Ravioli Ignudi (Naked Ravioli)
So called because they are not clothed in their usual fresh pasta, these little pillows of ricotta and Swiss chard / silverbeet make a wonderful starter, or a delicious light meal. While in Florence, they are generally made with Swiss Chard, spinach may be used as an alternative, they also, occasionally add a little roast meat or mortadella to the mix."]
Category:
Appetizer, Main, Pasta
Style:
Italian
Keyword:
Buttermilk, Ravioli, Ricotta, Silverbeet, Swiss Chard
Quantity: 4 Serves
Ingredients
- 300 g ricotta
- 400 g Swiss chard leaves only
- 1 1/3 cups freshly grated Parmesan
- 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 2 egg yolks lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup gluten free flour blend
To Finish
- 90 g unsalted butter
- 16 whole fresh sage leaves
- Salt
Instructions
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Bring a large saucepan filled with salted water to a boil.
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Add the Swiss chard and boil until tender, about 5 minutes.
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Drain thoroughly, wrap in a cloth and squeeze until the chard is very dry. Chop very finely.
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Gradually combine the Swiss chard with the ricotta. Add about two-thirds of the Parmesan, the nutmeg and egg yolks. Mix thoroughly.
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Scoop up a small quantity of the mixture with a spoon and, with well-floured hands, form it into a little oval pillow about 3cm long.
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Dredge the little pillow lightly with some of the flour and set aside.
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Continue forming little oval pillows with the remaining ricotta mixture.
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Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil.
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Meanwhile, melt the butter with the sage leaves in a frying pan and keep warm.
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When the water reaches a rapid boil, add the ravioli, a few at a time, and cook until they rise to the surface (as you would for gnocchi).
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Remove the ravioli with a slotted spoon, draining well, and place them into the warm melted butter and sage.
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Continue cooking the remaining ravioli in the same manner.
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Arrange the ravioli in a serving dish and drizzle with the melted butter and sage. Dust with the remaining Parmesan and grind over a little black pepper.
Notes
I like to bake some tomatoes and add them together with a few shards of crispy prosciutto to the plate when serving, just for colour, flavour and texture.
We also like to crisp some of the Ignudi up a little in the butter.
While I have used my Gluten Free Flour Blend, this recipe was originally made with normal wheat plain flour, so either can be used, depending on dietary requirements.
Adapted from a lovely old book, Tuscany - The Beautiful Cookbook (1996) L De Medici, p78.
I make my own soft ricotta style cheese.
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