Ricotta Ravioli with Dark Chocolate Sauce

A few months ago I wrote about my first experience with chocolate pasta. Since then I've often thought about the endless possibilities of sweet flavour combinations.

After a recent pasta-making class at Quince cooking studio in Vancouver, I promptly raced out and finally bought a pasta machine.

The cooking class was taught by chef Adam Pegg of La Quercia restaurant. Pegg studied in Italy for several years and spent much of his time studying pasta-making techniques in the Emilia-Romagna region. Emilia-Romagna is considered by many in Italy to produce some of the country's finest fresh pasta.

Pegg recalled his good fortune in spending many a day with little old ladies in their homes learning how to perfect their craft. Even as a young man Pegg couldn't keep up with the dexterous workings of those seasoned veterans. 

During class we learned how to make orecchiette (little ears), mini gnocchi, fettucine and ravioli. I've been wanting to make my own ravioli for a while, especially paper-thin sheets, which I think, makes for the best ravioli.

So I bought my new machine this Sunday morning past and set it to work as soon as I got home. Our glass dining table became a mini pasta workshop. The flour was flying. Several happy hours later I was serving ricotta and lemon zest-filled ravioli topped with a dark chocolate sauce, followed by fettucine served with shaved Himalayan truffles (the poor man's truffle, but more on that next week).

The ravioli was sublime. If you don't have a pasta machine and can't be bothered making your own then you could always substitute the pasta with Chinese dumpling wrappers but there's just something about freshly made pasta that cannot be topped.

Enjoy!

Ricotta Ravioli with Dark Chocolate Sauce
(Serves 2)

Pasta Dough

100 grams of all-purpose of 00 flour
1 egg

Ravioli Filling

3/4 cup of ricotta
2 tbs of lemon zest
1 tbs of icing sugar

Chocolate Sauce

3/4 cup of semi-sweet, dark chocolate chips
1 cup of cream

Method:

Step 1: Make a well in the flour. Crack the egg into the well. Use a fork to break the egg and mix it into the flour until combined.

Step 2: Once combined, dust your hands with flour and proceed to knead the dough. Fold it in half and then press down on it with your palm. 

Step 3: Keep kneading the dough for about 10 minutes (yes, it seems like a long time - even longer when you're doing it) until it becomes smooth. Poke a finger into the middle of the dough. If it feels even a little bit sticky then add a little more flour to the board (1 tablespoon) and keep kneading the dough.

Step 4: Clear the board or table of flour and keep kneading until the dough is smooth and firm. 

Step 5: Let the dough rest for about 15 minutes. Flour the board and use a rolling pin to flatten the dough a little. Make sure the dough is at least 2 1/2" or 7cm wide. Sprinkle a little flour on the dough and rub it on both sides. 

Step 6: Set the pasta machine on a thin setting. Roll the pasta through the machine making sure to gently pull it through the other side.

Step 7: Run the pasta through the machine again to make sure it's thin and smooth.

Step 8: Slice off the ends of the long pasta sheet so that they're neat.

Step 9: Spoon teaspoonfuls of the ricotta-lemon zest mixture along the pasta sheet length-ways with about 1 1/2" (4cm) of space in between each. Make sure you have enough space to fold the pasta over the ricotta length-ways.

Step 10: Fold the the pasta over length-ways. Use your fingers to gently press around each mound of ricotta to ensure that all the air is pushed out from the little pockets. Press the pasta down firmly to seal it. Use a sharp knife to slice between each ravioli.

Step 11: Place individual raviolis on a floured board to sit while you boil the water and make the chocolate sauce.

Chocolate Sauce

Place dark chocolate chips in a metal bowl. Place the bowl over a saucepan of hot water. Make sure the water isn't touching the bowl. Gently bring water to the boil and stir the chocolate. Add cream and stir until smooth. Remove from heat and set aside.

Boil a pot of water for the ravioli. Once the water has reached a rolling boil, gently place 6 raviolis into the water. Let them boil for about 2-3 minutes. Remove raviolis with a slotted spoon and shake them to get rid of excess water. Repeat process with remaining raviolis.

Step 12: Serve raviolis on a plate and drizzle with warm chocolate sauce.

Comments

[Meeta]

Syrie this rocks! Pasta and chocolate what a combination. I think my son will love you for this idea!

[William]

Looks lovely, you've made me feel like getting my pasta machine out again. Do you think you could do the kneading with the dough hook on a food mixer?

[Sophie]

Syrie, this looks utterly delicious! wow! Yum Yum...

[Eunice]

Syrie you never fail to amaze me! THat is gorgeous and I'm soo hungry! The flavours are amazing. I'm only wondering how you took pictures of yourself ;-) Your apron is so cute!

[VeggieGirl]

OOOOOH!!!

[Ash]

wow, chocolate goodness! I love the pics! I have a pasta machine and have yet to use it... I just might need to break it out!

[Muneeba]

You are a pasta master!

[pigpigscorner]

Love your step-by-step pictures. The filling and the chocolate sauce sounds like an awesome combination.

