Arugula Ravioli

At yesterday’s cooking class we made arugula ravioli and frankly it’s a brilliant use of this bitter green that is used most frequently in salads. Give them a try, they’re marvelous!

INGREDIENTS
For the pasta:
600 grams (1 1/3 pounds) durum, hard grain wheat flour
6 eggs
For the filling:
300 grams (11.5 ounces) ricotta
100 grams (3 1/2 ounces) grated parmesan cheese
100 grams (3 1/2 ounces) arugula, cooked until tender, squeezed dry and chopped
For the sauce:
50 ml (1/4 cup) olive oil
200 grams (7 ounces) guanciale (pork jowl),cubed
50 grams (1 3/4 ounces) grated parmesan cheese

PROCEDURE
For the pasta:
Place the flour on your work surface. Make a large well in the flour and put your eggs in the well.
Gently beat the eggs with a fork and then gradually begin to incorporate the flour into the eggs.
When the dough becomes too stiff to work comfortably with the fork, flour your hands and work in the rest of the flour by hand.
Once all the flour is incorporated into the eggs knead the dough for 5 to 10 minutes until it is smooth and elastic.
If you intend to roll out the dough with a pasta machine first divide the dough into four pieces.
Work with one at a time and keep the other pieces covered.
Roll the dough into a section about 4 by 10 inches (10 cm X 25 cm).
Pass the dough through the pasta machine two to three times at the widest setting.
Continue this process, reducing the setting each time until you are at the smallest setting. Divide the pasta into four pieces.
Work with one piece at a time and keep the remaining pieces covered so they do not dry out. Roll the pasta out into one long, paper thin strip.
Cut the strip in half lengthwise.
For the filling:
Drain the ricotta cheese.
Mix with the parmesan cheese and arugula.
Put a teaspoon of filling along one of the pasta strips, about two inches (5 centimeters) apart.
Using a pastry brush, moisten the pasta strip around the filling.
Place the remaining pasta strip on top of the other and gently seal the two strips of pasta together around each bit of filling.
Cut the individual ravioli using a pastry cutter or a knife.
Place the ravioli on a lightly floured dish towel to rest while you prepare the sauce.
Note: At this point the ravioli can be frozen for future use. If you freeze the ravioli do not thaw them prior to cooking.
For the sauce:
Cook the guanciale in a saucepan over a low flame until crisp.
Discard most of the excess oil, then add the olive oil to the pan.
Cook the ravioli in boiling salted water until al dente, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Gently remove the ravioli to a serving platter using a slotted spoon. They
are very delicate and can easily break if not removed from the water in this manner.
Drizzle the sauce over the ravioli and sprinkle with the parmesan
cheese.
Garnish with a sprinkling of parsley and serve immediately.