Uovo raviolo is a large raviolo with an egg yolk in the center protected by a piped ring of ricotta. The dish seems intimidating, but it’s really not so bad – the most important thing is to make sure the raviolo is completely sealed, otherwise the yolk will ooze out while boiling.
I’ve taken the traditional recipe and created a fall spin on it. The butternut squash serves to add a delicious flavor while also thickening the filling, so if for whatever reason, you don’t want to use the squash, make sure the ricotta has been strained properly so that it’s thick enough to hold the egg yolk. If you end up with extra ricotta filling or dough, you can make regular ravioli.
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Uovo Raviolo, Butternut Squash Ricotta Filling, and Butter Sage Sauce
These unctuous egg-yolk ravioli feature a creamy butternut squash ricotta filling and a brown butter sage sauce.
Yields: 6 raviolo
Equipment
- Pasta Maker
Ingredients
For the egg yolk dough
- 230 grams 00 flour, such as Caputo
- 131 grams large eggs (without shell), or 2 large eggs and 2 large egg yolks
- Extra-virgin olive oil, if needed
For the uovo raviolo
- 1/2 cup ricotta cheese, strained to remove excess moisture
- 1/2 cup butternut squash purée, I roasted cubed squash at 425 for 20-25 min until soft and tender then pureed the mixture
- Salt and black pepper
- 1 recipe egg yolk dough, see above
- 6 egg yolks
For the sauce
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 10 sage leaves
- Salt and black pepper
- 1 handful walnuts, chopped and lightly toasted
- finely grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese, for topping
Instructions
For the egg yolk dough:
- Place the flour onto a work surface or large cutting board and create a well in the center of the flour. Drop the eggs into the center of the well, then beat the eggs with a fork until homogenous in texture.230 grams 00 flour, 131 grams large eggs (without shell)
- Begin incorporating more and more of the flour into the well, whisking with the fork until the liquid in the well starts thickening. Once it becomes thick and solid, place the fork down and begin kneading with your hands.
- Alternate between incorporating more of the remaining flour and kneading the dough. Note: A bench scraper is a helpful tool to pick up any of those scraggly bits from the work surface as well as your own hands.
- Once in a solid mass, I like to knead with both my hands then rotate the dough counter clockwise at 45 degrees. Continue repeating until the dough is soft and smooth, about 5-7 minutes. It should not feel sticky, and there should be no dry bits remaining. Tip: When watching Evan Funke, a master pastaio, he noted that once your pasta is in a solid ball, it takes much more effort to smoothly incorporate small scraggly bits into the dough. If there are a few bits leftover, just move them to the side and continue kneading the rest of the dough. If the dough is too dry, you can moisten your hands with a bit of olive oil and keep kneading or add some egg white back in.Extra-virgin olive oil
- Wrap dough tightly in plastic wrap. Let the dough rest for at least 20 minutes before rolling out.
For the uovo raviolo:
- Prepare the filling: In a food processor, pulse the ricotta cheese and squash until smooth and creamy. It should not be watery at all (if it is, you’ll need to strain the mixture further or grab some paper towels and pat dry). Season with salt and pepper.1/2 cup ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup butternut squash purée, Salt and black pepper
- Prepare the pasta: Divide the dough in half and roll out each half. You’ll want to roll out the dough slightly thicker than a normal ravioli setting to ensure it can hold the egg yolk and filling. On a KitchenAid stand mixer, I roll the dough through settings 1 – 5 twice to achieve this thickness (so twice on 1, then twice on 2, then twice on 3…all the way up to 5). The pasta sheet should still be translucent, but again, not too thin that it can’t hold the filling.1 recipe egg yolk dough
- Once each sheet is rolled out (there will be two since you divided the dough in half), keep one covered while you prepare the raviolo on the other sheet. Meanwhile, place each egg yolk to a small glass prep bowl so that it can easily be transferred to the center of the ricotta filling.One sheet of pasta should give you enough space for 6, 3 1/2-inch circles with a cooking cutter or any round object like a glass or pyrex bowl. Cut out 6 circles with your cutter of choice. Separate the circles into three pairs. For each pair, one circle will be used as the bottom for mounding the filling, and the other circle will be used as the top to press and seal the raviolo. For the bottom, pipe about 1 tablespoon of the butternut squash ricotta filling in a circular motion about 1/2” to 2/3” from the edge. Essentially, you’re creating a well for the egg to be placed into. The ricotta well should be high enough to hold the egg — if not, continue piping filling. Gently drop the egg into the center. Moisten the outer edges of the raviolo dough with a bit of water, then gently place the other circle on top, sealing the edges as well as you can.6 egg yolks
- Pick up the raviolo and press the outer edges together as best as you can to help thin out the edges. This ensures the raviolo dough is uniform in texture throughout — otherwise the edges may cook slower than the inside.
- Repeat with the other sheet of pasta to make 6 raviolos in total.
For the sauce:
- Bring a medium sized pot of salted water to a boil.
- Prepare the sauce: In a small saute pan set over medium heat, melt butter until it just begins to lightly brown and smell toasty, about 5 to 6 minutes.Add the sage leaves and saute for 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper, then transfer the butter mixture to a medium bowl and set aside.1 stick unsalted butter, 10 sage leaves, Salt and black pepper
- Cook the raviolo: If this is your first time making uovo raviolo, I recommend cooking one raviolo at a time. Drop the raviolo into the pot of boiling water, and cook for 90 seconds. Meanwhile, add ~1 – 1 1/2 tablespoons of the butter (and 1-2 sprigs of sage) back into the small saute pan at medium heat. Once the raviolo is done cooking, carefully remove from the water with a slotted spoon and transfer to the saute pan. Add a teaspoon or so of pasta water and a pinch of walnuts, and saute the raviolo until the sauce has completely coated it and the raviolo is cooked, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a plate, pouring any remaining butter on top of the raviolo and garnish with parmigiano if desired. Eat immediately.1 handful walnuts, finely grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
- Repeat with the remaining raviolos by cooking each one for 90 seconds and sauteing in the butter. Once you get the hang of it, you can try a few at a time.
Notes
Egg Yolk Dough adapted from Evan Funke’s pasta dough recipe
Nutrition
Calories: 437kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 327mg | Sodium: 60mg | Potassium: 180mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 2180IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 99mg | Iron: 3mg
