Nothing says ‘I love you’ quite like making fresh pasta for your significant other – which is why this pretty-in-pink ravioli recipe is our ultimate Valentine’s Day dish. Filled with lemony king prawns and doused in a deliciously rich champagne beurre blanc sauce, it’s a real taste of luxury that’s really each to recreate at home.
To make the pasta, mix the flour and a generous pinch of salt in a bowl or on a work surface
Blend together the egg yolks, beetroot and olive oil until smooth, then make a well in the middle of the flour and pour in the mixture. Gradually incorporate the flour until a dough forms, then knead firmly for 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic (you can also do this in a stand mixer with a dough hook attached). Wrap the dough tightly and leave to rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes (or up to 2 days)
For the filling, put the 150g of prawns in a food processor and pulse a few times until finely chopped (but not puréed). Add the cream, lemon zest and a pinch of salt and pepper. Pulse a few more times to combine, then transfer to a bowl and fold in the chives. Cover and chill for 20 minutes
Unwrap the rested pasta and roll it through your pasta machine, starting on the widest setting and gradually working down in thickness until you have a long, thin sheet (around setting 6). Cut the pasta into shorter sheets if needed to make it easier to work with
Take a sheet of pasta and use a teaspoon or piping bag to add small, neat mounds of the prawn filling to the bottom half of the sheet. Fold the pasta over the top, pressing gently around each mound to remove any air bubbles. Use a pasta cutter (fluted if possible) to cut a square around each mound to create ravioli. Set them aside on a tray dusted with semolina or flour while you work
Once all the filling is used up, cover the tray with a tea towel until you’re ready to cook the ravioli
To make the sauce, first bring a large pan of salted water to the boil (this is for the ravioli). Add the Champagne, shallot and vinegar to a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Reduce until you have around 2 tbsp of liquid left
Lower the heat and start whisking in the butter, a few cubes at a time, until you have a glossy, emulsified sauce. Season gently with salt and white pepper, then pass through a fine sieve into a jug. Keep warm but do not allow to boil
Drop the ravioli into the boiling salted water and cook for 2-3 minutes. Put a frying pan over a high heat with a dash of olive oil and cook the prawns for a minute or 2 on each side until they turn pink
Lift the ravioli out of the water with a slotted spoon and divide among plates. Season the prawns with salt and a squeeze of lemon juice. Stir the trout roe into the warm sauce, then spoon this generously over the pasta. Arrange the prawns on top, then finish with a few fronds of dill and a twist of black pepper
Please sign in or register to send a comment to Great British Chefs.