boiling salted water about 5-6 minutes.
- Drain with a slotted spoon and put ravioli on a plate.
- Flavor with melted butter and grated smoked ricotta to taste.
Note from Cristina: If you wonder what is the difference between ravioli and tortelli, the difference lies in their shape. Tortelli have a curled shape, ravioli instead are square or rectangular. In regards to filling there is no difference. Anyway today the two terms are used both for curled and square shape… there is really a very slight difference.
Meet Laney Sachs
I’m not just enthusiastic about travel—I live travel, each and every day. From plotting out my clients’ next great escape, to logging airmiles on my own adventures (I always have a suitcase packed and at the ready!), travel drives me in everything I do.
I’ve learned a few things along the way, and I’d love to share them with you. Learn a bit more about my journey to founding my own travel agency—it involves quite a few glasses of Italian wine!
