Moody, bright red ravioli can make any meal feel special. All the work will pay off when you taste the sage brown butter mixed with the goat cheese–filled beet ravioli. Look for “00” flour in the baking aisle — it’s typically lower in protein than all-purpose flour and produces a supple dough that’s easy to work with. In a pinch, unbleached all-purpose flour will also work.
Special Diets:
Ingredients
Method
In the bowl of a food processor, finely chop beets, scraping down sides halfway through. Add 1 teaspoon salt, 2 whole eggs and 1 egg yolk and process until beets are puréed and smooth. Add flour ½ cup at a time and process just until a dough begins to form.
Scrape dough onto a well-floured surface. Sprinkle with flour and knead 3 to 4 minutes, adding more flour as needed until a smooth firm dough has formed. Wrap in plastic wrap and let rest in the refrigerator 1–2 hours or overnight.
Meanwhile, mix together goat cheese, ricotta, 1 whole egg, parsley, garlic, lemon zest, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper until smooth. Cover and chill.
Set a pasta roller on the widest setting. Cut dough into 8 equal pieces. Dust 1 piece of dough with flour and roll through machine. Fold dough over and feed through the machine again. Repeat 2 more times until a smooth even sheet of dough has formed, dusting with flour as needed.
Turn the dial to the next narrower setting. Pass dough through, without folding, two more times. Repeat procedure through next 3 narrower settings until a long, thin sheet of dough has formed. Arrange on a flour-dusted sheet of parchment paper. Repeat procedure with remaining dough.
Beat remaining whole egg with 1 tablespoon of water until well blended. Brush egg wash lightly over a sheet of pasta. Drop the goat cheese filling on the dough by rounded teaspoonfuls in 2 rows about 1½ inches apart. Cover the filling with another sheet of pasta, pressing out the air from around each portion of filling. Press firmly around the filling to seal. Cut into individual ravioli. Seal the edges with the tines of a fork.
Melt butter in a stainless steel skillet or saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring often, until butter starts to brown and smells nutty, about 6–8 minutes. Add the sage, wait for the bubbling to subside and cook for another minute or two. Carefully remove sage with tongs and drain on paper towels, then remove butter from heat and keep warm.
Cook ravioli, in batches, in simmering salted water until tender about 2–3 minutes. Arrange on a large platter and drizzle with warm butter. Sprinkle with fried sage leaves, hazelnuts and Parmigiano Reggiano. Serve immediately.