There is something magical about making fresh pasta. It’s easy, enjoyable and very therapeutic (and you get to eat the fruits of your labour). Don’t get me wrong – I buy as much dried pasta as the next person to ensure simple and straightforward suppers throughout the week, but if you have a lazy weekend and want to make something a little more special, I recommend giving this recipe a try.
It’s not a difficult thing to make, but it is a time-consuming process. Still, once you’ve made your own pasta once, I guarantee you’ll want to do it more often – and believe me, it’s worth it!
Serves: 4
Prep time: 1 hour
Cooking time: 20 min
Ingredients:
Pasta:
- 200g “00” flour
- pinch of salt
- 2 large free-range eggs
- 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
Filling:
- 400g mixed mushrooms
- 1 onion
- 1 large clove garlic
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 125g ricotta cheese
- 50g Parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper, to taste
Sauce:
- 50g mixed mushrooms
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 heaped tbsp + 1 tsp butter
- 1 heaped tbsp plain flour
- 80ml white wine
- 120ml chicken stock
- 3 tbsp cream
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- salt and pepper, to taste
Method:
- To make the pasta, place the flour and salt in a bowl and make a well in the middle. Crack the eggs and pour the oil into the well. Use a fork to gently mix the eggs in with the flour, gradually bringing the flour into the eggs until you achieve a dough. Tip the dough out onto a clean surface and knead gently for 10 minutes, or until the dough becomes soft and stretchy. Wrap in cling film and place in the fridge to rest for 20 minutes.
- While the dough rests, make the filling. Finely chop the onion and garlic and place in a frying pan with the butter and oil. Soften gently for a minute. Chop the mushrooms into a fine dice and add these to the onion along with the leaves from the thyme sprigs. Cook the mushrooms on medium heat until they are softened and browned. Once cooked, place the mushroom mix into a bowl and, while hot, mix in the ricotta and Parmesan cheeses. Add a twist of salt and pepper and taste to ensure the seasoning is correct. Allow to cool.
- To make the ravioli, cut the pasta dough into four pieces. Take one-quarter of the dough and keep the other sections well covered in cling film so that they don’t dry out. Gently press the dough into a flat round. Dust the surface with flour and roll out the pasta with a rolling pin to a 1cm thickness or use a pasta machine to get a long, rectangle-shaped sheet of pasta. Do the same thing with a second quarter of the dough. Add heaped teaspoons of the mix along the sheet of pasta, leaving around 3cm in between each mound. Dip a finger into water and draw a ring around each mound of filling. Top this pasta sheet with a second pasta sheet. Press the top sheet of pasta around each mound of filling, ensuring all the air is pushed out and the pasta sheets are sealed. Use a pasta cutter or knife to cut out the ravioli. Repeat with the remaining pasta and filling. Place the ravioli on a floured board until ready to cook.
- To make the sauce, sauté the extra mushrooms in a pan with the oil and 1 tsp butter. Add a twist of salt and pepper and cook until soft and golden brown. Empty into a bowl. In the same pan, add in the heaped tbsp butter and flour and stir until a paste forms. Allow to cook for 30 seconds and add in the white wine. Stir until a thick, white sauce forms and then add in the stock, cream and thyme leaves and season with salt and pepper. Add in the cooked mushrooms and cook for a few minutes, until you have a creamy sauce (loosen with a little water if it’s too thick).
- To cook the ravioli, place them in a pot of boiling water for 2–3 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente. Drain the ravioli and add into the creamy mushroom sauce.
- Serve the ravioli with a few extra leaves of thyme and a good sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.
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