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Shrimp and Lemon Ravioli with Basil Pesto

These daisy shaped ravioli are stuffed with shrimp, ricotta and lemon zest and then tossed in a simple basil pesto. They are light and creamy and the lemon zest give them a bit of a zing, that plays perfectly off the pesto. While making ravioli from scratch is a labor of love, your taste buds will thank you and I can’t think of a more delicious way to usher in Spring!
Serves 6-8
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Course Pasta

Ingredients
  

For the filling

  • 1 1/2 cups cooked shrimp, chopped
  • 1 3/4 cups ricotta cheese
  • 1/3 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
  • 2 Tbspns lemon zest
  • 1/4 tspn salt
  • pepper qb

For the pasta dough

  • 3 cups flour
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/4 tspn pinch of salt
  • 1 tspn olive oil

For the pesto

  • 6 cups young basil leaves, tightly packed
  • 1/4 heaping tspn salt
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 4 Tbspns pine nuts
  • 2 Tbspns ricotta cheese
  • 2 Tbspns plain yogurt
  • olive oil qb

Instructions
 

  • To begin, place the flour and salt in a mound on a large work surface and form a well in the middle. Add the eggs and olive oil to the well.
  • Using a fork, scramble the eggs. Then, using your fingers, gradually incorporate the ingredients until they form a dough. If necessary, add water in small increments until the dough comes together. Then, knead the dough for 5 to 6 minutes, cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest for 30 minutes.
  • While the dough is resting, make the filling. Combine the chopped shrimp, ricotta cheese, lemon zest, thyme, salt, pepper and egg, and mix until well combined. Then, set the filling aside.
  • After the dough has rested cut off an egg sized chunk of dough and cover the remaining dough so it doesn’t dry out. Dust the dough with flour, flatten it into a disk and run it through the widest setting on a pasta roller. Adjust the setting on the pasta roller to the next widest setting and repeat. If the dough sticks to the rollers, or it looks pitted as it comes out the bottom of the roller, dust with flour. Continue this process until the dough is about 1/8″ thick.
  • Trim the ends of the sheet so they are square. To assemble the ravioli, brush one sheet of dough with water. Then, place 1 teaspoon of filling on the dough spaced about one inch apart.
  • Cover the filling with the top sheet of pasta, pressing out the air from around each portion of filling. Press firmly around the filling to seal. Cover the filling with the other sheet of pasta and cut out the ravioli. Lay the ravioli on a sheet pan sprinkled with flour and continue making the ravioli until you have used up all the dough.
  • At this point, you can cook them or freeze them. If you plan to cook them the same day, set a pot of salted water over high heat.
  • Then, make the sauce. To make the pesto, add the basil, salt, garlic, pine nuts, ricotta and yogurt to a food processor and pulse until ingredients are combined. Stream in the olive oil and blitz until well blended. Transfer the pesto to a serving bowl and set aside.
  • When the water comes to a rolling boil, add the ravioli and cook for about 2 minutes or until they rise to top. Carefully remove the ravioli from the water with a strainer and place them in the sauce. Toss gently to coat with the pesto.
  • Add a small amount of pasta water to loosen the sauce, if needed. Top with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and you are ready to serve!