Sweet Potato and Goat's Cheese Ravioli
I used to think homemade pasta was a weekend marathon, but these Sweet Potato and Goat's Cheese Ravioli prove you can whip up something truly special and vitamin-packed in a flash. Imagine sinking your teeth into that velvety, earthy filling wrapped in delicate, fresh dough. You deserve this comforting Italian treat.
Ingredients
sweet potatoes2 whole~medium
pumpkin seeds35 g
chilli oil0.5 tbsp
goat's cheese125 gcrumbled
semolina50 g
parmesan50 g
pasta flour300 g00 type, plus extra for kneading and dusting
eggs3 wholelarge
salt1 pinch
Instructions
Chef's Tips
For best results, ensure your pasta dough is well-kneaded and rested; this develops the gluten, making it easier to roll and less likely to tear.
If you don't have a pasta machine, a heavy rolling pin and a lot of elbow grease can achieve thin sheets, but it requires more effort.
To freeze ravioli, arrange them in a single layer on a semolina-dusted baking tray and freeze until solid. Once frozen, transfer them to an airtight container or freezer bag. Cook from frozen in gently simmering water, adding a few extra minutes to the cooking time.
Prepare the Sweet Potato Filling
Preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan/Gas Mark 6). Wash the sweet potatoes and prick them several times with a fork. Bake the sweet potatoes for 45-60 minutes, or until very tender. Once cooked, allow them to cool slightly, then peel and roughly mash them in a bowl. Add around 30 g of the pumpkin seeds (reserve some for garnish later) and crumbled goat's cheese to the mashed sweet potato and mix well until combined. Set aside.
Make the Pasta Dough
Place the pasta flour and a pinch of salt into a food processor. Crack the eggs into the food processor and pulse until the mixture forms sticky crumbs. Turn the mixture out onto a lightly floured surface and bring it together to form a firm dough. Knead the dough for 5 minutes until it feels smooth and elastic. Wrap the dough tightly in cling film and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. If making by hand, form the flour into a ring on a clean work surface, crack the eggs into the centre, and gradually work the flour into the eggs with your fingertips until a dough forms. Knead as above.
Roll the Pasta Sheets
Divide the chilled pasta dough into four equal quarters. Take one quarter and flatten it slightly. Pass it through a pasta machine, starting on the widest setting. Dust the dough lightly with flour as needed to prevent sticking. Continue to roll the dough through the machine, decreasing the setting by one notch every second roll, until you reach the penultimate (second to thinnest) setting. If you prefer very thin pasta, you can go to the thinnest setting. If you don't have a pasta machine, use a heavy rolling pin to roll the dough as thinly as possible.
Cut the Pasta Rounds
Working quickly to prevent the pasta from drying out, use a ravioli cutter or a 6cm biscuit cutter to stamp out rounds from the rolled pasta sheets. Lay the cut pasta circles on a surface lightly dusted with semolina. Cover the cut rounds with cling film as you continue to cut the remaining pasta dough.
Fill and Seal the Ravioli
Place a small teaspoon of the sweet potato and goat's cheese filling in the centre of each pasta round. Lightly dampen the edges of the pasta round with water using your fingertip. Take another pasta round and carefully place it on top, creating a sandwich. Use your fingertips to firmly seal the edges of the ravioli, pressing out any air as you go to prevent them from splitting during cooking. Lay the finished ravioli on a semolina-dusted tea towel to dry for a few minutes before cooking.
Cook and Serve
Bring a large pan of gently boiling salted water to a simmer. Do not allow the water to come to a full rolling boil, as this can cause the delicate ravioli to split. Carefully add the ravioli to the simmering water and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until they float to the surface and are tender. Drain the cooked ravioli gently. Serve immediately with a drizzle of chilli oil, a generous sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese, and extra pumpkin seeds.
