Beet and Ricotta Ravioli with Poppyseed Butter and Ricotta Salata Recipe

Servings: 6
Prep time: 45 minutes
Total time: 2 hours

Ingredients

for the basic pasta recipe:
3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
4 large eggs

for the filling:
1 basic pasta recipe (see above)
1 pound|454 grams Chioggia beets
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 pound|454 grams russet potatoes, scrubbed clean
1 cup fresh ricotta
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
4 scallions, sliced on a bias, for garnish
1 bunch Italian flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped, for garnish
ricotta salata, for serving

Directions

1. First, make the pasta: Mound 3 cups of the flour in the center of a large wooden cutting board. Make a well in the middle of the flour and add the eggs. Using a fork, beat together the eggs and begin to incorporate the flour, starting with the inner rim of the well.
2. As you expand the well, keep pushing the flour up from the base of the mound to retain the well shape. The dough will come together when half of the flour is incorporated.
3. Start kneading the dough with both hands, using the palms of your hands. Once you have a cohesive mass, remove the dough from the board and scrape up and discard any leftover bits. Lightly re-flour the board and continue kneading for six more minutes. The dough should be elastic and a little sticky. Wrap the dough in plastic and allow to rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
4. Heat oven to 400° F. Place beets in a 9-inch-by-13-inch ovenproof dish; toss with oil, salt, and pepper. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake until tender, 45 minutes to an hour. Cool slightly, then peel and mash.
5. Boil potatoes in a 4-quart saucepan of water. Reduce heat to medium-high; simmer until potatoes are tender, 25–30 minutes, and drain. When cool enough to handle, peel and pass the potatoes through a potato ricer into a bowl. Add in the roasted beets and ricotta and mix well to combine. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Cover the mixture and refrigerate.
6. Using a pasta machine, roll out the pasta to the thinnest setting and then cut the sheets into 3-inch square. Place a scant tablespoon of the beet and ricotta filling on one half of each rectangle, then fold them over like a book to enclose the filling. Using warm water as an adhesive, brush one side and press the edges of each ravioli with your fingers to seal.
7. Bring 6 quarts of water to boil and add 2 tablespoons of salt.
8. Meanwhile, in a 14-inch skillet, heat the butter over high until it foams and subsides creating brown bits. Add the ravioli to the boiling water and cook, stirring gently, until they begin to float and are cooked, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the ravioli and a spoonful of the pasta cooking water into the skillet and toss gently to combine. Season with salt and pepper and divide the pasta evenly among four plates. Finish with poppy seeds, parsley, and scallions. Grate ricotta salata over the top to serve.

Editor's Note: This recipe is courtesy of Mario Batali.

From MUNCHIES Presents: Master of Lunch with Mario Batali

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