Asparagus Ravioli with Fresh Herb Salad ♥

Ingredients

Ravioli Pasta

2 eggs worth of semolina pasta dough

1/3 cup egg wash (1 beaten egg + water)

Ravioli Filling

3 inch diameter bundle of asparagus

1/3 cup of spinach, chopped

3 cloves garlic

1 cup of ricotta cheese

1/4 cup of parmesan cheese, grated

1/4 cup of leek, chopped

salt, pepper

1-2 tbs olive oil

Sauce

3 cups of pureed tomatoes (optional)

6 leaves of fresh basil, chopped

3 cloves garlic

3 tbs of olive oil

salt, pepper to taste

Toppings

½ cup pine nuts

1 ½ cup spinach leaves

Filling

Heat olive oil in pan over medium heat. Sautee garlic and leek until garlic turns slightly brown.  Add spinach. Cook until spinach is limp.

In a pot of boiling water, blanch the asparagus for 1-2 minutes (until flexible but crisp). Remove from water and drain.

Toss the chopped asparagus and the sauteed mixture into a food processor and blend. Mix in parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and ricotta.

Sauce

Heat olive oil in saucepan at medium heat. Sautee the garlic in the oil until roasted brown, then crush. Add the tomato puree and simmer. Salt and pepper to taste. In the last 5 minutes of simmering, add basil.

Pasta

Roll out pasta to machine thickness 6. Cut into rectangular sheets (6"x4" is a good size). Place spoonfuls of filling onto a sheet (2 or 3), leaving room to cut ravioli shapes. You should leave about an inch pasta border around each glob of filling. Wipe egg wash in between the globs, then lay a second sheet on top, sealing the filling. Cut into ravioli with a knife or lasagna cutting tool. Experiment with the shapes -- they can be circles or squares. I prefer 2" x 4" rectangles.

Cook ravioli for 3 minutes in boiling water. They should float to the top when finished.

It's best to serve them immediately to your guests, as they cool quickly. Scoop them out of the water with a slotted spoon, toss them on a plate. Slather the sauce, add a sprinkle of cheese, pine nuts, and spinach, and serve!

Words of Warning

There are two things that can go wrong in preparation that should be avoided.

• dry & hard-to-assemble pasta: This happens if you wait too long between the rolling and assembly phases. If you don't assemble immediately after rolling the dough, store sheets between parchment and cover the stack with a moist towel.
• holes or tears due to stuck ravioli: Once a ravioli is assembled, generously dust it with wheat flour. and place them individually on a plate or wax paper.