Mains

Ravioli alla Caprese

One of Capri's signature dishes, these ravioli are made with three kinds of cheese for a rich and complex taste.
Ravioli alla CapreseWilliam Meppem
6
1H
10M
1H 10M

Plump with cheese and spiked with marjoram, these ravioli are one of the signature dishes of Capri. Here we’ve served them with a lemony butter sauce; they can also be tossed in a simple tomato sauce or fried in a little oil and butter as a delicious entrée.

Ingredients

Pasta dough
Lemon-butter sauce

Method

1.For pasta dough, place flour in a large bowl, add 1 tsp fine sea salt, stir to combine and form a well in the centre. Combine oil with 270ml hot water in a small bowl, then add to flour in a thin steady stream, stirring with a fork to form a dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth (6-8 minutes). Wrap in plastic wrap and set aside to rest (1 hour).
2.Combine pecorino, ricotta, parmesan, half the marjoram and egg and yolk to a bowl, season to taste (test first – the cheese is quite salty) and mix well. Refrigerate until required.
3.Divide dough into 4 then, working with a piece at a time, feed it through a pasta machine starting on the thickest setting. Reduce settings notch by notch, rolling and folding at least twice on each setting (you may need to repeat this process for really smooth pasta), to setting four. Set aside on a lightly floured tray or surface. Cut out thirty 6cm rounds and thirty 8cm rounds with lightly floured pastry cutters. Working with five rounds at a time (keep the rest under a tea towel to prevent from drying out), top smaller rounds with walnut-sized balls of cheese filling. Brush edges with eggwash and place larger rounds over filling and seal, pressing out any air. Trim with a 5.5cm floured pastry cutter and place in a single layer on a lightly floured tray, cover with a tea towel and repeat with remaining filling and rounds.
4.Cook ravioli in batches in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until al dente (1-2 minutes). Drain, reserving 60ml of cooking water, transfer to a large bowl or tray and drizzle with olive oil.
5.To make the sauce, heat extra-virgin olive oil and butter in a frying pan over low heat. Add garlic, parsley, oregano, lemon rind and remaining marjoram, and cook until warmed through (1-2 minutes). Add lemon juice and reserved cooking water, pour sauce over ravioli and toss to coat. Serve hot scattered with extra parmesan.

Note We used pecorino, but the traditional choice of cheese is caciotta di Sorrento.

Drink Suggestion: Rich falanghina. Drink suggestion by Max Allen.

Notes

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