Fresh Pasta Shapes
Mint and Ricotta Ravioli
Half-moon-shaped ravioli are typical of Pantelleria, where wild mint grows and makes its way into many pasta recipes, including the filling of these ravioli. They are served with a simple tomato sauce called Sugo Povero. To avoid dampening the pasta too much once it is filled, make sure to strain the ricotta before making the filling.
Pour the “00” flour (2 ⅓ cups) into a bowl and make a well in the middle. Add the eggs (3 large) to the well, then mix with a fork, working from the edges of the well into the center, gradually incorporating the flour into the egg to form a shaggy dough. The dough should feel tacky but not sticky.
Turn the dough out onto a clean, dry work surface, then knead the dough energetically until it is a smooth, compact mass, 10 minutes.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and allow it to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Pour the ricotta (2 cups) into a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl and let stand for about 30 minutes to allow excess liquid to drain off.
Transfer the drained ricotta to a medium bowl and stir in the pecorino (¼ cup), mint (3 Tbsp), and salt (2 pinches). Transfer to a pastry bag or zip-top plastic bag and set aside in the refrigerator.
If you’re using a pasta machine to roll out the dough, unwrap the dough and cut it into four pieces. Lightly dust the first piece and cover the others. Feed it through the widest gauge of your pasta machine. Fold the rolled dough in half and pass it through the widest gauge again. Dust the dough if it starts getting sticky.
Decrease the gauge on the pasta machine by one increment before feeding the dough through again. Continue feeding the pasta through, successively narrowing the gauge until the sheet of pasta is ⅛ in thick. Repeat with the remaining dough.
If you’re rolling out the dough with a rolling pin, unwrap it, halve it, and transfer one piece to a work surface lightly dusted with flour. Cover the other half. Flatten the dough out into a round disk and picture the numbers on a clock around the edge.
To make pasta all’uovo for Pasta e Ceci Estiva, make the dough as directed on the right and roll it out into a pasta sheet with a pasta machine or by hand. Cut the pasta sheet into 2 in diamonds and set aside on a clean, dry wooden surface for about an hour to dry slightly before adding the pasta to the simmering pot of chickpeas.
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