Salvo's 'F Word' Signature Dish Spinach and Ricotta Fazzoletti with Tomato Butter Sauce
Recipe by Salvo's
Ingredients
For the pasta:200g flour
100g Durum wheat semolina flour
3 eggs
1 egg, to seal
Durum wheat semolina flour for dusting pasta dough
For the filling:
1 clove garlic, finely sliced
40g fresh grated Parmesan
400g fresh spinach leaves
250g ricotta
1 egg yolk
A pinch of fresh grated nutmeg to taste
For the tomato butter sauce:
4 fresh plum tomatoes
1 clove garlic, finely sliced
Small bunch fresh basil
35g butter, diced and refrigerated
Lump of fresh Parmesan for shavings
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
Method
1. For the pasta dough combine 3 whole eggs with 200g flour and 100g semolina flour and knead until silky smooth texture is achieved.Pop in the fridge for an hour to relax.
2. For the filling, sauté the garlic slowly then turn the heat up and add the washed spinach. When it’s wilted, squeeze dry and chop roughly. Add spinach to a large bowl with the ricotta, grated Parmesan cheese, egg yolk and freshly grated nutmeg.
3. Roll out pasta to its thinnest point using a pasta machine. Cut pasta into 1½ inch squares and place a tablespoon of filling on each one. Egg wash the sides and fold over to make filled triangles.
4. With the folded side facing you (and the pointed bit facing away from you) grasp the 2 corners of the triangle and pinch them together, this should give you the Fazzoletti (or tortelloni as they are also known). Put them on a tray dusted liberally with semolina flour.
5. For the tomato butter sauce: blanch, peel, de-seed and dice the fresh tomatoes then simmer slowly in olive oil with the garlic. Once the tomatoes are cooked, season and add the freshly torn basil leaves; remove from the heat.
6. To cook them, drop gently into boiling water seasoned with salt; when they float to the surface after 2–4 minutes they are ready to lift out and be turned gently through the sauce.
7. Gently add the cooked pasta to the pan and swirl the diced butter around until it emulsifies with the tomato sauce and coats the pasta.
8. Season with black pepper then serve the raviolis with the sauce ; garnish with basil and Parmesan shavings or serve with grated parmesan if you prefer.
