Good resolutions for the winter months: fresh pasta and the recipe for ricotta&borage ravioli
Winter is coming and Il Rigo’s seasonal closure has begun even too soon.
It’s not that bad, as Matthias and I are used to switching off the motors and waiting patiently for the spring and the new season to start!
These days I give a lot of thoughts to Slowness, a state of mind that definitely doesn’t distinguish our time, where who hesitates is lost, where everything changes so quickly you cannot really count on anything!
Here at Il Rigo, of necessity, slowness rules. Since 4 centuries!
No matter what, the natural rhythm of agriculture forces us to a stop, at a certain point, and every year, once the touristic season fades, we close. And these three months are so important to help us to recover from the intense months of work, to absorb and react to changes, to plan new ideas and to recharge, ready to begin again in March!
When in March we were locked in our homes, we felt lost, but not completely as we were already prepared for that. And that saved us!
You would say that not everybody can afford to stop working for three months a year, could they? Just think about the fact that we also had to set our resources considering that for such a long time we have no income!
Since I chose this life in the countryside I really learned how little I need to feel well, at last: a warm sunny day amongst the flowers of my garden, a peaceful active day outdoors (without traffic jam), and then some free time to prepare a nice meal, while the cats are watching me working…
We are all forced in our homes now, and we can use this time to think about our priorities. One of mine is definitely to live fully and consciously the time I spend with my dear ones (maybe using a bit less my phone…)
Starting with lunchtime!
So, in order to celebrate the beginning of this long winter, I decided to work on a series of recipes to share with you and the first one is fresh pasta! I will also show you how to make our favorite ricotta&borage ravioli dressed in butter and sage! This recipe requires a bit of equipment and time, but we don’t miss that at the moment, do we?
In the very end I added a little surprise, recycling leftovers...
Fresh pasta - basic recipe
Serves 4 persons
Tender wheat flour* 200gr
2 fresh eggs
*We use our stone-milled tender wheat whole-grain flour, with the cereals we grew in the farm. We use it for everything we prepare: pasta, cakes, bread and even pizza (even though is not a strong flour as it is low in gluten). I cannot anymore eat white flour, as I’m so used to the wonderful taste and rustic consistency of this one! Give it a go, it’s really nice!
Preparation
It’s a very easy recipe. Pour the flour in a bowl and with your hands make a hole in the middle (you can do it directly on the pastry board - “spianatoia” - that’s the traditional way, but in the bowl you can avoid a messy accident and save your kitchen floor!). Add the eggs and stir with a fork, until the mixture becomes sticky. Start to knead with your hands and once the flour is completely incorporated move on the spianatoia. Knead for some minutes until you have an elastic and smooth dough.
Working on a lower table is a good idea, as it is less hard!
The expert says:
According with the use you want to make of your dough, you might need to add a spoon of four or a drizzle of water: for tagliatelle, tagliolini and maltagliati (unshaped pasta), you need a dry and firm dough, while for filled pasta you need a moist and soft dough that doesn't dry out while you make your ravioli (that can take time)!
Another secret tip is to add a little bit of durum wheat flour (semolina) if you prepare a big batch and need to cook the pasta all together. The semolina makes the final result a bit harder, that means that the pasta doesn’t break while cooking!
Once your dough is sufficiently smooth, leave it under a bowl or wrapped in foil for about 30 min, to relax.
Then cut it in 4 pieces (like that you already have your portions) and flatten it with the pasta machine until the last number, the thinnes (don’t skip the steps, but make them all so the sheet of dough will keep the thickness). Cut it then in your favorite shape! In the picture you can see hand cut tagliatelle, taglioni and “maltagliati”.
Ricotta&Borage ravioli with butter and sage
Ingredients (serve 4 persons)
For the dough:
Same as above
For the filling:
Fresh sheep ricotta: 250 gr.
Fresh borage leaves: 300 gr. (you can replace it with spinach or young chard)
1 fresh egg
Grated parmigiano a handful
Nutmeg
Majoran
Salt and pepper
Preparation:
Blanch the borage in salted water and drain it after a minute (other greens might take longer but borage is so delicate and is ready very quickly). Cool it down in cold water, then squeeze out the liquid with your hands. Place the greens in a food processor and add the ricotta - well drained - grated parmigiano, the egg. Mix it finely and season the filling with a grating of nutmeg, some leaves of fresh majoran (fresh is just so much better, it makes the difference) salt and black pepper.
Roll out your dough in 10 cm large stripes. Using two teaspoons, add a little quantity (let’s say the equivalent of a big hazelnut) of filling in the middle of the higher half of your sheet of dough, spacing it 2 cm one from the other. Fold the sheet starting from the side of the crease, pushing out the bubbles of air. Cut your ravioli in even squares with a toothed wheel and place them on a tray wrapped in parchment paper and sprinkled with semolina flour; that prevents the ravioli from sticking to the bottom.
Prepare a pot with water and when it boils add a spoon of salt (the water should be salted as a soup would be). Through the ravioli and let them cook for some minutes until the color of the pasta is brighter and the consistency is softer but still firm. Drain them and add your sauce or place them in cold water, move them to a greased tray and store them in your fridge for 2-3 days (it’s a great way to prepare them in advance). Don’t leave them raw for too long: the filling is very moist and it “melts” the dough sticking to the bottom!
We serve it with melted butter where we add 5-6 fresh sage leaves, a sprinkle of grated parmigiano. It’s a simple dressing to enhance the delicate favor of the wild borage!
...let’s recycle the left over filling: Borage Gnudi
I always prepare too much filling, so a great wait to recycle this delicious preparation is to make “Gnudi” (literally “naked”, as they miss the “dress” of pasta), that can work as the main course for the day after! That’s also a form of sustainability, to reuse leftovers and spending less time in the kitchen cooking!
In this case I really only added an egg and a spoon of flour to the left overs. Here below you find the full recipe!
Ingredients (serve 4 persons)
Fresh borage, or spinach or chard gr. 500
Fresh sheep ricotta gr. 300
2 eggs
3 spoons of flour
Grated parmigiano a handful
Some leaves of marjoram or thyme
Nutmeg, salt and pepper
Just like you did for the filling of the ravioli, blanch your greens in salted water. Drain it and cool it down in cold water. Squeeze out the liquid with your hands and chop it finely with a knife or with a food processor. Add the ricotta, the eggs, the parmigiano and season with some fresh leaves of marjoan, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
With two tablespoons form some balls shaped like walnuts (it’s not so easy as the mixture is quite soft and moist), cover them in four and pour them directly in a pot of boiling salted water: they are after a couple of minutes the float on the surface.
Drain them and place them in cold water to cool down. Move the Gnudi in a greased tray and store them in the fridge for 2-3 days, or serve them warm dressed in butter&sage or meat sauce! They are really delicious au gratin, with bechamel and generous grated parmigiano on top!
We hope these recipes with light up your mood, and will bring some memories of your stay in Tuscany to your homes!
A big hug from the hills and BUON APPETITO
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