Serves 2.
- Prep time: 1h 30min + resting time
- Cook time: 10min
- Total time: 1h 40min
- Difficulty: Intermediate
When cooking the ravioli, add some milk to the water and let it simmer for a few minutes. That way, they won’t lose as much of their lovely color.
For the beet pasta dough.
Ingredients:
- 300g flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 eggs
- 100ml beetroot juice, reduced to about 50ml
Directions:
Cook the red beet juice until it thickens and reduces to about half of its original volume. Allow to cool slightly before working with the dough.
Make a well in the center of the flour on a clean work surface. Fill the well with the eggs, oil, salt, and reduced beet juice. Mix the egg mixture into the flour with one hand’s fingers, bringing the ingredients together into a firm dough. Add a few drops of water if the dough is too dry; if it’s too wet, add a little more flour.
5-10 minutes, knead the pasta until smooth and evenly colored. Wrap in plastic wrap and set aside for 30 minutes. If the dough still feels soft, place it in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes. In the meantime, prepare the filling.
Remove the dough from the plastic wrap, knead it a few times, and roll it out thinly by hand or with a pasta machine.
It’s easier for me to cut the dough in half and roll each half separately. Cut out 8cm circles with a cookie cutter or a glass, and fill each with a small amount of filling. Brush the edges of the pasta circles with water, then fold and seal the edges, making sure to squeeze out all the air. Place the ravioli on a flour-dusted baking sheet.
In a large pot, bring plenty of water to a boil. Mix in a generous amount of salt and milk (about 100ml). I discovered that cooking ravioli in barely simmering water with some milk prevents the ravioli from losing color as much during cooking. They are cooked when they float to the surface. This should take about 4-5 minutes, depending on their size. Transfer them to the sauce with a slotted spoon.
For the filling.
Ingredients:
- 180g ricotta
- 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 teaspoons chopped parsley
- 1 teaspoon thyme leaves
- pinch of salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
In a mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients, season to taste, and mix until well combined.
For the sauce.
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 garlic clove, sliced
- 1 tablespoon chopped pistachios (or almonds)
- some pasta cooking water
- pinch of salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- some parsley leaves, to serve
Directions:
In a frying pan, heat the butter and olive oil. Fry the garlic slices for about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then stir in a tablespoon or two of pasta cooking water. Toss the cooked ravioli around the pan until they are completely covered in sauce. Remove from the heat and top with fresh parsley. Garnish with grated parmesan cheese and serve immediately.
Commentary.
I must make a confession.
I’m obsessed with colors. In fact, I’m nearly religious about it. For example, I’ll spend weeks agonizing over the best paint colors for our apartment walls. Then I’ll second-guess myself about whether I made the right decision. It truly is a curse. A curse that I despise while also secretly enjoying.
Colors play an important role in my life, and I’m no exception when it comes to food. My mood and appetite will be lifted by a colorful, vibrant, and fresh-looking plate. I’m particularly fond of brightly colored foods that can be used to color other foods. That’s fantastic! As a result, both the color freak and the kid in me rarely pass up an opportunity to experiment with natural food coloring, resulting in a pretty and healthy meal.
I’ve been wanting to make pink pasta for a long time. It appears to be almost unreal in its sophistication and elegance. I knew it was time to roll up my sleeves and make pretty pink ravioli when I realized I had some leftover beet juice from another recipe (you’ll find out about it soon enough). Oh, the delight!
The beet juice did an excellent job of coloring the pasta dough, but the ravioli lacked the earthy beet flavor I was hoping for. I’ll try one of the many recipes that call for roasted beet puree instead of juice the next time. I’m guessing the puree will give it a stronger flavor. Nonetheless, the ravioli were delicious. I particularly enjoyed the herbed ricotta filling. The addition of lemon zest to the filling added a lovely refreshing note and zing to the dish.
Finally, here’s a helpful hint I discovered while making the ravioli. It’s natural for ravioli to lose some of their color while cooking. However, I discovered that if cooked slowly in barely simmering water, they are less likely to lose their color. If you add some milk to the cooking water, this works even better.