Beetroot ravioli recipe (casunziei all’ampezzana).

Method12 steps · about 2 hr

1. 1

   Step 1: Use 14 oz cooked beetroot. If starting with raw beetroot, boil in just enough water to cover, or steam, until fork tender; drain, peel and cool. Grate the cooked beetroot and, if wet, drain in a sieve for at least 1 hour. Ready-cooked beetroot may not need draining.

   Uses 14 oz cooked beetroot, or cook raw beetroot first · Water only if boiling or steaming raw beetroot; amount as needed

2. 2

   Step 2: Sieve the flour (7 oz) into a bowl, add one egg and one egg yolk to the flour with a pinch of salt. Use a fork to beat the eggs and incorporate them into the flour until well mixed. Then use your hands to knead the mixture, adding a little water at a time until you have a dough that no longer sticks to the side of the bowl and your hands.

   Uses 7 oz flour for pasta dough · 1 whole large egg plus 1 large egg yolk · 1 pinch dough salt · A little warm water added gradually only as the dough needs

   
3. 3

   Step 3: Turn the dough out onto a flour dusted work top or pastry board and knead for up to 10 minutes until the dough is quite smooth and elastic. Roll it into a ball and wrap it in clingfilm (plastic wrap) and leave to rest for at least 30 minutes.

   Rest dough · 30 minUses All mixed pasta dough · Extra flour for dusting the work surface

   
4. 4

   Step 4: Boil unpeeled potatoes (3 medium) in salted water until fork tender. Drain and then peel the potatoes. I used a potato ricer which works without peeling the potatoes. The peel remains in the ricer while the cooked potato passes through the holes. If you don’t have a ricer grate the cooked potato after peeling it.

   Uses 3 medium starchy potatoes · Water for boiling potatoes, as needed · Salt for potato cooking water, as needed

   
5. 5

   Step 5: Next, if you haven’t already done so, grate the beetroot into a bowl. Then add it to the grated potato with a pinch of salt and some freshly ground black pepper. Mix and mash the potato and beet together using a fork.

   Uses All cooked riced or grated potatoes · All cooked, grated beetroot · 1 pinch filling salt · 1 pinch black pepper

   
6. 6

   Step 6: Cut off one quarter of the rested dough and rewrap the remainder. Flatten slightly, pass through the widest pasta-machine setting, fold in thirds and pass through the widest setting again, narrow side first. Repeat.

   Uses One quarter of rested dough for the first sheet

7. 7

   Step 7: Next, pass the dough sheet through the 3rd widest setting (mine is 5) and then through the 5th widest setting (mine is 3). The pasta sheets for beetroot ravioli need to be quite fine so that the colour of the filling shows through when the ravioli is cooked. However, the narrowest setting on hand operated pasta machines may produce dough that’s too fine and liable to break.

   Uses Thin pasta sheet from step 6

8. 8

   Step 8: Lay a dough sheet onto a flour dusted surface. Use a glass or cookie cutter to cut out 8cm discs. Place a small teaspoon of filling on the centre of the pasta discs, wet the edges with a little water using your index finger and then fold the pasta over the filling to create half-moons (mezze lune).

   Uses Sheet from step 7 · Prepared filling from step 5; only small teaspoon per disc · A little water to seal edges; amount not specified · Extra flour for dusting the work surface

9. 9

   Step 9: Crimp each half-moon firmly with a fork and place on a tray dusted with flour or semolina. Repeat steps 6–9 with the remaining dough, one quarter at a time. Knead together the dough cuttings and roll them again to make more ravioli.

   Uses Filled ravioli to crimp · Remaining three quarters of dough; roll and fill in batches · Remaining filling for subsequent sheets · Flour for dusting the tray, or semolina instead · Optional semolina instead of flour for dusting the tray

10. 10

    Step 10: Bring a pot of water to a boil and then add salt and bring to a boil again. In the meantime, melt the butter (3.5 oz) in a frying pan that’s large enough to hold the ravioli. Add the poppy seeds to the butter so they cook a little but don’t let the butter brown.

    Uses Water for boiling ravioli, as needed · Salt for ravioli cooking water, as needed · 3.5 oz butter · Poppy seeds; source does not specify an amount

11. 11

    Step 11: Cook the ravioli in the boiling water. After they rise to the surface, leave them for a minute and then remove with a slotted spoon and add them to the melted butter and poppy seeds. You will probably need to cook the ravioli in batches to avoid crowding the pan.

    After ravioli float · 1 minUses Ravioli from step 9; cook in batches · Prepared butter sauce from step 10 · Salted boiling water for cooking ravioli

12. 12

    Step 12: Toss the cooked ravioli gently in the butter and serve immediatelywith grated grana or parmigiano if required.

    Uses Ravioli tossed in butter and poppy seeds · 2.5 oz grated cheese for serving if desired