[Manggy]

I know!! Dumpling wrappers just aren't the same right? Unfortunately at the thinnest setting that's when my pasta gets all messed up! I think the machine isn't a great quality. Your sweet pasta looks puuuuuhfect though. Great job!

[Hayley]

This post is wonderful, and so helpful. I love all of your step-by-step photos, and the ravioli look absolutely amazing. That chocolate sauce!

[redmenace]

We are leading parallel lives! I made fresh pasta this week too. It is such a treat. I never thought of using chocolate sauce. What a fantastic idea!

[Kim da Cook]

Wow what a combination, this is just heavenly and I am not very big on chocolate, but I am going to have to make this sometime.

[Marc @ NoRecipes]

Those look so good Syrie. I can't wait to hear about the Himalayan truffles! I love that you served dessert before the fettucine:-)

[Kim Cooking]

Ricotta and chocolate sauce what a combination, very interesting indeed

[Shari]

This doesn't look so hard! Beautiful shots!

[Hillary]

Very nice dessert, probably perfect for Valentine's Day. This reminds me somewhat of the nutella ravioli my coblogger made last year :)

[Christie @ fig&cherry]

Looks wonderful - such a sexy dribble of chocolate sauce. I'm a big fan of orecchiette and would love to take a class one day.

[Fashion Bug Coupons Chick]

That sounds interesting and delicious. I'm not a huge chocolate fan but I may substitute a strawberry sauce.

[maria]

i was looking up your chocolate pasta recipe and now i find this - great stuff. what about that orange flavour you mentioned in the previous chocolate pasta post? i think it would be a perfect pair with chocolate

[ovenhaven]

I could've sworn my stomach growled the moment I opened your page :P These ravioli look perfect!

[helen]

Syrie! So nice of you to stop by! Fellow Vancouver bloggers seem few and far between. Your blog is just drool-worthy!

OK. I'll stop with the exclamation marks now.

I've been curious about Quince for a long time (such lovely interior design), and I've heard excellent reviews of La Quercia. Your pasta dough recipe is exactly the same as mine (courtesy of Andrey Durbach from Parkside). If there is a downside to making your own pasta, it's that you can never go back.

By the way, where did you find 00 flour in Vancouver?

[Syrie]

Thank you Meeta! I hope he likes it. He certainly has sophisticated tastes but I guess it's the chocolate. Who doesn't love it!

Hi William, I'm not sure about the hook mixture but I don't think so as it needs to be kneaded into a flat sort of ball. So unless the hook can do this then I'd just stick to kneading.

Oh thanks Sophie!

Heya Eunice, thanks for stopping by. I'm lucky I have a little fairy who takes them for me! Glad you like the apron! Better than seeing me in pajamas or something.

Thanks for visiting Veggiegirl!

Go for it Ash and try a dessert pasta!

Awe thanks Muneeba!

Thanks you PigPigsCorner!!

Thanks Mark! I wonder if it's too hot or something maybe try the next setting up! Thanks for stopping by and hope your exam went well.

Thanks so much Hayley. I'm glad you liked it!

RedMenace I'm coming to visit now!

Kim - you simply must and I don't overload it as it's rich enough plus I only ever use dark chocolate.

Thanks so much Marc, I know it just kind of happened and it worked out great!

Thanks Kim, I know it sounds a bit weird but it works well!

Thank you Shari!

Hillary, Nutella --- I must try it. I love the stuff, maybe with some banana in there as well. Yum.

I hope you do Christie, I love pasta classes and it's my second one. they always make it look so much easier than it is though!

I think you're thinking fashion bug, strawberry or raspberry perhaps.

Thanks for reminding me Maria, yes I'm definitely going to try the chocolate orange flavour.

Thanks Oven Haven!

Hi Helen, yes I was excited to find you. Your blog is lovely. About the flour, I am thinking commerical drive or maybe just online. I forgot to ask the chef at class but I'll check and get back to you. Great to 'meet' you!

[Dan]

hmm, looks very yummy :)

[Dan]

Hey, good to see you putting your new skills to use! I was in that class at Quince with you that night (the English guy), and have been searching for Italian "00" flour ever since. I hadn't made any since the class and finally gave in the other night using all-purpose flour.

It was ok, but I'd still like to try the "00" to compare - just wondered if you had any luck finding it? I tried everywhere on the Drive at the weekend, but shamefully, no one stocked it. I know that both De Cecco and Barilla sell their own branded "00" flour, but am amazed you can't get it anywhere in the city.

Do let me know if you find somewhere - Bosa is the only place I haven't been able to try... no car, so it's not easy to get there!

[SUSAN MORRIS]

LOVELY RECIPE. GREAT PHOTOS.
HAVE ANY IDEAS FOR A SAVORY CHOCOLATE PASTA RECIPE FOR VALENTINES DAY DINNER?
I WAS THINKING SOMETHING SOUTHERN, MAYBE SICILIAN. MAYBE SPICY.
ANYWAY, IF YOU HAVE ANY INTEREST, EMAIL ME BACK.
THANK YOU FOR SHARING!
SUE