members recipes

This is the simplest pasta recipe you\'ll ever find - no machines, just your hands and a rolling pin. Perhaps not traditional but I\'ve converted a number of non-cooks into making their own pasta with this recipe. Makes about 20 ravioli.

Ingredients
For the filling:
2 medium (fist-sized) beetroots
250g mascarpone
2inch piece Parmesan cheese, finely grated
Freshly ground black pepper

For the pesto:
40-50 podded broad beans, skin removed from each bean
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
50g grated Parmesan cheese
½ tsp crushed sea salt
8 black peppercorns, crushed and ground in a pestle and mortar
30g fresh basil leaves
10g fresh mint, leaves only
1 tbsp unsalted butter
Juice and zest from ½ lemon
50-75ml extra virgin olive oil
For the pasta dough:
230g plain flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 large eggs
55ml water
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Method
1. First, make the filling:

Boil the beetroots for 1 hour, until you can pierce right through to the centre. Rub skin off with your fingers. Cut into 1inch dice. Blitz in food processor with the mascarpone until smooth. Add the Parmesan. Season.

2. Now, it\'s pesto time:

Place all the ingredients (bar the oil) in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until roughly chopped. Add a splash of the olive oil, blend more. Continue, adding the oil slowly until you have a really rustic, fresh pesto. Pop into a container with a lid. Place enough parchment paper over the top to keep the colour and freshness and store until ready to use (up to 4 hours before serving).

NOTE: instead of pesto, you could dress your ravioli with melted butter and a splash of olive oil, a scattering of gently cooked broad beans out of their shell (and white skin), toasted pinenuts, fresh basil and mint leaves, grated or shaved Parmesan and a little drizzle of aged balsamic!

3. Make your pasta dough folks:

Sift the flour and salt. Make well in the centre. Break eggs in the centre. Add oil and water. Mix using your hands until you have a soft dough - add drops of water if it\'s too dry. Knead on a floured surface for 5 minutes, until smooth and elastic.

Quarter the dough. Roll on a floured surface until 1/2cm thick. Cut into 3cm diameter rounds using a glass or jar as a cutter. Then, roll each round as thin as you can get it. Pair the circles. Brush one half with water.

4. Time to fill your ravioli:

Add 1tsp of filling to each water-brushed circle. Top with the other circle in the pair and seal, patting sides down and drawing out any air pockets. Re-cut ravioli using the same glass/jar - this will tidy the edges. Dust with flour. Place on a baking sheet, cover with a dry cloth. Continue with remaining dough.

5. Ready to cook:

Bring a very large pot of salted water to the boil. Cook in batches of 6 for 3-5 minutes - until glossy and cooked through. Use slotted spoon to remove from pan, place in a colander, drizzle with oil, plate and spoon pesto over. Garnish with a tangle of rocket, dressed in a dash of aged balsamic.