Ofelle alla Triestina (Gnocchi Ravioli)

Step 1

Boil the potatoes whole in salted water until very tender. Drain and, while still warm, peel, and press through a ricer or food mill. (I actually press the potatoes without peeling as the peel stays inside the ricer)

Step 2

Place the riced potatoes in a large bowl and add the eggs, a pinch of salt, the yeast and enough flour to make a dough that is the same consistency of gnocchi dough. (I started with 250g but added a bit more as the dough seemed too wet)

Step 3

Mix ingredients together. Then turn out onto a floured pastry or pasta board. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes, then let rest covered with a cloth or tea towel for 30 minutes.

Step 4

In the meantime, cook the spinach with just a tablespoon of water until wilted. Drain and press out any excess liquid. Chop finely

Step 5

Peel and finely chop the onions and fry until soft in melted butter.

Step 6

In a large frying pan or skillet, heat a little olive oil over , then add the cooked onion, cooked spinach, ground veal, and chopped sausage meat, and cook over a medium-high heat until the meat is nicely browned. Season with salt and pepper. Turn off the heat and allow to cool.

Step 7

Cut the dough into 4 pieces. Roll one quarter of pasta dough out into a rectangle of 9-10 cm wide until it is about 3-5 mm thick. You can use a pasta machine to do this, but I didn’t. Place a scant tablespoons of the filling along one side of the rectangle at about 3-5 cm apart and 1cm away from the edge.

Step 8

Fold the pasta over the filling and press down around the filling. Cut out the ofelle/ravioli squares with a serrated pasta wheel. I then used a fork to make a ‘frill’ along each side of the ofelle and seal the filling inside. Set the ofelle aside on a floured surface or plate.

Step 9

Bring a pot of water to a boil, add salt and bring to a boil again. Cook the ofelle in the boiling water until they are tender and cooked through. They will probably rise to the surface when almost ready. Then cook for another minute. In total give them about 4 minutes.

Step 10

While the ofelle are cooking melt the rest of the butter in a small pan.

Step 11

Drain and place the ofelle in a serving bowl or plate. Drizzle some melted butter over them, top with grated Montasio or Parmigiano Reggiano and serve immediately.