Fresh egg yolk raviolo with browned butter & sage – Using ‘Hodmedod’ pea flour

I could without fail eat a large, fresh egg yolk raviolo every day of the week, to be fair as long as I could enjoy a bowl of pasta dried or fresh daily then I’m happy. When making a large raviolo there are a few tips to make sure you follow, that way you will limit errors. Firstly the pasta dough should be beautifully thin. You should be able to read through the pasta sheet meaning it should be lovely and thin, also once cooked gently the egg yolk should have a dippy egg consistency.

I know you are thinking this sounds like heaven, and yes, you’re right! Instead of using just a plain 00 flour, for this recipe I am using a green pea and yellow pea flour from ‘Hodmedod‘s’ along with a little 00 flour to add a punch of gluten in order to form structure for the dough. I think this recipe most certainly benefits from the use of a combination of flours, however if you would like to try the recipe and have a gluten free raviolo, simply omit the 00 flour and replace with pea flour as required. This dish makes a perfect starter.

Serve:4

Preparation time: 1 hour (Including resting)

Cooking time: 5 minutes

250g Green pea flour

250g Yellow pea flour

100g 00 flour (also extra for rolling and dusting)

6 large eggs

4 egg yolks

200g spinach, wilted, drained

500g ricotta

80g Parmesan, grated

Fresh nutmeg, grated

Small bunch fresh basil, roughly torn

Salt and pepper to season

150g unsalted butter

10 sage leaves

  1. Into a bowl add the green pea flour along with 50g 00 flour and stir. Form a well in the center and crack in 3 large eggs. Mix with your finger tips and form the flour into a dough.
  2. Place the ball of dough onto a wooden surface and knead for approx. 3 minutes until the dough is smooth and springs back when pushed with your finger tip. Cover and allow to rest at room temperature for a minimum of 30 minutes.
  3. Repeat the above process with the yellow pea flour and the remaining 00 flour, form, knead and rest.
  4. Chop the spinach into small piece and place into a bowl along with the ricotta, Parmesan, nutmeg and basil. Stir and season well with salt and pepper. Spoon the mixture into a disposable piping bag and place in the fridge until required.
  5. Set up your pasta machine to a suitable stable work surface.
  6. Take the green pea pasta dough and push it down into a flat disk, use your knuckles to help. Feed the disk through the pasta machine on the widest setting.
  7. Due to  the lack of gluten in this pasta I recommend that you handle the dough as little as possible.
  8. Now roll the dough through each setting twice (stopping two settings before the end) You should finish with a large pasta sheet. Cut the sheet in half and place it onto your kitchen surface.
  9. Repeat the above method with the yellow pea flour dough. Once you have a large sheet, cut the sheet in half.
  10. Run the yellow pea dough through a tagliatelle cutter attachment on your pasta machine or cut by hand in 7mm strips.
  11. Using a little water, dampen the back of a tagliatelle strand and place it on the green pasta sheet lengthways. Repeat until you have a beautiful stripped pasta sheet.
  12. Push down firmly with your finger tips to ensure the yellow pasta has attached itself to the green pea pasta sheet. Dust lightly with flour.
  13. Lifting the pasta sheet gently, pass it through the pasta machine. Once on setting 3, then setting 4 and setting 5, but not the last setting as it will make the pasta too thin and possibly tear. Please beware though as each pasta machine may differ.
  14. Cut the made pasta into 8 disks using a 9cm circular cutter.
  15. Turn the disks of pasta over so the stripe detail is facing down on the work surface. Take the piping bag and place a circle of filling around once disk, leaving a 1 cm gap around the outside. Place an egg yolk into the centre of the filling and top the yolk with a pinch of salt.
  16. Place a circle of pasta dough on top and seal, use a little water to help attach the sheet. . Repeat as required.
  17. Place the raviolo onto a tray that has been lightly dusted with polenta or semolina.
  18. Warm the butter in a small frying pan with a twist of pepper and the sage leaves.
  19. Place a large pan of water onto boiling. Once boiling salt well. Cook the ravioli for approx. 4 minutes until when you pinch the pasta it feels tender. If I cook one of these raviolo at a time I normally boil them for 2 minutes 50 seconds. This will cook the pasta through while leaving you with a dippy egg centre.
  20. Drain the ravioli and pat dry on a little kitchen towel. Plate up, one on each plate and drizzle over a little of the melted butter and sage. Top with grated Parmesan and serve.

Carmela’s tip: Any unused dough can be re-wrapped and popped in the freezer for up to 3 months.