Beetroot, Goat Cheese, and Hazelnut Ravioli
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Time to read 4 min
I adore beetroot. Its sweet and earthy flavor pair so beautifully with the salty tang of goat cheese – a match made in heaven. For someone who designs clothes for a living, the color is also extremely appealing and has such a vivid magenta hue when blended with the ricotta for this ravioli filling.
When constructing a pasta dish like this one I think about creating the perfect bite–flavors that are going to perfectly complement each other so that when I take that first mouthful with everything on my fork I could almost hear a symphony of violins in the background. Pasta takes me to a special place ok?!
I knew I wanted to hero beetroot so my mind went straight to goat cheese to counterbalance the sweetness. Fresh thyme brings some peppery earthiness plus a little hit of color and a drizzle of honey on the cheese really helps to round out the sweet and salty. As my Instagram name suggests, butter is my go-to sauce but ironically my preference is lightly browned, not burnt, as I personally don’t like the blackened milk fats spoiling the look of a sauce.
My tips for this dish:
- For both the finished dish and filling I have used baby beetroot that I buy pre-cooked and ready to use. This is such a time saver! I find them vacuum-packed at my supermarket but canned baby beetroot works just as well. If you are a purist you are welcome to roast your own from raw.
- I like to use unsalted butter for my butter sauces as then I can control the seasoning after, sometimes salted butter can be overly salty. The time it takes to brown the butter and cook the ravioli is about the same but if you’re new to it then do the butter first and you can just reheat it when the ravioli are almost done. I like to brown the butter in a wide stainless steel fry pan so I can see the browning happening and then the ravioli will fit into it as well.
- Generously season your pasta water, it makes a big difference to the taste.
Beetroot, Goat Cheese & Hazelnut Ravioli
90 minutes
30 minutes
4
Ingredients
For the filling:
1 heaping cup // 250 grams cooked baby beetroot
½ cup // 115 grams ricotta
¾ cup // 30g finely grated parmesan
Salt and pepper to taste
For the ravioli:
1 batch of fresh egg ravioli dough
1 heaping cup // 250 grams cooked baby beetroot
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup // 70 grams hazelnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
⅔ cup // 100 grams goat cheese, torn into chunks
3 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves picked
2 teaspoons honey
7 tablespoons // 100 grams unsalted butter, cubed
Special Equipment
Method
To make the filling:
Blend the beetroot into a puree in a food processor or using a stick blender then mix in the ricotta and grated parmesan. Season to taste with salt and pepper. I like to transfer the filling into a piping bag but if you don’t have one just cover in a bowl. Place the filling in the fridge until needed.
To make the pasta dough:
Prepare the fresh egg ravioli pasta dough , then cover in plastic wrap. The dough can be left out at room temperature for up to 2 hours, or stored in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
To make the ravioli:
Roll the pasta out with your preferred method. I like to roll a quarter of the dough at a time. I roll through the widest setting, then the next before folding in half and repeating this process a few times. Then take it through each setting twice, dusting with flour in between if it feels sticky. I went to the second-to-last setting on my Kitchen Aid pasta roller for these, about 0.8 mm thick. Try and end up with the widest sheet you can as you will be folding it in half lengthwise.
Dust some flour onto your surface before putting your finished pasta sheet down to help it from sticking. Using the stamp, press it lightly along your sheet of pasta to mark where you want to stamp out the ravioli. Pipe or spoon a big tablespoon of filling into the middle of each marked circle and press it out flat as pictured. Fold the pasta sheet over lengthwise and gently press the air out between your mounds of filling. Press the stamp down firmly over each one and lift them out.
Place them on a tray lined with baking paper and dusted with coarse semolina while you prepare the rest. Lightly cover with cling film and leave out on the bench while you prepare the sauce ingredients.
To make the sauce:
While you are rolling your pasta out, preheat your oven to 350℉ (180℃) with the fan or convection setting.
Place the baby beetroot on a baking tray (cut bigger ones in half so they are all roughly the same size) drizzle with the olive oil and roast in the oven for 20 minutes, turning halfway through.
Browning the butter and boiling the ravioli will take about the same amount of time. I like to get my water boiling first then I get the butter melting in a pan. Once the butter has melted, pop your ravioli in and boil for 3 minutes.
During that time, brown the butter over medium heat. It’s ready when it’s foaming, smells nutty, and the solids are browned but not black. Make sure you are swirling the pan every so often so it browns evenly. When the pasta is ready add ¼ cup of pasta water into the butter and stir quickly to emulsify. Transfer the ravioli straight into the butter and let them bubble in there for a minute.
To assemble:
Place your ravioli on the plate and top with extra butter sauce. Arrange the beetroot pieces, hazelnuts, and goat cheese around the plate and scatter with fresh thyme and a small drizzle of honey over the cheese. Top with grated parm and freshly cracked pepper and salt to taste.
