Meat ravioli
Make a plate of meat ravioli when you really want to impress - and you have some willing hands to help!
Ingredients
For the pasta
- 300g/10½oz ‘00’ flour, plus extra for flouring
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú semolina, plus extra for dusting
- 4 free-range eggs
For the meat filling
- ½ small onion, finely chopped
- 125²µ/4½´Ç³ú pork mince
- 125²µ/4½´Ç³ú beef mince
- 4 tbsp white wine
- 1 free-range egg, beaten
- 60g/2¼oz fresh breadcrumbs
- handful fresh parsley, finely chopped
For the tomato sauce
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
- ½ red chilli, chopped
- 10 cherry tomatoes, halved
- handful fresh basil
Method
For the pasta, mix the flour and semolina together on a clean work surface or in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre and break in the eggs. With a fork or with your hands, gradually mix the flour with the eggs to form a soft dough. Knead the dough for 5 minutes, or until smooth. Shape the dough into a ball, wrap in cling film and leave to chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Flour the pasta machine with semolina and divide the pasta into 4 equal pieces. Starting at the lowest (thickest) setting, feed one piece of the dough through the machine, turning the handle with one hand and holding the dough as it comes through the machine with the other. Change the setting on the pasta machine to the next-thickest setting, flour it again and feed the pasta sheet through the machine again, as before.
Repeat this process 3-4 more times, flouring the machine and changing the setting down each time. The pasta should be quite thin, but still easy to handle without tearing. Don't be tempted to skip settings or the dough may tear. Repeat with the other pieces of dough.
Once the pasta sheets have reached the ideal thickness, dust with semolina and set aside.
For the tomato sauce, add the olive oil to a pan and add the garlic and chilli. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until the garlic starts to colour a little. Add the tomatoes and warm through in the pan. Season with salt and pepper.
To make the meat filling, put the onion in a pan over medium heat, and fry gently until softened. Add the mince and cook for 2 minutes or so, add the wine and let it reduce. Remove from the heat and leave to cool. Add the egg, breadcrumbs and parsley and mix to combine.
To make the ravioli, put a pasta sheet on your board and place a heaped teaspoon of the meat filling mixture at equal intervals along the pasta. Brush a little of the beaten egg around each filling then lay another pasta sheet on top and carefully press down around each filling ball to remove any air. Cut in squares with your ravioli cutter or knife, then dust with semolina flour and set aside. Repeat the process with the meat filling.
To cook the ravioli bring some water to the boil and a good tablespoon of salt (the water should be as salty as the sea). Drop the ravioli in to the water in small batches and cook until the float to the surface, then add them to the tomato sauce. You can add a little of the pasta water to the sauce to get the right consistency.
Scatter some basil leaves over the top and serve.
Recipe Tips
These can be made in advance and kept in the fridge for a couple of days.