Chef Gaetano Trovato creates a delicious ravioli starter, using traditional flavours of ricotta, tomato and basil. If you don’t have a pasta machine, the dough can be made using a rolling pin. Trovato recommends using an aged Parmesan as it has a more intense flavour.
To make the pasta dough, mix the two flours in a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Add the egg yolks, egg white and a pinch of salt. Mix all of the ingredients together until you obtain a consistent dough
Knead vigorously for at least 15 minutes, then wrap the dough with some cling film. Leave to rest in the fridge for at least 2 hours
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To make the filling, whisk the ricotta in a medium bowl, add a little salt, grated nutmeg and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Add the boiled spinach and a generous handful of Parmesan. Transfer the filling to a piping bag
For the tomato sauce, brown the garlic in a dash of olive oil. Add the sliced tomatoes and cook for 20 minutes, stirring regularly. Add the basil leaves and salt, remove from the heat and leave to stand for 30 minutes
Reserve some of the tomato slices from the sauce, then blend the remainder with a hand blender and pass through a sieve. Stir the reserved slices back through the sauce to add some texture
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Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4
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Place the cherry tomatoes on a baking tray and roast for 15 minutes, or until slightly blistered and softened
To make the ravioli, roll out the pasta dough with a machine or with a rolling pin until you obtain a very thin sheet. Pipe blobs of the filling down half of the sheet, then fold the other half over the filling, smoothing out to remove any air with your fingers, and cut out the ravioli with a wheel cutter. Put some drops of water on the sides of each raviolo to stick the two sides of dough together
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In a large saucepan of salted boiling water, cook the ravioli for a few minutes then drain
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Warm the tomato sauce in a small saucepan. Place two spoonfuls onto each plate and spread out. Place the ravioli on top of the sauce and garnish with the basil leaves and roasted cherry tomatoes
Gaetano Trovato places regional ingredients of the highest possible quality at the centre of his cuisine, crafting modern dishes with respect for the great culinary traditions of Italy.
