The first time I encountered raviolo al uovo, a giant raviolo (raviolo is the singular of ravioli) stuffed with ricotta, spinach and a runny egg yolk was at Trattoria Monti in Rome many moons ago (almost 20 years, yikes, time flies). It was one of those memorable dishes that leaves a lasting impression. When you cut into the pasta, the yolk oozes out, mixing with the cheese filling and sauce, creating a creamy, unctuous bite of food. I’ve been thinking about that raviolo ever since. It was served simply with a butter sauce and shaved white truffle on top. Divine!

Over the years I’ve thought about recreating this dish at home (minus the truffle, which I neither have access to nor a budget for), though was always a bit intimidated. Alas, making pasta from scratch is already a feat in itself; actually, what I’ve learned is that taking photos while you’re trying to make pasta is the challenge :-). But eventually my curiosity got the best of me and I had to give it a try.

If you’ve ever made standard-sized ravioli, the process is quite similar. I used a classic ricotta-spinach filling. For the raviolo, the key is to make an indentation in the ricotta filling, just large enough to allow the egg yolk to snuggly rest. From there, it’s just like making any other type of ravioli — place a second sheet of pasta on top and seal the edges, making sure to press out all the air. Drop into a pot of salted water and cook until it floats to the top.

I served my raviolo tossed in a little butter and topped with basil, shaved Parmesan and chile flakes. Of course, you could also serve it in a tomato sauce if you prefer.

Buon Appetito!

Raviolo al Uovo

Serving: 1 raviolo per person
Ravioli dough (recipe below)
Ricotta-spinach filling (recipe below)
Egg yolks

To serve:
Butter
Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
Basil, cut into chiffonade
Chile flakes

Lightly flour your work surface. Cut off a chunk of dough, leaving the rest covered in plastic to prevent drying out. Flatten the piece of dough with a rolling pin.

Next, run the dough through your pasta machine starting with the largest setting (typically ‘0’ or ‘1’). Run it one to two times through each successive pasta roller setting until very thin and translucent, about 1/16th of an inch thick (e.g., setting 6 or 7, depending on your pasta machine).

Lay the pasta sheet flat. Pipe (or spoon) a 3-inch wide ring of ricotta-spinach filling. Repeat leaving about 4 1/2-inches between each filling. With a teaspoon, form an indentation in the middle of the ricotta. Carefully transfer an egg yolk, sliding into each indentation. Dab a little bit of water around the perimeter of the filling. Place a second sheet of pasta on top of the first. Press out as much air as possible. Press down lightly to seal each raviolo. With a 4-inch ring mold, cut out rounds.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Drop the raviolo into the boiling water and cook for 3 minutes. Meanwhile, heat a skillet with a few tablespoons butter. Using a spider or slotted spoon, carefully transfer one raviolo from the water to the skillet with the melted butter and cook for another minute or two, spooning some of the melted butter over the raviolo. Repeat with the remaining raviolo.

Transfer one ravioli to each shallow bowl. Top with freshly grated Parmesan, chile flakes and basil.

Ravioli Dough

Makes a little over 1-pound (18 ounces); this makes more dough than you’ll need for this recipe (use leftover dough for other stuffed pasta shapes such as scarpinocc or cappelletti)
2 well-packed cups 00 (or unbleached all-purpose) flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 large whole eggs
5 egg yolks

Mix the flour and salt. Place the flour on a dry, clean work surface and form it into a mound. Use the flat bottom of a measuring cup to create a well in the middle.

Add the eggs and egg yolks to the well. With a fork, gently beat the eggs; be careful not to disturb the walls of the flour. Slowly begin to incorporate the flour walls into the egg mixture. Continue mixing the flour with the eggs until you have a shaggy, solid mass.

At this point, using your hands, start folding and forming the dough, incorporating the rest of the flour until you have a stiff, solid mass (removing any dry clumps of flour).

Knead the dough for about 7-10 minutes. Drive the heel of your hand into the dough, rotate the dough 45 degrees, and repeat until the dough is firm and bouncy and has a smooth, silken texture. Wrap the dough in plastic and let rest 30 minutes.

NOTE: the dough might seem dry at first, but as it rests it will slowly absorb water and rehydrate

Ricotta-Spinach Filling

10 oz (280 grams) of fresh organic baby spinach 
8 oz (225 grams) ricotta cheese
1 egg
1/2 cup (25 grams) of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Salt and black pepper

Plunge the spinach into a large saucepan of boiling salted water to blanch it. Remove it 30 seconds later. Drain, cool, and chop finely.

In a medium bowl, combine the spinach with the egg, ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, pepper, and nutmeg. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Transfer the mixture to a piping bag.

Use to fill the pasta immediately, or refrigerate for up to 1 day before using.