sungold cherry tomato and ricotta ravioli
summer in a bite
what you need
for the filling
a few handfuls of sungold cherry tomatoes (about ~20 oz)
1 shallot, peeled and halved
two sprigs of thyme
olive oil
salt and pepper
ricotta* (10-15 oz) (ideally fresh, or you can try making it from scratch)
for the pasta
your favorite pasta dough recipe, I used this recipe from NYT Cooking
for the sauce
unsalted butter
reserved sungold tomato sauce
pasta water or reserved whey from ricotta
freshly grated parmesan cheese
basil and/or basil oil (for serving)
*ricotta note: look for fresh ricotta or try making it from scratch, it’s not hard! I actually used a cheese making kit (lol) but trusty Ina’s recipe looks perfect
what you do
for the filling
if making ricotta, make and drain well.
combine tomatoes, shallots, thyme, a glug of oil, and salt + pepper in a sauce pan. cover and heat over medium. when tomatoes begin to sweat and release their juices (5 mins), turn the heat up to med-high and continue to cook, covered, for ~10 mins or until the tomatoes and shallot are soft and a chunky sauce begins to form. you can help this along by using a spatula to mash the tomatoes as they soften to release their juices. turn off heat and then use an immersion blender (or transfer to a blender) and blend until completely smooth. Taste and season with more salt and pepper as needed. cool completely.
make the filling by combining ricotta with some of the cooled sauce in a ~4:1 ratio. the goal is to pack the ricotta with as much flavor as possible without make it a soupy mess that is impossible to fill ravioli. add less sauce to start and continue until you are happy with the flavor and consistency. (as with all of my recipes, there are no rules! so really add as much or little as tastes good to you). if your filling gets too loose, add some grated parmesan to help thicken. transfer to a pastry bag (or large ziplock bag) and chill until ready to fill ravioli.
for the pasta
make ravioli dough then roll out sheets to a ‘6’ thickness on a pasta machine. depending on the dough recipe, use flour or semolina to prevent the dough from sticking to your counter. if available, use a ravioli mold to shape and fill, using egg wash (1 egg beaten with a splash of water) to seal the layers. alternatively, lay out one sheet of dough and use a small round cup (~2-3 in in diameter) to mark out each ravioli by lighltly pressing into the dough. pipe about 1 tbsp of filling into the center of each circle. brush around the filling with egg wash, then lay a second sheet of pasta across the top. gently press around the filling to seal, pushing out any air to prevent air pockets. use your cup to press down firmly and cut out each ravioli. press around the filling once more to secure the seal. store on a sheet tray dusted with flour or semolina and store, uncovered, in your fridge until ready to cook.
for the sauce
add ravioli to a pot of boiling, salted water. In a sauce pan, melt ~2 tbsp of butter. add reserved sungold tomato sauce. heat until bubbling, and then add a few spoonfuls of reserved whey or pasta water from ravioli. swirl to combine and emulsify. when ravioli are cooked (3-4 mins), transfer directly from the water to the sauce, then add freshly grated parm. swirl to combine and melt the cheese. serve immediately, with a few drops of basil and a sprig of basil.
