Hake & soft cheese ravioli with creamy tomato sauce

Ravioli are a type of filled pasta, traditional for Italian cuisine. Small, square pasta cases are stuffed with various fillings containing meat, cheese or vegetables. Ravioli can be served as a starter or a light meal and dished up with various, flavoured pasta sauces and grated cheese or just drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and scattered with fresh herbs and parmesan shavings.

They were first mentioned in 14^th century Italian manuscripts. Nowadays their popularity spread all over the world with shops offering lots of fresh ravioli to choose from with all kinds of fillings.

They are quite time consuming to make from scratch, but believe me it’s totally worth it.  Homemade pasta and fresh fish fillets makes this a dish that is both comforting and luxurious.

Ingredients:

FOR HOME-MADE PASTA:

200g ‘00’ type flour (soft flour)

2 or 3 large organic eggs

Salt to taste

FOR FILLING:

150g hake fish fillet

100g cream cheese

4Tbsp fresh cream

2 egg whites

½ tsp paprika

¼ tsp turmeric

½ tsp saffron

Salt & pepper to taste

FOR TOMATO SAUCE:

1 medium sized onion-peeled and sliced

3 cloves of garlic- finely chopped

200 ml canned tomatoes

Fresh cream

Oil for frying

1. Mix the dry spices together in the bowl and rub on the fish. Place prepared fillets on a tray, cover with cling film and marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
2. Meanwhile prepare the pasta dough. Place ingredients in a bowl and begin to mix around by hand until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
3. Tip the mixture out onto a clean work surface and shape into a ball. Knead for a few minute. Squash the dough with both hands, stretch it and twist until it feels smooth. Then wrap the dough in cling film and chill in the fridge for 30-50 minutes.
4. While pasta is resting in the fridge prepare filling for the ravioli and tomato sauce.

FOR FILLING: place marinated fish chunks, soft cheese, egg whites and fresh cream in the blender and blend into smooth paste.

TO MAKE TOMATO SAUCE: fry onion slices and garlic in heavy-based pan until soft and aromatic. Add canned tomatoes and simmer for a few minutes. Add cream and stir together for a smooth creamy consistency. Put aside and keep warm. 

4. To make the egg pasta layers, cut the pasta dough into quarters and, working with one piece at a time, roll out using a pasta machine, lightly dusting the dough with flour between rolls and finishing on setting number five. (If working without the pasta machine roll out the dough, using a rolling pin. Spread the dough until it is thinner than 1/8 inch. Dust the rolling pin with flour to keep the dough from sticking to it.)
5. Lay a sheet of pasta on a floured worked surface and cut into shapes using round pastry cutter or a pastry wheel.  Using a teaspoon, place spoonfuls of the fish filling in the middle of pasta squares. Brush the edges of the pasta squares with the beaten egg and then lay the second sheet of pasta on top. Press around the edges of the filling to seal, ensuring there are no air bubbles.
6.   Bring a large pan of well-salted water (one teaspoon salt per 600ml/1 pint water) to the boil. Drop the ravioli into the boiling water and cook for a total of four minutes. Drain well and tip into a large, warmed serving bowl.
7. Garnish with tomato sauce and grated cheese. Enjoy!

TIPS:

If you are not going to eat the ravioli immediately, drop them into the boiling water as you make each batch and cook for just one minute, then lift out with a slotted spoon and drop into a bowl of cold water. Drain and lay out on lightly oiled trays, cover with cling film and chill until needed. Then drop back into boiling salted water just before serving and cook for three minutes.