Egg Yolk Ravioli (Raviolo al Uovo)
A step-by-step guide to making delicate egg yolk ravioli with creamy ricotta cooked in a brown butter sauce.
Servings: 8 ravioli
Calories: 447kcal
Equipment
- Pasta Machine such as a Kitchenaid Pasta Roller or Marcato Atlas 150
Ingredients
For the ravioli:
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese homemade or store-bought | use 1 ½ cups if excessively watery and strain*
- 1 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Salt to taste
- ½ batch homemade pasta dough ~290g dough
- 00 flour or semolina flour for dusting
- 8 large eggs
For the sauce
- 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter
- 10 large sage leaves
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese for topping
Instructions
For the ravioli:
- Prepare the filling: In a food processor, pulse 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese, 1 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper until smooth and creamy. Season to taste with salt.Transfer the prepared ricotta mixture into a piping bag. Cut off about ½ inch from the tip of the bag to create an opening for piping. Set aside. Note: If the filling seems dry at all, you can add 1 tablespoon of water, milk, or cream to smooth it out.
- Roll out the pasta: Divide ½ batch homemade pasta dough into two equal portions, setting one half aside and wrapping it in plastic wrap.Lightly flour your work surface to prevent sticking, then roll out the first portion of dough to a thickness of about ⅓ inch. Turn the dial on your roller attachment to the widest setting, '1'. Slowly and evenly feed the dough through the attachment.After the initial feeding, the dough will naturally form an oval shape. To create a uniform rectangle, fold one end of the dough up halfway, then fold the other end on top, creating three even layers like an envelope. Roll the folded dough out again, this time to a thickness of about ¼ inch.Increase the roller attachment setting to '2' and pass the dough through it twice. Continue increasing the setting until you've fed the sheet through setting '6'. Take a sharp knife and cut the sheet of dough in half. Carefully feed each half through the roller attachment at setting '7' one time. Lightly flour the pasta sheets and the work surface with 00 flour or semolina flour.Repeat, rolling and cutting the remaining dough so that you now have 4 pasta sheets. Keep covered.
- Prepare the egg yolks: Crack 8 large eggs into a large bowl.
- Mark the sheets: Uncover one of the four pasta sheets. Place a 4-inch cutter or small prep bowl on the sheet to mark and outline (but not cut) 4 circles spaced at least 1-inch apart. These marked circles will define the outer edges of your ravioli. Ensure the pasta sheet is nicely floured to prevent sticking.
- Pipe and fill: Apply a firm and steady pressure to pipe a ¾-inch ring of ricotta about ½-inch from the edge of the circle. If necessary, pipe another ring directly on top of the first ring to ensure the nest is tall enough to securely hold the egg yolk.Gently fish out an egg yolk with your fingers, letting any whites fall back into the bowl. Transfer yolk to a small glass bowl, then gently pour the yolk into the center of the nest.Repeat the piping and filling process with the remaining 3 circles.
- Form the ravioli: Take an empty sheet of pasta and gently position it over the filled sheet without sealing it.Gently press around the ricotta ring with a small bowl (about 3.5 inches in diameter) to remove air pockets.
- Cut with a cutter: Use a 4-inch cookie or biscuit cutter to cut out each individual raviolo.Cut with a pastry wheel: Or, use the 4-inch bowl to mark the outline of each raviolo on the top sheet. Then, use a pastry wheel to carefully cut along the marked outline. When using a pastry wheel, go very slowly and ensure the cutter is held perpendicular to the sheet. Alternate between moving the cutter and rotating it around the circle to create a clean cut. Ensure they're completely sealed, before transferring to a parchment-lined baking sheet generously dusted with semolina flour. Repeat the filling and cutting process with the remaining dough to make 8 total raviolos. Note: Leftover egg whites can be reserved for another use.
For the sauce:
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a gentle boil.
- Make the brown butter: Meanwhile, set a large skillet over medium heat and melt 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter. Add 10 large sage leaves and a generous grind of black pepper, and saute for 2 - 3 minutes until the butter starts foaming and hissing, then subsides and develops a nutty aroma. Immediately pour the butter into a small bowl, and season to taste. Transfer sage leaves to a paper towel to crisp up.
- Cook the ravioli: If this is your first time making uovo raviolo, I recommend cooking one at a time; otherwise, you can cook and serve 2 - 3 at a time.Drop the raviolo(s) into the pot of boiling water, and cook for 90 seconds.Meanwhile, set the skillet back over medium heat with a bit of butter (I like 1 tablespoon per raviolo) and a small splash of pasta water. Carefully transfer raviolo(s) to the skillet with a slotted spoon.Saute for an additional 30 seconds, then transfer to a serving plate. Continue cooking and reducing the sauce until it's thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Spoon the sauce over the ravioli, and garnish with crispy sage and a sprinkle of Finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Serve immediately.
- Repeat the cooking process with the remaining ravioli as you boil, sauce, and serve them. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Ricotta: It's really important to buy or make high-quality whole milk ricotta cheese. Good ricotta, like Calabro or Nonno Nanni is smooth, milky, and creamy, without a grainy texture.
*How to drain ricotta: The ricotta should be moist, but not excessively liquidy. If it's very wet, start with 1 ½ cups (165g), and drain it with paper towels. Stack two sheets on a plate, spread ricotta evenly, top with another sheet, and press it down for a few seconds. Drain for 10 minutes, then transfer 1 cup to a bowl.
Tip 1 - Be gentle. Egg yolks are delicate, so be gentle when adding them to the pasta, cooking them, and tossing them in sauce. Use a slotted spoon or spider to prevent the yolks from breaking while cooking.
Tip 2 - Enlist a friend or family member. Having a friend or family member join in makes pasta-making more enjoyable and allows for efficient multitasking. For example, each of you can hold and align each end of the top pasta sheet to the bottom sheet. This provides excellent control and precision when pressing and sealing the ravioli.
Tip 3 - Keep a small bowl of water nearby to dip your fingers into in case the sheets start feeling dry. This will help ensure the pasta sheets stay pliable and seal together.
Storage: Store ravioli on a semolina-dusted baking sheet at room temperature for up to 2 hours, covered with a kitchen towel.
Nutrition
Calories: 447kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 248mg | Sodium: 399mg | Potassium: 145mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0.2g | Vitamin A: 957IU | Calcium: 162mg | Iron: 2mg
