Pansoti, the Italian Riviera traditional ravioli.

Step 1

For the dough

Step 3

Put the flour on the working surface and make a well in the middle like a volcano.

Step 5

Open the eggs in the centre of the crater and beat them slightly with a fork, add 4 tablespoons of white wine, 4 tablespoons of water, a pinch of salt and start mixing the liquids with the fork. Then star adding flour to the mix gently digging the side of the crater with the fork. Little by little the dough will harden.

Step 7

When the dough starts “staying together” dig your hands and start knead it, blending and pressing it with the lower part of your palm for many times.

Step 8

If it remains too dry and in flakes add a small quantity of water just wetting your palms. Repeat if needed until you get a dough smooth and elastic (ab 10 minutes kneading). You can check if its elastic enough putting a finger in the dough: if the dough returns in its previous shape and the hole almost disappear it’s ready.

Step 10

Let it rest under a humid tea cloth for half an hour.

Step 12

For the filling

Step 14

Clean the greens and boil them in a slightly salty water for 5 minutes then drain, squeeze very hardly (if they are too hot pass them under cold water) and chop them finely.

Step 16

Put the greens in a big bowl, add the egg, the ricotta cheese, the parmesan cheese and the minced marjoram (I suggest to initially add half of it and then increase the dose to taste because marjoram has a very intense flavour) and add pinch of nutmeg. Stir carefully. Taste and add salt and pepper.

Step 18

Shaping pansoti

Step 20

Divide the dough into four small balls. Take one at the time and leave the other under the humid cloth (if the dough dries it will become more difficult to roll and to bend).

Step 21

Roll the dough in a thin sheet with the help of a pasta machine (I have the old Imperia pasta machine of my granny) or with a rolling pin and cut it in small squares of 7-8 cm of side.

Step 23

Put in the centre of each square a spoon of filling. Wet the sides of the square with some water with the help of a brush and bend the dough along the diagonal obtaining a triangle. Press with the fingers along the borders in order to seal the filling inside the pasta. Try to eliminate the air inside the raviolo starting pressing from the centre to the sides. Join the edges of the triangle (those along the diagonal) and press with our fingers to seal them together. Your punchy pansoto is ready!

Step 25

Lay each pansoto down on a surface dusted with flour and sprinkle with other flour.

Step 27

Boil pansoti in a big pan full of salty water for ab 8-10 minutes constantly giving a look at them! Homemade ravioli are always unpredictable, if they cook too much they will open in the pan. To be sure that they are ready taste a little angle of pasta on the sides. If it is cooked the pansoti are ready.

Step 29

Season with walnut sauce or butter and parmesan cheese.