Joe Wicks Ravioli Alla Napoletana Recipes

JOE WICKS' RAVIOLI ALLA NAPOLETANA

Steps:

• Pile the flour into a large bowl or a clean work surface and make a well in the middle. Separate the eggs and add the yolks to the well (pop the egg whites in the freezer for making meringues another day). Use a fork to whip up the egg yolks, then gradually bring the flour in from the outside. When it becomes too hard to mix, get your clean floured hands in there and bring it together into a ball of dough. Knead on a flour-dusted surface for around 4 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. Wrap in a damp cloth and leave to relax for 30 minutes.
• To make the filling, tear one piece of prosciutto into rough pieces and finely chop the other. Place in a bowl, finely grate in the lemon zest and add a good grating of nutmeg (about ¼), then grate in the Parmesan and crumble in the ricotta. Use a fork to mash everything together and season with black pepper.
• On a clean flour-dusted surface, roll out the pasta dough so it's 1mm thick. Spoon heaped teaspoons of filling every 7cm or so along your sheet of pasta in the very middle. Brush the exposed pasta lightly with water and fold the sheet of pasta in half over the filling.
• Working from one side, gently seal around the filling, pushing out the air. Cut into squares with a knife or roller cutter, or stamp them out with a pastry cutter, placing them on a semolina-dusted tray as you go.
• To make the quick tomato sauce, peel and finely slice the garlic. Place a large pan on a medium heat with 1 tablespoon of oil. Cook the garlic and chilli flakes for 2 minutes, or until lightly golden, then scrunch in the tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper and tear in the basil leaves, reserving a few baby ones for garnish.
• Cook the ravioli in a large pan of boiling salted water for 3 minutes, or until tender, then drain - you may need to work in batches.
• To make the lemon sauce, melt the butter in a small frying pan over a medium heat and add the lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Toss in the cooked ravioli, then grate in the Parmesan, 1 tablespoon of oil and a little starchy cooking water.
• To serve, spoon the tomato sauce onto serving plates, and top with the lemon sauce-coated ravioli. Grate over a little Parmesan and sprinkle with the reserved baby basil leaves, to finish.

RAVIOLI NAPOLETANA

Steps:

• Set the pasta dough aside covered with a damp towel for about 30 minutes. In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, egg, parsley, Parmesan, ham, mozzarella, salt and pepper, and stir to thoroughly combine. Roll out the pasta dough into a 1/8-inch thick sheet and place mounds of about 2 tablespoons of the filling equally spaced along half of the dough. Fold the dough over to cover the mounds, and cut around each mound of filling using a 3-inch cookie cutter, press the edges firmly to seal and pressing to release as much of the trapped air as possible. Crimp the edges, if desired. Place the ravioli on a baking sheet or large plate, covered with plastic wrap or a lightly damp towel, and refrigerate until ready to serve, up to overnight.
• Fill a large pot with water and add salt to taste. Bring to a boil. Add the ravioli and cook until they float to the surface, about 3 minutes. Drain briefly on paper towels, then transfer to shallow bowls and serve, with a heaping 1/4 cup of the warmed tomato sauce spooned over the top and garnished with chopped basil and Parmesan.
• Place all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until a ball is formed. Continue to pulse for 1 minute and remove from the processor. Continue to knead by hand for 5 minutes before forming into a tight ball and covering with a damp towel.