Spinach Ravioli in Carrot and Red Sauce

I love purées and my spinach ravioli needs another level of flavour.  Spinach Ravioli in Carrot and Red Sauce is where old favourites meet new flavours.  I have some marinara sauce that I made earlier in the week, and I have a bunch of carrots that need cooking.  I plan to make a purée out of the carrots and swirl in the red sauce.  These days I am experimenting with plating.   You know you are a food blogger when you ask your husband not to eat until pictures are done.

Pasta dough becomes easier as I use my easy pasta machine attachments on the Kitchen Aid.  I also experiment with eggs and flour.  Today I mixed the pasta by hand and I left the egg whites out of the dough.  Leaving out the whites makes the dough softer and not as easy to work with, but also makes the dough richer.   This is a very good article that takes you through all the variations : https://www.seriouseats.com/2015/01/best-easy-all-purpose-fresh-pasta-dough-recipe-instructions.html

The filling is easy and mom’s recipe.  She always uses ricotta, parmesan, eggs and spinach.  My Sicilian side says to add a little nutmeg, and I do.  I also leave out the egg whites in this filling because I don’t want the inside of the ravioli to puff up when boiling.

I use fresh baby spinach.

A little bit of nutmeg goes a long way.

The ricotta mixture ready for the dough.

The ravioli go into the freezer on a pan first.

Once frozen, I place them in a freezer bag; this allows for the ravioli to freeze individually and not stick.

 The carrot sauce pureed with the cream, salt and pepper.

When the ravioli come to the top, they are done.

Nice big chunk of Asiago cheese for garnish.

I swirl the carrot sauce in the middle and surround it with red sauce.  You can also combine the two together and you will get a blush sauce.

Plated and delicious!!

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Spinach Ravioli in Carrot and Red Sauce

 A little colour on your plate with this recipe. 

Course Main Course

Cuisine Home Cooking in Canada, Italian

Keyword Spinach Ravioli in Carrot and Red Sauce

Prep Time 1 hour

Cook Time 3 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 3 minutes

Servings 6

Author Renata Solski

Ingredients

The Pasta Dough

• 1 1/2 cups flour plus 2 tbsp
• 2 eggs
• pinch of salt

The Filling

• 2 1/2 oz spinach cooked and strained
• 250 grams ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• salt and pepper

The Sauces

• 1 cup prepared marinara sauce
• 3 carrots peeled and sliced
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1/4 cup carnation milk or cream
• salt and pepper

Garnishes

• 2 tbsp good olive oil toss ravioli
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley toss ravioli
• shaved parmesan or asiago garnish
• freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

The Pasta Dough

1. Bring the flour and eggs together with a pinch of salt.  You can use a food processor if you like.  If the dough is a bit dry, add 1-2 tbsp cold water.

   Bring dough together and wrap in plastic.

   Place in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

The Filling

1. Take fresh spinach.  I put it in the microwave with 1 tbsp of water for one minute.

   Drain and squeeze any excess fluid and chop finely.

   Mix the ricotta, egg yolk, parmesan, salt and pepper.  Add the spinach.

   Place in refrigerator.  

The sauce

1. Heat the olive oil and add the onion. 

   Dice the carrots and cover with the broth.  Cook until softened, about 15 minutes

   Then  purée with a food processor

   Add the milk and season with salt and pepper.

   Keep the sauce warm.

   See recipe notes for the marinara sauce. 

The Assembly

1. Divide dough in two. 

   Roll out the pasta dough with a rolling pin or pasta machine.

   Place a teaspoon of the ricotta mixture on one side of the pasta sheet.  

   Leave about an inch in between each little pocket of ricotta.

   Flip over the pasta sheet to cover the pockets of ricotta.

   Use your fingertips to press around the filling.

   Cut with a fluted cutter. 

   Spread the ravioli on a cookie sheet dusted with semolina.

   Place in freezer until frozen and then bag the ravioli.

   Or

   Cook fresh, but always place the ravioli in Refrigerator first.

The cooking and plating.

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil.

   Add the ravioli and salt the water.

   When the ravioli come to the top, they are cooked.

   Gently toss the ravioli with a little olive oil and parsley.

   Place them in a bowl lined with the carrot and marinara sauces.

   Be as creative as you want.

   Place parmesan cheese shavings over top and more freshly ground pepper. 

Recipe Notes

For my marinara recipe go to: https://recipesatmytable.com/marinara-sauce-passata-making/