Ravioli alla Vernantina
Ravioli alla Vernantina or ravioli with leek and potato filling is a typical dish from the mountains of Piedmont. The recipe allegedly derives from the village of Vernante some 15 km south of Cuneo on the way towards Limone.
I have passed through Vernante in Piedmont once on the way from Cuneo via Limone and the one way tunnel and mountain pass to France and Ventimiglia. A spectacular journey on small roads that might or might not be negotiable. Given the circumstances I hardly noticed the small town lined with ski-sports hotels getting ready for the start of a new season, and that’s a pity as Vernante is famous for the spring water that sustained Pope Pio VII, when he passed through Vernante in 1809 as Napoleon’s prisoner, as well as culinary treats such as stuffed onions, a maize and pumpkin pie and the ravioli with leek and potato filling, known as ravioli alla Vernantina. A dish I often make at home in memory of our drive through the Alpi Marittime.
Ingredients
Serves 4
For the pasta
250 g 00 flour
2 eggs
Water
For the filling
200 g boiled and peeled potatoes
3 leeks
100 g spinach
1 egg
2 tbsp grated Parmasan
1 pinch of grated nutmeg
Salt, pepper and olive oil
Fresh parsley
Preparation
Make a mount of flour on a clean tabletop
Break the eggs into the middle of the mount and start stirring.
Add a drop of water if necessary
When the eggs have been fully incorporated, knead the pasta into a smooth and non-sticky dough.
Wrap the dough in cling film and leave it to rest in the fridge for at least an hour.
Meanwhile prepare the filling
Clean the leeks and cut the white parts in thin slices.
Heat a little olive oil on a frying pan and sauté the leeks until they become soft.
Add cleaned and finely chopped spinach to the pan and let it simmer.
Pass the boiled and peeled potatoes through a potato masher and mix with egg, grated cheese, salt, pepper and grated nutmeg.
Fold leek and spinach mixture into the mash.
Run the dough through the pasta machine at 1 for 10 times, before gradually decreasing the width as much as possible.
Cut the thin pasta sheets into discs of your preferred size.
Place a spoonful of filling on half the pasta discs.
Use the other half of the pasta discs to cover the filling.
Seal the edges by pressing the two pasta discs together.
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil.
Cook the ravioli with leek and potato filling for 4 minutes.
Ravioli alla Vernantina are traditionally served with browned mountain butter, plenty of freshly grated cheese and a sprinkling of parsley.
Ravioli alla Vernantina, or ravioli with leek and potato filling is a typical dish from the Piedmont mountains along the French border. My stuffing is a bit chunky. If you want a less rustic looking ravioli, you should mince the filling as finely as possible.
Italian Notes
Italian Notes
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