Italian Pasta Recipes - Spinach and Egg Ravioli (Ravioli di Spinaci e Uova) Recipe

Ingredients                 

• 450 g/1lb/4 cups plain (all-purpose) flour

• 1.5 ml/1/4 tsp salt

• 3 eggs, beaten

• 30 ml/2 tbsp milk or single (light) cream

• 225 g/8 oz spinach, cooked and chopped

• 2 eggs, beaten

• 15 ml/1 tbsp chopped fresh basil

• 50 g/2 oz/1/4 cup Mozzarella cheese, grated

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• Tomato Sauce, to serve

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Method:

1. Sift the flour and salt in a bowl and blend in the eggs and cream. Knead very thoroughly until smooth.

2. Cover the bowl with a cloth and leave for 30 minutes. Roll out the dough thinly and cut in half.

3. Hang up to dry or place on a clean cloth over the back of a chairs. Leave for 10 minutes.

4. Puree the spinach and place in a saucepan. Heat for 1 minute, stirring and beat in the eggs, basil and grated Mozzarella.

5. Remove from the heat and beat again. Season with the salt and pepper.

6. Put teaspoonfuls of the filling at regular intervals in rows on one half of the pasta and brush all round the filling with water.

7. Lay the other half on top. Press gently round each mound of filling and cut between the filling down the length then across the width to form little  cushions of filled pasta.

8. Drop into a pan of rapidly boiling salted water and cook for 8 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and serve at once with Tomato Sauce.