Beetroot ravioli and many more
Beetroot ravioli is only one of many variations of ravioli fillings. In my last Ravioli Class, which was an amazing experience, we made both, the beetroot and the butternut squash fillings. There’s also a spinach filling recipe on my blog, which you can find here.
My Beetroot Ravioli Class
It’s definitely worth making your own ravioli from scratch! I know it. Now, more and more people around me get to know about it as well. Nowhere else are you able to get the kind of culinary experience and flavours then at your own home! Read this most insightful comment by my student about my Ravioli Class here.
To make beetroot ravioli taste even better, prepare your own ricotta cheese. It is not very complicated and you can find the recipe here.
The preparation – beetroots
Wash 1 medium-sized beetroot, cut it into 4 pieces, this will speed up the cooking, and boil in water on low temperature.
The preparation – butternut squash
It’s the same procedure as with beetroot. Wash your butternut squash. From the top part, cut off a piece of 5-7cm (2in) thick, cut it into 4 pieces, this will speed up the cooking, and let it boil.
To make the pasta for ravioli – the procedure
Sift the flour onto a work surface, make a well in the middle and sprinkle some turmeric, add eggs, sprinkle some ginger and salt following the order:
- Sour 300g plain wheat flour,
- Bitter a pinch of turmeric,
- Sweet 3 eggs,
- Pungent a pinch of ginger,
- Salty a generous pinch of salt.
Once all the above ingredients are on the pile, ‘chop’ them and stir with a knife. In this way the eggs will mix into the flour and you will avoid getting your hands sticky. When all the ingredients combine, rub your hands with some flour and start kneading the dough. Knead for about 3-4 minutes until smooth and elastic. Shape it into a ball, sprinkle a bit of flour in the corner of your work surface and cover the dough with a bowl. Leave it to rest for 30 minutes.
In the meantime prepare the beetroot and butternut squash fillings. Or just one of the two.
The procedure – beetroot filling
When the beetroot is soft, which means the knife goes through the beetroot without resistance. Leave to cool for a few minutes, peel it and blend with a hand blender.
Now, add the following ingredients to your beetroot pulp:
- Sweet 2 heaped tablespoons of ricotta, 2 flat tablespoons of grated parmesan, 1 egg,
- Pungent a pinch of black pepper, a pinch of chilli, 1/2 garlic clove grated on a parmesan grater,
- Salty a pinch of sea salt,
- Sour 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, a pinch of dried basil,
- Bitter 1/2 teaspoon of fresh, grated turmeric or a pinch of turmeric powder.
Mix all the ingredients well.
The procedure – butternut squash filling
When the butternut squash is soft, which means the knife goes through the squash without resistance. (Squash cooks slightly quicker than beetroot.) Leave to cool for a few minutes, peel it, add to a large mixing bowl and mash with a fork.
Now, add the following ingredients to your squash pulp:
- Sweet 2 heaped tablespoons of ricotta, 2 flat tablespoons of grated parmesan, 1 egg,
- Pungent a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg (always grate your nutmeg, avoid the powdered product) a pinch of black pepper, a pinch of chilli, 1/2 garlic clove grated on a parmesan grater,
- Salty a pinch of sea salt,
- Sour 2 tablespoons of lemon juice,
- Bitter 1/2 teaspoon of fresh, grated turmeric or a pinch of turmeric powder.
The rolling and assembling stage
Get your dough out, cut it into 4 parts and roll out into a rectangle. Do not worry if the shape is far from rectangle. It will still work. As you can see in the photos here, my dough is usually far from perfect. Place teaspoonfuls of filling in mounds. Roll out he other half into slightly larger rectangle. Brush a little water between the mounds and place the second sheet loosely over the top. Press down the pasta between the mounds and on the water marks with your fingertips to seal.
Boiling – finally
Boil a large pan of 1/3 full of water with a teaspoon of salt, cook the ravioli in batches for 2-3 minutes of when they float on the top.
Serve your beetroot os squash ravioli with burnt sage butter and grated parmesan.
