Nettle and Ricotta Ravioli

Style Kitchen Masterclass

Anna Sacchini at Ristorante Michelangelo

After a recent trip to Ryde’s Ristorante Michelangelo, we were absolutely captivated by co-owner Anna Sacchini’s description of making pasta with her mum back in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna. So, we asked if she could share an exclusive recipe, just for us, and let us in on the magical world of rustic Italian cuisine. Buon appetito!

When I was a child in Italy, my mum’s larder was always filled with basic but essential ingredients: flour, olive oil, eggs, salt and Parmesan cheese, which meant the family always had different kinds of bread and pasta assured. Filled pasta offered the most creative opportunity, as the filling changed with the seasons. In springtime, I remember going foraging with my mum. If we found chives or wild garlic we’d make a frittata, but if we found nettles, my mum was ready with her willow basket, gloves, and scissors to pick the freshest and most tender leaves to make ravioli for me and my four siblings.

When I moved to the Isle of Wight with my husband and friend Rosy, we opened Michelangelo Restaurant with no culinary school background, only genuine family cooking traditions, which is what I’d like to share with you here in this recipe.

Ingredients:

FOR THE PASTA:

200g pasta flour, 00 grade

2 whole eggs

1 tbsp olive oil

A little warm water (to soften the dough)

FOR THE FILLING:

Fresh nettles (young leaves)

Ricotta cheese

A little Parmesan cheese

One clove of garlic

A pinch of salt

TO FINISH: Butter

Sage leaves

Parmesan cheese

Method

1. Firstly, go for a country walk to your favourite place on the Island and find some nettles (this is the perfect time of year to pick the fresh leaves). Put on some gloves and cut the youngest leaves using a pair of scissors. Once at home wash them and drain them (still wearing gloves), then put them in boiling water for 10 minutes.

2. Once boiled, the nettles will no longer sting you, so you can now drain and chop them. In a pan add a little butter, followed by the nettles and gently fry, adding chopped garlic and salt. Next, reduce the heat and add ricotta and parmesan, to taste. Stir until you obtain a smooth filling, then leave to cool.

3. To make the pasta dough, turn your flour out onto the table and then make a well in the middle (which is known as ‘la fontana’ in Italian - the fountain). Beat your eggs together with a fork and pour into the well, followed by a tablespoon of olive oil. Start to knead with your hands until you obtain a solid dough.

4. Roll the pasta dough out thinly with a rolling pin (or pasta machine). It has to become very thin. The way Italians know if the consistency is right is that they put a checkered tablecloth under the dough, and if you can see the pattern through the dough, then it’s thin enough.

5. Now to make the ravioli. Lay balls of filling in a line on the dough equally spaced apart. Cover with another layer of the dough and use a fork to press the two layers of pasta together around each of the balls of filling. With a wheel, cut out the ravioli in square shapes.

6. Prepare a pan with salted water and bring it to the boil. Immerse the ravioli in the water and leave to boil for five to six minutes. Drain using a slotted spoon and transfer to a frying pan where you can finish them off with melted butter, sage leaves, and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

Anna’s Top Tips

1. Spring is the best time of year to forage for nettles. Try to find the youngest and freshest leaves from the tops of the plant as they taste the best. If the nettle is too bitter you can mix it with a few spinach leaves when making the filling.

2. For a more rustic (and traditional) Italian method to serve the ravioli remove them from the boiling water and plate straight away. Then cut a slice of butter, stick a fork into it and rub the butter over the still-warm ravioli to coat them. I hope you enjoy not only the dish, but the whole process, from foraging to cooking.

With love, Anna, Dante, and Rosy from Ristorante Michelangelo

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