Artichoke & Lemon Ravioli

Serves: 4-6
Level of difficulty: medium


Ingredients For The Filling

1 clove roasted garlic (see directions below)
¼ cup frozen spinach, thawed and finely chopped
4 artichoke hearts boiled (10 minutes) and finely chopped
1/3 cup béchamel sauce (recipe to follow)
½ of a fresh mozzarella ball shredded into small pieces
¼ cup grated parmigiano cheese
¼ cup mascarpone cheese


Roasted Garlic

1. Pre-heat oven to 400°F
2. Cut ½ inch off the top of a whole garlic bulb exposing the garlic inside
3. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and wrap in foil
4. Bake in oven for 30-35 minutes until soft
5. Let cool and remove garlic from skins


Ingredients For the Béchamel Sauce

1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp flour
1 cup room temperature milk
salt
grated nutmeg


Directions For the Bèchamel Sauce

1. On medium low heat, melt the butter in a small sauce pan
2. Whisk in the flour, cook till frothy
3. Slowly whisk in the milk
4. Continue whisking over low heat until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon (about 5 minutes)
5. Season with a little grated nutmeg and salt
6. Set aside

Directions for Filling
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl, set aside.


Ingredients For The Walnut Brown Butter

1/4 cup butter
Zest of half a lemon
Handful of chopped walnuts


Ingredients For The Lemon Pasta

2 cups all-purpose flour
3 eggs
Zest of one lemon, pounded to a paste
½ tsp of salt
A little olive oil


Directions For The Pasta

1. In a large bowl, mix together the flour and salt
2. Make a well in the centre and add the eggs and lemon paste
3. Mix ingredients together with a fork or your fingers
4. Place dough on lightly floured surface and knead until smooth
5. Cover with a little olive oil and a damp cloth, let rest for 20 minutes
6. Divide dough into two portions.
7. Using a pasta maker, start on the largest setting and roll the pasta through 10-15 times until it is very smooth.
8. Pass the dough through each additional setting once, until it is all rolled out

*Tip: If you don’t have a pasta maker you can roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface using a rolling pin.


To Assemble The Ravioli

1. Lay out one sheet of pasta. In small intervals, place 1 tsp of filling on the pasta.
2. Brush the uncovered part of pasta (around the filling) with a little water
3. Lay the other sheet of pasta over top and press down in between the sections of filling
4. Use a ravioli press or a knife to cut out the ravioli (if using a knife, dip a fork in flour and press along the cut edges to seal).
5. In a pot of boiling salted water, cook the ravioli for 2 minutes


To Finish The Ravioli

1. While the ravioli are cooking, heat the butter in a small pan
2. Add the lemon zest
3. Cook the butter until it has just started to brown
4. Add the walnuts and cook for another minute. Remove from heat
5. Using a large slotted spoon, remove the ravioli and place onto individual plates
6. Top the pasta with a little bit of the walnut butter and some grated parmigiano cheese

Complementary Wines: Barbera, Burgundy, Trebbiano, Vernaccia Di San Gimignano

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