• 1/2 Cup Ricotta 

• 1 Cup Shredded Istrian Cow Cheese or Parmigiano Reggiano

• 1 Cup Shredded Sheep Cheese (Pecorino)

• 1 tsp. Ground Nutmeg or a Quarter of a Grated Nutmeg 

• Fresh Juice from 1 Lemon

• 1 Tbsp Chopped Lemon Preserved in Salt (optional)

• Diced Fresh Mint

• Diced Fresh Thyme

• 1/2 Tbsp Salt

• 1 tsp. Crushed Tricolor Pepper (black pepper will also work)

Ingredients for:

Filling

Recipe for Ravioli

Serves 4 People

 

Filling:

 

1. In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta, shredded Istrian cow cheese, shredded sheep cheese, nutmeg, chopped preserved lemon, lemon juice, diced mint, diced thyme, salt and tricolor pepper.

2. Mix with hands, cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator.

 

Pasta:

 

1. Boil beats in two cups of water until beats are easily penetrable with a fork (20 min.). Once cooled, peel the skins off of the beats and puree them in a food processor or with hand blender.

2. Pour 300 gram of white flour and 1 Tbsp of salt on a flat working surface such as a table or countertop.

3. Next add an outer layer of 150 g of buckwheat flour and then 50 g of white flour around the periphery of the circle. 

4. Using a spoon or your hand, create a deep well in the center of the flour. 

5. Add the pureed beets to the bottom of the well.

6. Crack 4 eggs into the well, on top of the beets.

7. Using a toothpick puncture each egg yolk several times so that they break open slowly

8. Place your finger in the center of the eggs and start to mix the eggs slowly and carefully in tight small circles. Gradually increase the size of the circles slowly pulling in flour from the edges, making sure to break all bubbles of flour that form. (approx 15 minutes). 

9. As you incorporate the flour, the dough will gradually become kneadable. Once the dough reaches a consistency where it is moist, but does not stick to your hands you can begin to knead the dough by folding it on top of itself and pressing down on it with your palms. *Add flour if the dough becomes too sticky. Knead until the ingredients are homogenous throughout and the dough is moist and soft.

10. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator. Let it sit for 45 min.

11. Cut the dough into 4 even pieces.

12. Flatten a quarter of the dough out with your hands.

13. Add a sprinkle of white flour over the dough and using the thickest setting on the pasta roller, roll the dough through the maker. Change the setting to thinner on the pasta roller and roll the dough through. Keep reducing the setting until the pasta dough it as thin as a coin. If you do not have a pizza roller, use a rolling pin.

Made with Love Tip: If the dough begins to stick to the roller, add a sprinkle of flour to the dough.

 

Forming the Ravioli & Cooking

 

1. Using a heart cookie cutter, cut out an even amount of heart shapes into the dough.

2. Place a tspn. of the filling into the center of half of the hearts that you cut out.

3. Using a pastry brush, brush edges of the dough around the cheese with egg white.

4. Take the non-cheesed heart pieces and carefully place them on top of the heart pieces with cheese. Press lightly until the hearts are sealed around the cheese, making sure not to trap any air inside.

5. Using a fork, seal the hearts together by pressing down along the edges. 

6. Boil water in a pot with salt.

7. Ravioli cook quickly! Add the ravioli, a few at a time, to the boiling water. Once they float to the surface of the water, they are ready!

8. While the water is boiling, add two Tbsp of butter into a large frying pan and cook over medium heat.

9. Once the butter melts, add the ravioli, then add 2 ladels of boiled starchy water from the ravioli pot. Cook for few minutes and then sprinkle two handfuls of grated parmeggiano reggiano cheese over the ravioli, a few dashes of balsamic vinegar, and enjoy Irina's Istrian Ravioli, Made with Love.