Homemade Ricotta and Spinach Ravioli with Butter and Sage

Method

1. Clean the spinach: cut off the stems and wash thoroughly in cold water until the water runs clear.
2. In a pan, melt a knob of butter and add a clove of garlic. Sauté gently.
3. Add the spinach, season with a pinch of salt, and cook until wilted, stirring quickly.
4. Remove from heat, discarding the garlic, and squeeze the spinach well to remove excess water.
5. Finely chop the cooked spinach with a knife.
6. For the pasta: on a work surface, make a mound of 00 flour, create a well, and crack 4 eggs into it. Gradually incorporate the flour and knead until smooth and elastic. Wrap in plastic and rest for 30 minutes.
7. For the filling: mix the squeezed and chopped spinach with fresh ricotta cheese. Season with salt if desired (do not add Parmesan to the filling).
8. Roll out the rested pasta dough through a pasta machine, starting at the thickest setting and gradually thinning to setting 1 or 0, until you have thin sheets.
9. Place small spoonfuls of filling evenly spaced on one pasta sheet. Moisten the edges around each mound with water.
10. Lay a second pasta sheet on top. Press around each mound to expel air and seal. Cut into individual ravioli using a knife or ravioli cutter.
11. Cook the ravioli in a large pot of boiling salted water until they float and the edges are tender, about 3–4 minutes.
12. Meanwhile, in a separate pan, melt a generous piece of butter with fresh sage leaves. Add a ladle of pasta cooking water to emulsify.
13. Drain the ravioli (reserving some water) and add them to the butter-sage pan. Toss gently to coat.
14. Serve immediately, topped with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.