Were you guys dying for another homemade pasta post?  Based on the popularity of the other ones, I bet you were!  So here is one for veggie lovers (but don’t worry, there’s also plenty of cheese).  Sweet and savory, with just a hint of nutmeg – so good!

Carrots, shallots, ricotta, Parmesan, and a little cream, butter, and nutmeg go into this lovely filling.  I had a little filling leftover when I finished up, so I tossed it into some brown butter and sage to make a sauce.  And that’s it!

If I had massive amounts of time, I would love to make a trio of veggie raviolis to serve together – this one, the beet and goat cheese one, and a spinach one (maybe with feta?).  Wouldn’t that be fun?  And with the fresh pasta, you could see the orange, purple, and green fillings and it would be super pretty.  *Sigh*  One day!

Carrot Ricotta Ravioli
adapted from Food and Wine
serves 2-4, about 36 ravioli

Pasta:
2 cups flour
3 eggs, beaten
1 tbsp olive oil

Filling:
3 large carrots (3/4 lb), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp minced shallot
1 tbsp heavy cream
5 oz ricotta (1/2 cup firmly packed)
6 tbsp freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1 large egg yolk

Pulse the flour in a food processor to evenly distribute and aerate.  Add the eggs and olive oil.  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 filling.  Preheat the oven to 400°.  In a baking dish, toss the carrots with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Cover with foil and bake for about 45 minutes, until tender and lightly browned.  Let cool slightly.

In a small skillet, melt the butter . Add the shallot and cook over moderate heat until softened, about 3 minutes.

In a food processor, combine the carrots, shallot, and cream and puree until smooth.  Transfer the puree to a bowl.  Stir in the ricotta, Parmigiano, and nutmeg and season with salt and pepper.  Stir in the egg yolk (taste for seasoning before you do this).

Roll out the pasta dough using a pasta roller.  Set the thin sheet of dough over a 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 of choice (I recommend brown butter, or white wine cream) and a sprinkle of extra Parmesan.

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