It's hard to "beet" the bright fuchsia hue roasted beets give this vibrant homemade pasta.
If you're up for a fun weekend project, this roasted beet ravioli is it. It's easier than it looks and can make the perfect lazy (but still creative!) Saturday afternoon. Beets are roasted in the oven and then quickly pureed in the food processor. This is then added to flour with eggs and salt and kneaded to make the bright purplish-pink dough you see in the pics below. Then gradually roll the dough out using a pasta maker and fill with our favorite ricotta filling. Pan fry and voila! Dinner!
Roasted Beet Ravioli
Yield: 20 Ravioli (3-4 Servings)
Roasted Beet Pasta Dough
1/2 lb. Beets, peeled, tops and roots removed (about 1 large or 2 small)
2 teaspoons Olive Oil
2 Eggs
2 1/4 cups All-Purpose Flour, plus extra
1/2 cup beet Puree (made from beets above)
Ricotta Filling
1 cup Ricotta
1/2 cup Parmesan
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1-2 teaspoons Lemon Juice
Salt & Pepper to taste
Fresh Basil for serving
DIRECTIONS
1. Roast the beets: preheat oven to 400F. Rub 2 teaspoons olive oil over beets and wrap in foil. Place on a sheet pan and bake 50-60 minutes until fork tender. Remove from oven, unwrap and let cool. Use a food processor to puree cooked and cooled beet.
2. Make the beet pasta dough: place flour in a mound on a clean work surface. Make a well in the center. Add eggs, salt and beet puree in the center and whisk with a fork until combined. Gradually take flour from the edges and begin incorporating into the liquid mixture until a shaggy dough forms. You may not need all the flour from the edges.
3. Continue to knead the dough until smooth, about 10-15 minutes. If the dough becomes sticky, add flour 1 teaspoon at a time as needed. Cover with plastic and let rest 30 minutes.
4. Make the filling: mix together the ricotta, parmesan cheese, salt, garlic and lemon juice. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
5. Assemble the Ravioli: portion dough into 4 pieces. Using a pasta roller, roll each piece gradually to a size 5 thickness – start at 0 or 1 and gradually roll the piece thinner and thinner until you reach 5. If the piece becomes too long to easily roll, cut in half and roll each half separately.
6. Take two equal strips about 2 1/2 inches wide by 9 inches long. Place 5 small spoonfuls of filling on one of the strips, evenly spaced along the center of the strip. Use a pastry brush and water to brush around the spoonfuls of filling to moisten. Place the second pasta strip on top, pressing to seal the two sheets around the drops of filling. Use a scalloped pie cutter, cookie cutter or ravioli stamp to separate the ravioli pieces. Set on a lightly floured surface until ready to use.
7. Cook the Ravioli: boil in a stockpot of water for several minutes until each piece floats to the top. OR pan-fry in a skillet with 2 tablespoons of olive oil until tender and cooked through. Serve with an extra drizzle of olive oil, fresh basil, parmesan cheese and freshly ground pepper to taste.
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