Before this post, I had never made homemade pasta. I remember walking past the KitchenAid pasta attachment when we were registering for wedding gifts and quickly deciding that I was a lot of things but I probably wasn't the homemade pasta making type. However, in the past few years I've gotten hooked on the fresh pasta vendor at our farmers market and decided it was finally time to give it a try. It's never too late to change your mind, you know? Turns out, deep down, I really am the homemade pasta making type. Instead of the KitchenAid attachment, I chose this stand alone pasta maker from Williams-Sonoma. It's less expensive, especially if you don't already have the mixer, and works like a charm! We dyed our fresh pasta sheets with beet puree to give it that Valentine's Day hue... but I'm getting ahead of myself! Keep reading for the recipe...
Heart Shaped Lemon Sage and Ricotta Beet Ravioli
(makes 4 heart-shaped raviolis- based on this recipe)
INGREDIENTS
For the filling:
- 8 ounces goat cheese, softened
- ½ cup ricotta
- 1 Tbls. ground sage
- 1 egg
- Zest of 1 Meyer lemon
- 1 teaspoon Meyer lemon juice
For the Pasta:
- ½ pound beets, about 2 medium to large beets
- 2 large eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 cups “00” flour,* plus more for dusting
- ½ teaspoon salt
For the sauce:
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Directions:
1. Ensure you have a sous chef as cute as this little bug above!
2. In a large bowl, combine goat cheese, ricotta, egg, lemon zest, and lemon juice; whisk until smooth. Cover and place in the refrigerator until needed.
3. Preheat oven to 400°F. Wrap beets in foil, place on a baking sheet, and roast for 45 minutes or until tender. Once the beets have cooled, remove the skins with your hands and discard peel. This can be done up to two days in advance. Place peeled and cooled beets in a food processor and process until extremely smooth, about 1 minute. Add eggs and egg yolk and pulse until combined.
4. In a mixer fitted with the flat beater attachment, combine flour and salt; mix on low until combined. Add beet puree, turn the speed to 2 and mix until combined; about 1 minute. Exchange the paddle for the dough hook and knead until for 8 to 10 minutes or until the dough is smooth. Humidity in the air can affect the moisture in the dough. If the dough seems too “wet” add additional flour a tablespoon at a time until the dough becomes firm. If the dough is too “dry” add cold water a tablespoon at a time until the dough is balanced. Remove the dough to a lightly floured work surface and cut into 6 equal pieces; cover.
5. After dousing the dough with a little flour, begin to work the dough into the pasta maker, creating nice flat sheets. You'll want to do it a few times, getting thinner and thinner with each subsequent feed through the machine.
6. Using a heart shaped ravioli press, cut out your heart shaped pasta pieces. (We found ours on Amazon!) You'll want two piece for each ravioli, obviously. Then using either a spoon or pastry bag, put a dollop of filling in the middle of half of the hearts. With your finger or a pastry brush, brush the edge of the pasta heart with water. Top with another pasta heart and press the sides to adhere the rounds together. Repeat with the remaining pasta. Cover finished ravioli with a towel until use.
7. In a large saucepan, melt 6 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Simmer the butter until it turns golden brown; about 8 minutes. Once the butter has browned, immediately remove from heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter; stir until melted. This will stop the cooking process. Add sage and salt; stir until combined. Taste and add additional salt if needed.
8. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a rapid simmer over medium-high. Carefully add the ravioli to the water. Gently stir to keep the ravioli separated for even cooking. Cook for 5 minutes. Strain water from the ravioli. Serve by plating ravioli, drizzle with brown butter sauce, and garnish with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and Meyer lemon zest.
Pasta Maker, Williams-Sonoma / Heart Plate, Williams-Sonoma / Floral Top, Asos
Photography by Stephanie Godfrey
Esther says
Looks so delicious!
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