Description
Homemade pasta gets a rustic and nutritious makeover with this basil and ricotta-filled spelt ravioli.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Pasta:
- 2 cups spelt flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
For the Filling:
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
Instructions
- Sift flour and salt together on a clean work surface or in a large, shallow mixing bowl. Set aside.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together the eggs and olive oil for the pasta.
- Make a well in the center of the flour and pour the egg mixture in the middle. Stir together with your hands or a spoon, and then gently knead into a ball. Shape ball into a disk and cover with plastic wrap. Place in the fridge to rest for 20 minutes.
- While the dough rests, make the filling. In a small mixing bowl, stir together ricotta, egg, salt, pepper, and fresh basil. Place filling in fridge until ready to use.
- After pasta has rested, divide dough into two equal pieces.
- Lightly flour a clean work surface. Starting with one of the pieces, roll out the dough into a thin, rectangular shape. You’ll know the pasta is thin enough when you can see the color of your hand through it. You can also use a pasta roller or roller attachment instead, starting thick and gradually getting thinner with each pass through the rollers.
- Cut a thin, rolled out rectangle in half and carefully place one half of that on a ravioli mold. Gently press a finger into the depressions of the mold to create wells. Place about 1 teaspoon of ricotta filling into each well, and then brush the edges lightly with water. If you do not have a ravioli mold, cut individual squares with a ravioli cutter, or cut out circles with a round cookie cutter, small glass, or the lid of a mason jar. Discard any excess dough. Place about 1 teaspoon of filling in the middle of half of the squares or the top half of all of the circles of dough that you cut out, and brush the edges lightly with water.
- Place the other half of one of the rolled out pasta dough rectangles on top of the filled wells. Using a rolling pin, firmly roll over the top of the mold, sealing and cutting the ravioli. Flip the mold upside down to release them. Place in a single layer on a cookie sheet until ready to boil. If you are working without a mold, center remaining squares of dough on top of filled halves, or fold circles in half to create a half-moon shape, and press firmly around the edges to seal.
- Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
- Freeze to store, or bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Carefully drop ravioli into the boiling water and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until al dente.
- Using a slotted spoon, carefully remove cooked ravioli and place in a serving dish. Toss with your sauce of choice and serve.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 7 minutes
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: spelt, ravioli, ricotta, basil