Beet Ravioli with Herb Ricotta Filling

A recipe for Beet Ravioli with Herb Ricotta Filling!

I am sharing sweets most of the week for Valentine’s Day, so I figured I should probably throw in something savory. Adding natural beet coloring to pasta dough gives it a beautiful pink color that is perfect for Valentine’s Day. The beet flavor is not strong in the pasta at all. The ravioli are filled with ricotta cheese seasoned with lemon, Parmesan, garlic, parsley, and thyme. They are topped with a simple oil, garlic, and pistachio sauce.

I boiled beets to make the red food coloring and continued to cook them until 1/4 cup of the water remained. Monika, from Bake Noir, explained to have the water barely simmering and to add some milk when cooking the ravioli to help retain the color. As you can see from the photos, the ravioli did lose a little color but the end result was still a beautiful shade of pink.

I go into a bit of detail in my Sausage Spinach Ravioli post about the different tools I use to make ravioli. It is quicker for me to form the ravioli by hand as opposed to using the press, but they come out so much prettier with the press.

You can always double (or triple, etc) the recipe and freeze the extra after forming, but before cooking. Just boil straight from the freezer.

Beet Ravioli with Herb Ricotta Filling Recipe

Adapted from Bake Noir

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Beet Ravioli with Herb Ricotta Filling

A recipe for Beet Ravioli with Herb Ricotta Filling

Course Main

Cuisine N/A

Keyword beet, dumpling, herb, pasta, ravioli, ricotta

Prep Time 45 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Resting Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 25 minutes minutes

Servings 2 -4 Servings

Ingredients

Pasta:

• 300 grams (~2 cups plus 3 tablespoons) all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup natural beet food coloring

Filling:

• 180 grams (~3/4 cup) ricotta cheese
• 3 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• pinch salt and black pepper

Sauce:

• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 garlic clove thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon chopped pistachios
• 1-2 tablespoons water from cooked ravioli
• salt and pepper to taste

For Serving:

• Freshly chopped parsley
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

To make the dough:

• In the bowl of a large food processor fitted with a dough blade or a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Add the olive oil, eggs, and beet juice to the center and process or mix, if by hand gradually bring in flour, until dough comes together. Knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Wrap tightly in plastic and let sit for 30 minutes.

To make the filling:

• In a medium bowl, mix together ricotta, parmesan, garlic, lemon, parsley, thyme, salt, and pepper until well combined.

To assemble:

• Divide the pasta into 2 equal pieces and wrap one half in plastic.
• Lightly flour work surface and flatten pasta into a rectangle. Lightly flour and roll through the widest setting in the pasta machine. Roll it through 2-3 more times before gradually reducing the setting. Continue to roll to the second to thinnest setting. If not using a pasta machine, use a rolling pin to roll the dough as thinly as possible.
• To use the ravioli press, lightly grease the metal part of the press. Cut the sheets of pasta into sections to fit the length of the press. Place a section on the metal piece and push down with the mold to form cavities. Brush the sheet of pasta with some water and fill each cavity with the ricotta mixture. Top with another section of pasta and roll over with a rolling pin to seal and separate ravioli. Pop the pieces out and separate completely.
• To make without a press: lay rolled sheet of pasta on lightly floured work surface and brush with water. Place a tablespoon of filling in 2 rows, 2 inches apart over half the sheet. Fold the other half to cover the filling. Gently press around the filling to remove air pockets before sealing. Separate with a pastry wheel or pizza cutter and seal the edges completely with a fork.
• Place prepared ravioli in a single layer on parchment lined baking sheet and repeat with remaining pasta dough. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season with salt and about 1/2 cup milk. Reduce heat to medium so water is simmering and add ravioli in batches to not overcrowd. Remove with a slotted spoon once they float to the top, drain, and add to serving platter. Repeat with remaining ravioli. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the cooking water.

To make the sauce:

• In a medium pan, heat olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add garlic slices and fry until barely golden. Stir in the pistachios, cooking water, salt, and pepper. Once heated through, toss with the cooked ravioli. Garnish with parsley and Parmesan. Serve immediately.