Greens Filled Ravioli

The filling in these delicate little pasta pillows is so luscious, you might want to serve it on its own…but make the effort to create these little beauties. This is the perfect pasta course for an elegant dinner, as a light repast for a cocktail party…or when you’re making dinner, just because…

Makes 2-4 servings

Ingredient List:

• extra virgin olive oil
• 3-4 cloves fresh garlic, finely minced
• ½ yellow onion, diced
• generous pinch crushed red pepper flakes
• scant pinch nutmeg
• sea salt
• 1 cup pine nuts, ground into a course meal
• 1 small bunch kale, rinsed well, finely minced
• 4-5 sprigs fresh basil, leaves removed, finely minced
• 1 recipe ravioli dough (recipe follows)
• juice of ½ lemon
• 2-3 sprigs fresh parsley, finely minced

Ravioli Dough

• 1 cup sprouted whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour
• 2 cups semolina flour
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup (approx.) warm spring or filtered water

Step By Step Instructions:

Place a small amount of oil, garlic and onions in a deep skillet and turn heat to medium. When the onions begin to sizzle, add red pepper flakes, nutmeg and a pinch of salt and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Stir in ground pine nuts and kale, season lightly with salt and sauté until the kale wilts, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in basil and sauté for 30 seconds more. Transfer to a mixing bowl and set aside to cool.  

When the filling is completely cooled, roll out the dough into a thin rectangle, about 6 to 24 inches.  

Space spoons of filling along the dough about an inch apart, along one side of the rectangle. Brush the edges and in between the filling with water and fold the dough over the filling, creating a long thin cylinder. Press the dough together between the filling. Using a pasta cutter, cut the ravioli. Using your fingers or a fork, press the dough together around the four edges, sealing the ravioli.  

To cook, bring a pot of water to a boil and drop fresh ravioli into the water. Cook over medium high until the ravioli float to the top of the water. Drain well. Transfer the ravioli to a serving platter and drizzle generously with a fruity olive oil, a sprinkle of salt and fresh lemon juice. Serve with a sprinkle of fresh parsley.

Ravioli Dough
Sift flours onto a clean, dry work surface. Make a well in the center of flour and add salt, oil and 1/2 cup water. Mix gradually, kneading into a smooth soft dough, bringing in more flour from the edges and slowly adding the balance of the water as needed. Add more flour if necessary and more water if necessary. Continue kneading until the dough is a workable ball, about 10 minutes. Makes about 1 pound of dough.

Cook’s Tip: To knead the dough in a food processor, use the steel blade. Begin by blending salt, oil and ½ cup water in the bowl. With the machine running, slowly add flour mixture and remaining water. Process until dough is soft enough to handle. If dough seems too dry, add water by half teaspoons until you achieve a soft workable dough.