Admittedly, making ravioli requires time, and a considerable amount of it at that. Don’t let this put you off. The process is not only rewarding, but meditative as well. Working the pasta through each of the settings on your pasta machine until it is silky smooth allows plenty of time for reflection and soul-searching, should you be that way inclined! Whilst the pasta-making itself is time-intensive, the steps that follow are straightforward and take very little time to complete.
I spent a year in Paris as an au pair when I left school. I had an amazing time and if there is one meal that sticks in my mind (admittedly there are many more than just one!), it was a simple ravioli dish that I shared with my host mother, Anne-Marie, in a little restaurant in a quaint Parisian arrondissement called Le Marais. As it was several years ago now I struggle to remember exactly what the ravioli was filled with, but the taste and texture of the food, intensified by the beautiful surroundings, left a lasting impression.
I developed this particular ravioli recipe with eggplant in mind, having decided that it is a sadly under-utilised vegetable. So these pillowy pasta pockets are filled with eggplant, the flavour of which takes on a deliciously rich and complex character when roasted. The pairing of the mint pesto with the ravioli provides a fresh, zesty contrast, perfectly complemented by the sweet, nutty pecorino cheese which is generously sprinkled over the top of the pasta to finish the dish off.
See the previous post for fresh egg pasta recipe.