Eggs are synonymous with spring and Easter in Italy. They are a symbol of new life and of the delicacy of the first warm days of the year.
Each Italian region has anywhere between one to fifty traditional Easter recipes centered around eggs. This year, our Italian chef wanted to bring you a modern take on the classic ravioli ricotta e spinaci by adding a silky egg yolk to the pasta’s center.
You can prepare the ravioli filling in advance and then gently fold the pasta into shape, just before eating. Enjoy finding the golden “Easter egg” bursting out of each ravioli you slice into!
– Julia & Camillo
This recipe makes four large ravioli. We suggest around two or three ravioli per person.
Fresh Herbs (we suggest sage, rosemary, and thyme)
Grated Parmigiano
Special tools:
Pasta Machine (or rolling pin!)
2 Circular Dough Cutters (one roughly 6 inches and one roughly 4 inches).
Directions
Place the flour on a wooden surface, forming a pyramid. Make a deep and wide well in the middle of the flour pyramid.
Crack the two eggs into the well, making sure they don’t overflow. Using a fork whisk the eggs until combined. Gradually start adding some flour from the well’s walls until the dough is too thick to mix with a fork.
Begin kneading the dough with your hands. Add a few tablespoons of Classico extra virgin olive oil to give the dough more flexibility. Knead until you have a smooth, compact, ball of dough. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and leave it to rest on the side, for at least 30 minutes.
As the dough rests, prepare the filling. Roughly chop the cooked spinach using a sharp knife and place it in a large bowl.
Add the ricotta and combine the two ingredients using a fork.
Add a pinch of grated nutmeg, salt, pepper, and grated parmigiano to taste. Grate some lemon zest and add to the mix, tasting and adjusting accordingly.
Finally, add one whole egg and mix vigorously. Place the filling in a piping bag and leave to one side.
Carefully separate the four egg yolks from the whites, placing each yolk in a separate espresso cup (or small glass).
Cut off a piece of dough and begin flattening it out using a pasta machine (or rolling pin), moving from level to level until you reach the thinnest width.
Lay the rolled out dough on the wooden surface: time to shape the ravioli!
Press lightly into the dough (just enough to make a mark) with the smaller dough cutter: this creates a guideline for where you should put your filling.
Using the piping bag, squeeze two circles of the spinach and ricotta filling on top of each other (leaving a space in the middle for the yolk).
Carefully drop one yolk into the middle space.
Place an equal sized portion of pasta dough on top to cover the ravioli. Press down tightly around the filling to seal the ravioli.
Cut the ravioli using the large dough cutter.
Repeat for the remaining dough and filling.
Place a pot of water to boil. Once it begins simmering, add a pinch of rock salt followed by the ravioli. Once the ravioli have risen to the surface, cook them for 2 minutes longer and then remove from the water.
As soon as the ravioli are cooked, place them on individual plates. Top with a generous drizzle of Classico extra virgin olive oil, the fresh herbs of your choosing, a dash of black pepper, and a sprinkle of Parmigiano.
Slice your ravioli in half and mix the runny yolk with the olive oil, herbs, pepper, and Parmigiano to make your sauce!
TIP: If you have extra dough and filling, make simple ravioli without a yolk and pop them in the freezer! When you feel like eating them, throw them in a pot of boiling water without defrosting them.
How long can it last on an
egg
yolk?Can spinach be
replaced
with other vegetables? How about the egg whites?