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Tomato-Red Ravioli with Ricotta, Smoked Salmon & Lemon Asparagus

Course First Course, Main Course, Pasta
Cuisine Italian
Keyword pasta, ravioli
Prep Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 577kcal

Ingredients

For the dough

  • 400 g “00” or all purpose flour
  • 3 eggs 50 g per egg
  • 150 g double-concentrated tomato paste

For the filling

  • 200 g Smoked salmon
  • 300 g fresh ricotta cheese sheep’s ricotta is preferable, drained
  • 40 g freshly grated Parmesan cheese

For the sauce

  • 250 g asparagus halved or quartered lengthwise
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • Zest of one lemon + 2 tablespoons juice
  • 30 g butter
  • 15 to 20 walnut halves toasted
  • 2 tablespoons minced parsley
  • 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Make the ravioli dough

  • On a work surface – wood or marble - make a well in the flour and add the eggs and tomato concentrate.
  • Gradually whisk the eggs and tomato concentrate into the flour.
  • Knead the dough for five minutes until it's smooth and elastic.
  • If the dough is too moist and sticky sprinkle in a bit of additional flour.
  • Cover the dough ball tightly with plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes or more.

Make the filling

  • While the dough is resting prepare the filling.
  • Cut the the smoked salmon into tiny cubes, about ½ centimeter or ¼ inch.
  • Put the salmon in a mixing bowl and add the drained ricotta and grated Parmesan cheese.
  • Mix until fully blended, salt to taste and set aside.

Make the ravioli sauce

  • Optional: gently toast the walnut halves in a saucepan just until golden.
  • Remove and set aside.
  • Break off the tough root ends of the asparagus and set aside for future use in a soup.
  • Cut off the asparagus tips, about 5-6 cm long pieces.
  • Cut the rest of the asparagus in half. You should have pieces that are about 5 to 6 cm (2 to 2 ⅓ inches) long.
  • Cut the asparagus pieces in half lengthwise (or in quarters depending on the thickness of the asparagus).
  • Cook the asparagus in a saucepan with a small amount of lightly salted boiling water + 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil just until the asparagus are tender-crisp.
  • Use only enough water to cover the asparagus about halfway.
  • It should take no more than 3 to 5 minutes to cook.
  • Drain the asparagus and set aside, but reserve the asparagus cooking water.
  • Add the butter, lemon juice & lemon zest, the asparagus, and the freshly grated Parmesan cheese to the saucepan and cook on high for just 30 seconds.
  • You should have a thick, creamy sauce.
  • If necessary add some of the asparagus cooking water by the tablespoonful to the sauce but only if it's too dry.
  • Remove the asparagus tips from the sauce to set atop the ravioli when you serve.

Make the ravioli

  • Roll out the dough by hand or with a pasta machine until it's very thin.
  • The dough should be translucent.
  • Put about a teaspoon of filling along the pasta strips, spacing it about 3-4 cm or 1 ½ inches apart.
  • Cover with a second layer or strip of pasta and use your fingertips to gently seal the two strips of pasta together making sure to squeeze out any air bubbles.
  • Cut the ravioli by hand using a very thin sharp knife, or use a ravioli pasta tool to cut the individual ravioli.

Cook and serve the ravioli

  • Cook the ravioli in boiling salted water (the water should taste like the sea) until they are al dente, about 2 to 3 minutes.
  • The ravioli are very delicate so use a spider or a hand-held strainer to scoop them out of the pasta water.
  • Reserve the pasta cooking water.
  • Add immediately to the saucepan with the lemon-asparagus sauce and the freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
  • Gently toss to coat the ravioli with the sauce.
  • If need be add pasta cooking water to the sauce by the tablespoonful - just enough so that the sauce is creamy.
  • Place the ravioli in a serving bowl, or individual serving bowls.
  • Sprinkle with the minced parsley, freshly grated Parmesan cheese and top with the (optional) toasted walnut halves.

Nutrition

Serving: 80g | Calories: 577kcal | Carbohydrates: 62g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 131mg | Sodium: 701mg | Potassium: 613mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1374IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 260mg | Iron: 6mg