Spinach, Pumpkin & Ricotta home-made Ravioli with home-made sun-dried Pesto

Spinach, Pumpkin & Ricotta home-made Ravioli with home-made sun-dried Pesto

Pesto Ingredients:
¼ cup Pine Nuts
1 cup fresh Basil leaves
¼ cup good quality fresh parmesan cheese
3-4 Cloves Garlic
1 small red chilli (optional)
¼ cup sundried tomatoes
½ cup fresh cream for the sauce (only to be used at the end)

Method:
Blend all of the above together in a blender whilst adding approximately 3-4 tbsp olive oil. I usually like to use the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes.

Ingredients for Pasta:
for every 100g flour, use one egg. Assume 100g is per person
100g good quality strong white/plain flour
1 egg
Pinch salt
Small drizzle olive oil

Method:
Place all of the above into a mixer and mix OR you can simply place into a bowl and mix with a fork. I know this is not the “proper” way it should be done but it does work. Once it sticks together, remove from the bowl, place in a floured surface and start to need it for around 10 minutes. Place back into the bowl and cover, leave at room temperature for 30 mins.. Once its ready, roll out on to a floured surface and either use a pasta maker to make the flat sheets for the ravioli OR use a rolling pin and roll out as flat as you can, using a quarter of the mixture at a time.

Ingredients for Ravioli filling:
100g Pumpkin (butternut is good)
1 small red onion, chopped
¾ cup fresh Ricotta
1 egg yolk (reserving the egg white to seal the pasta)
2 tbsp fresh tarragon
2 cups fresh baby spinach
Seasoning
Pinch nutmeg
1 tbsp approximately pine nuts
¼ cup fresh parmesan cheese

Method:
Cut and cube the pumpkin, place into an oven dish with the cut up red onions and olive oil and bake in the oven for around 25 minutes until brown. Add the pine nuts for the last 10 mins of cooking to brown and the spinach just as you take it out of the oven, mix in to soften up. Remove from the oven and leave to cool. Meanwhile mix together the ricotta, egg Yolk, fresh tarragon, nutmeg, parmesan cheese and season to taste. Once the pumpkin mixture is cool enough, add to the ricotta mixture.

Once you have your desired pasta shapes, whether this be in rounds or squares, fill with a tsp of the vegetable mixture, seal together well and boil for 5 minutes. Repeat the process with all pasta ensuring not to be tempted to cook to many at the one time. Drain and place to the side. Once all of the ravioli is cooked, add the home made pesto to the base of a pan on a very low heat and stir until warmed through, add some of the fresh cream to make enough of s sauce to coat the ravioli. Serve with freshly cracked pepper.