Forager's Ravioli

• ‘00’ pasta flour↗150g g

  plus extra for dusting

• egg↗1

  and 2 yolks, lightly beaten

• olive oil↗½ tbsp tbsp
• wild young nettles↗100g g

  (or spinach if no nettles)

• ricotta↗100g g

  (homemade if possible, see tip)

• parmesan↗25g g

  (or vegetarian alternative), grated, plus shavings for serving

• finely chopped lemon thyme1 tbsp tbsp

  leaves, plus extra for serving

• lemon↗1

  zest, half in filling, half for serving

• unsalted butter↗40g g
• a splash of whey

  (if you made your own ricotta)

• a handful of roasted hazelnuts

  chopped, for serving

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   First make the dough. Place the flour in a food processor together with ¾ of your egg mixture and a pinch of salt. Mix until large crumbs form – they should clump together into a dough when pressed (if it feels a bit dry, gradually add a little more egg). Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 1 minute or until smooth and elastic – don’t worry if it’s quite firm, it will soften during resting. Cover with film and let rest for 30 minutes.

2. 2

   Meanwhile prepare the filling. Bring a pot of water to a boil and, wearing gloves, add the nettles. Cook for 2‑3 minutes until softened and the bite is gone. Drain, then place on a kitchen towel and squeeze out as much water as possible. Roughly chop, mix with the other filling ingredients and season generously.

3. 3

   Cut off a quarter of the dough (keep the rest covered) and run it through the widest setting of your pasta machine. (If you don’t have a machine, use a heavy rolling pin to roll the dough as thin as possible.) Then fold it into thirds, rotate the dough a quarter turn and run through the machine again. Repeat once more, then continue passing the dough through, gradually narrowing the rollers one notch at a time until you obtain a smooth pasta sheet. On the thinnest setting, run the sheet through twice.

4. 4

   Place the pasta sheet on a lightly floured surface, then spoon teaspoons of filling onto the lower half of the sheet, spaced about 4 cm apart. Moisten the edges around each mound of filling with your fingers. Fold the upper half over the filling and gently press, ensuring any air pockets are removed.

5. 5

   Cut between each ravioli using a pasta cutter or sharp knife, then pinch the edges of each ravioli to ensure they are well sealed. Place them on a lightly floured tray while you repeat the process with the remaining dough and filling.

6. 6

   Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. In a large non‑stick skillet melt the butter over medium heat and cook for 2‑3 minutes until it turns a golden‑nutty colour. Remove from heat and whisk in a splash of whey (or water). Cook the ravioli for 2‑3 minutes, lift them with a slotted spoon and immediately toss in the brown butter sauce. Serve sprinkled with lemon thyme leaves, lemon zest, parmesan shavings and hazelnuts.