“Making your own pasta for ravioli is fun, but can be time-consuming. This is the ultimate shortcut, using lasagne sheets simply boiled until soft and folded over to enclose the rich, sweet and savoury sweet potato filling,” says Rosie Reynolds. “Frying the ravioli crisps up the outside of the pasta, which works wonderfully with the soft, creamy filling. One of my favourite things about this dish is that it looks rather fancy and would definitely pass as a sophisticated dinner party meal.”
Read more: Classic dinner party menus from the 1950s to the 2000s
“I use sweet potato because I find squash and pumpkin can be difficult to work with, when you’re time poor and looking for a quick meal. A sweet potato does the trick perfectly and is easy to handle – it can be peeled, chopped and cooked in minutes and tastes every bit as delicious. Crisp, fried sage is the perfect finish to this dish. It adds a great texture and the taste of sage fried in brown butter is sublime – fry up a few extra to nibble on with some flaky salt,” adds Ms Reynolds.
Sweet potato ravioli from The Shortcut Cook by Rosie Reynolds
Serves: 2
Ingredients
- 500g sweet potatoes, cut into 1cm cubes
- 50g Parmesan, finely grated fresh nutmeg, for grating
- Pinch of ground cinnamon
- 6 dried pre-cooked lasagne sheets
- Olive oil, for cooking and drizzling
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 24 sage leaves
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Read more: Five benefits of sweet potato
Method
Put the sweet potato into a heatproof bowl with one tablespoon of water, cover with cling film and cook in the microwave on high for three to five minutes, or until very tender, checking halfway through. Drain off any excess liquid and mash with a fork. Add two-thirds of the Parmesan to the bowl, along with a generous grating of nutmeg and the cinnamon. Season to taste and set aside.
Bring a large frying pan (skillet) of salted water to the boil. Add the pasta and a drizzle of oil to stop the sheets sticking, then cook for 12 minutes, or for two minutes longer than the packet instructions. Drain and separate the sheets, then let cool for a few minutes.
Cut each lasagne sheet in half with kitchen scissors, so you have 12 squares. Dollop one tablespoon of the sweet potato mixture into the middle of each square and top each one with a sage leaf. Fold the pasta over the filling to form a rough triangle and press to seal the edges together. Leave to cool on a lightly oiled tray.
Read more: Spicy Mushroom Lasagne
Dry the pan and return it to a high heat, then add the butter and a splash of oil. When the butter is foaming, add the remaining sage leaves and cook until they are dark green and crisp. Remove and set aside. Add the cooled ravioli to the pan and cook for two minutes on each side until golden at the edges and crisp. Divide between two plates and serve with the remaining Parmesan, sage leaves and a drizzle of olive oil.
Make ahead: The filling can be made up to two days in advance and chilled. The assembled ravioli will sit happily in the fridge on a lightly oiled tray for two days.
The shortcut: Using lasagne sheets means this ravioli can be whipped up any day of the week – no fresh pasta-making here – while the sweet potato filling is made in minutes when you use the microwave.
The Shortcut Cook by Rosie Reynolds, photography by Louise Hagger, is published by Hardie Grant, available now.
Have you ever tried making your own pasta? What do you think of this shortcut?
– With PA
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