I recently bought a pasta roller and learned to start making my own pasta (you can read about my first adventure here). One of the very first things that I made on my own was this gorgeous roasted beet and goat cheese ravioli.
Here is my lovely pasta roller!
This is my ravioli press – lay a sheet of pasta over it, and use a plastic mold to press down and form pockets.
Then place the filling into the pockets – check out the crazy fuschia color of the beet filling!
Next, lay another strip of pasta over the top and roll over it with a rolling pin to seal. Flip the ravioli out onto the counter and separate – I like to use a fluted pastry wheel (see photo) to do this.
To cook, just boil them for a few minutes! In this photo, you can see two different thicknesses of ravioli – on the bottom is pasta I rolled to the very thinnest, on the top I rolled it to the second thinnest. The thinnest setting will cause the pasta to melt in your mouth, giving you mostly filling. I actually prefer the second thinnest, which gives you a little more chew. But play around with it and find which way you like best!
Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese Ravioli
adapted from Michael Symon
Serves 2-4, about 36 ravioli
Pasta:
2 cups flour
3 eggs, beaten
Filling:
2 large red beets, scrubbed
4-8 oz fresh goat cheese (depending on preference)
1 small egg lightly beaten
2 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Pulse the flour in a food processor to evenly distribute and aerate. Add the eggs. Process until the dough forms a rough ball, about 30 seconds. (If the dough resembles small pebbles, add water 1/2 tsp at a time; if it sticks to the side of the bowl, add flour 1 tbsp at a time.)
Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and knead until smooth, about 1 minute. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for at least 15 minutes or up to 2 hours
Make the ravioli filling. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Wrap the beet in heavy-duty aluminum foil, place in a shallow pan, and roast until fork-tender, 45 minutes. Remove and let cool. Peel the beet, cut it into small chunks, and puree in food processor along with the goat cheese and Parmesan. Start with 4oz of goat cheese, then taste and add more to your preference (I like a lot). Season with salt and pepper to taste, then add in the egg.
Roll out the pasta dough using a pasta roller. Set the thin sheet of dough over the ravioli press. Drop small balls of filling into the pockets. Lay a second rectangle of pasta over the filling layer. Seal the edges by pressing a rolling pin over the top. Flip over, release from the mold (flouring the mold/pasta helps), and cut into squares with whatever cutter you have available.
Boil the ravioli, about a dozen at a time, for 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the ravioli from the pot to plates. Top with sauce and a sprinkle of extra Parmesan.
For the sauce, I scooped some mascarpone into a pan over medium heat, added a bit of pasta water to thin it out, and mixed in some fresh herbs – very simple.