6/13

Strawberry Ravioli with Balsamic and Basil

Food, Meal Ideas, Pasta
By Emma Chapman

Strawberry Ravioli with Balsamic and Basil (via abeautifulmess.com) Do you remember when I shared that homemade kale pasta recipe? That was fun, right? Ever since I’ve been wanting to make other flavored-infused pastas. Should be simple enough, I mean I already made that kale one and that turned out great. I started dreaming about something slightly sweet, maybe with berries. Finally I decided to try to make some kind of ravioli inspired by strawberry Caprese salads because those are just too good.

First batch – too dry and kind of ho-hum tasting.

Second batch – too wet. The dough actually stuck all over my pasta rollers, and I had to let the dough that got stuck deep in the cracks dry out before I could chip it all out and clean them. AHHHHH.

This also means each time I was thinking I was about to eat pasta, and I was massively let down.

Third time turned out to be the charm for this one. The lesson: when you think something is going to be easy, it might not be, but just try to chill and also have a snack before you freak out because you’re really hungry and your dinner plan just turned into a soggy mess of dough stuck all over your kitchen.

Strawberry Ravioli with Balsamic and Basil (via abeautifulmess.com) Even if you’re not a homemade pasta maker, you can probably appreciate the lesson I went through. Life is a series of mistakes, failures, successes, and hopefully some edible carbs here and there. A wise person will take it all in stride. A less wise person will freak out and yell at her pasta attachment.

I might be the latter. But I’ll never tell. 🙂

How to make ravioliStrawberry Ravioli with Balsamic and Basil, serves 2-3 as a meal or many as an appetizer

12 strawberries (about 6.5 oz)
2 tablespoons water
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 eggs

For the filling:
8 oz. ricotta cheese
2 oz. shredded mozzarella
2 cloves of garlic, minced
salt + pepper

For serving:
balsamic vinegar reduction (homemade or store-bought)
fresh basil
Parmesan cheese

First, cut the tops off the strawberries. Add those and the water to a food processor or good blender and puree. You should have around 3/4 cup liquid or a little less.

In a large bowl, measure out the flour and create a well in the center. Add the eggs to the well. Pour in the strawberry mixture and stir until a dough ball begins to form. Use your clean hands and a floured surface to knead the dough for 2-3 minutes. Cover and allow the dough to rest for at least 10 minutes.

How to make strawberry pastaIn the meantime, in a medium bowl, stir together the ricotta, shredded mozzarella, minced garlic, and a generous sprinkle of both salt and pepper. Set aside.

Roll the dough out until very thin. I used my KitchenAid pasta roller attachment and rolled each piece to level 3. If you want to read more about rolling out pasta, click here.

Place one sheet of pasta on a lightly floured cutting board or work surface you can cut on. Spoon or use a pastry bag to add small dots (about 1/2 tablespoon) of filling. Place another sheet on top, and use a pizza cutter or pasta cutter to cut out the ravioli, trapping the filling in the center.

To cook, boil the ravioli in salted water for 5 minutes (fresh pasta cooks faster than dry pasta). Check a piece for doneness and strain.

Strawberry Ravioli with Balsamic and Basil (via abeautifulmess.com)Drizzle on the balsamic vinegar reduction, sprinkle on some fresh basil, and top with Parmesan cheese. Enjoy the fruits of your labor. 🙂 Happy pasta making! xx. Emma

Credits // Author and Photography: Emma Chapman. Photos edited with A Beautiful Mess actions. 

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