Ravioli with a tomato sauce

 world recipes italian pasta ravioli

Ingredients

For the pasta

  • 300 g ‘00’ flour, plus extra for flouring

  • 100 g semolina, plus extra for dusting

  • 4 free-range eggs

For the filling

For the tomato sauce

Method

  1. For the pasta, mix the flour and semolina together on a clean work surface or in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre and break in the eggs. With a fork or with your hands, gradually mix the flour with the eggs to form a soft dough. Knead the dough for 5 minutes, or until smooth. Shape the dough into a ball, wrap in cling film and leave to chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

  2. Flour the pasta machine with semolina and divide the pasta into 4 equal pieces. Starting at the lowest (thickest) setting, feed one piece of the dough through the machine, turning the handle with one hand and holding the dough as it comes through the machine with the other. Change the setting on the pasta machine to the next-thickest setting, flour it again and feed the pasta sheet through the machine again, as before.

  3. Repeat this process 3-4 more times, flouring the machine and changing the setting down each time. The pasta should be quite thin, but still easy to handle without tearing. Don't be tempted to skip settings or the dough may tear. Repeat with the other pieces of dough.

  4. Once the pasta sheets have reached the ideal thickness, dust with semolina and set aside.

  5. For the tomato sauce, add the olive oil to a pan and add the garlic and chili. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until the garlic, starts to colour a little. Add the tomatoes and warm through in the pan. Season with salt and pepper.

  6. To make the ravioli, put a pasta sheet on your board and place a heaped teaspoon of the ricotta mixture at equal intervals along the pasta. Brush a little of the beaten egg around each filling then lay another pasta sheet on top and carefully press down around each filling ball to remove any air. Cut in squares with your ravioli cutter or knife, then dust with semolina flour and set aside. Repeat the process with the meat filling.

  7. To cook the ravioli bring some water to the boil and a good tablespoon of salt (the water should be as salty as the sea). Drop the ravioli into the water in small batches and cook until they float to the surface, then add them to the tomato sauce. You can add a little of the pasta water to the sauce to get the right consistency.

  8. Scatter some basil leaves over the top and serve.

  9. Also good served with loads of parmesan cheese.