Ryan O’Sullivan’s Ravioli with Ricotta and Salsa Verde

Method

1. To make the pasta.

2. Sieve the flours into a bowl and add the salt. Make a well in the centre, add the eggs (no need to whisk the eggs) and water. Mix into a dough with your hand. The pasta should just come together but shouldn't stick to your hand - if it does, add a little more flour. (If it is too dry, add a little extra egg, being careful not to add too much.) Knead for 10 minutes until it becomes elastic. It should be quite pliable, wrap in parchment paper and rest in the fridge for 20 minutes.

3. Divide the dough in half and roll out one piece at a time into a very thin sheet, keeping the other piece covered. You ought to be able to read the print on a matchbox through the pasta. A pasta machine or long thin rolling pin is a great advantage, but you can manage perfectly well with an ordinary domestic rolling pin.

4. To roll in a pasta machine.

5. Half the dough, keep the remainder covered while you work with the other.

6. Roll the dough through the pasta machine Number 10 setting with the rollers furthest apart. Fold it like a book ensuring no overlap and put through Number 10 setting 5-6 times until very smooth (this is further kneading; it will depend on how much kneading was done by hand).

7. Now do a rough roll to shape the dough to the appropriate size required for your pasta shape. Roll the dough through the machine from Number 10–3 setting until you reach the desired thickness. Try not to use too much flour while putting the dough through the machine, if the dough is getting sticky, just a dusting of flour on the pasta should suffice. You can do a ‘patch test’ and only take a little of the pasta dough when you think you have nearly reached the required thickness and test for the final ½ setting in the rollers to see which setting you are happiest with.

8. To roll by hand.

9. Divide the dough in half. Dust each piece of dough with flour before you roll each time. Roll out one piece at a time into a very thin sheet, keeping the other piece covered with a tea towel. You ought to be able to read the print on a matchbox through the pasta. A long thin rolling pin is a great advantage, but you can manage perfectly well with an ordinary domestic rolling pin.

10. To make the ricotta filling

11. Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl.

12. To make the ravioli

13. Cut the sheet of pasta into pieces, 30.5cm in length and 15cm wide approximately. Approximately 4cm from the top of the pasta, place a teaspoon of filling along the top half of each sheet of pasta allowing 2.5cm intervals between each ravioli. Fold the bottom half over the top half and seal around the filling of each ravioli with your fingers. This is important to remove any air bubbles. Using a serrated pasta cutter cut around each ravioli. Each ravioli should be 7.5cm square approximately. Transfer to a tray sprinkled heavily with semolina flour.

14. To cook; poach the ravioli in a large saucepan of boiling water (4.8 litres water to 1 tablespoon salt) for 1 ½ - 3 minutes depending on how thin the pasta is, or until almost tender - al dente.

15. To make the salsa verde.

16. Chop the herbs and mix with the other ingredients. Taste and correct seasoning, if necessary, adding a few drops of lemon juice to freshen the taste. Store in a covered container in the fridge or freeze.

17. To serve

18. Heat a little of the salsa verde with a little of the pasta water, toss the ravioli then drizzle a little fresh salsa verde on top. Serve immediately and enjoy.