We struggle to think of a more perfect pairing than that of fiery ‘nduja sausage and tangy Taleggio cheese. In these delicious ravioli we marry together the flavours of southern and northern Italy, rejoicing in the delicious matrimony of regions that are often at odds with each other. The harmony that is encountered in this dish, between treasures of the north and south, is simply sublime. We take our inspiration today specifically from the regions of Calabria and Lombardy, using some of the most iconic ingredients that they have to offer. ‘Nduja is a spicy sausage from Calabria made with native chillies and it has a spreadable, pâté-like consistency. Taleggio is a type of semi-soft cheese named after Val Taleggio, an Alpine valley in Lombardy. The mild, almost-fruity tang of the Taleggio perfectly complements the heat of the ‘nduja.
Make our ‘nduja & taleggio ravioli
Serves: 4
Prep time: 1½ hours
Calories per serving: 876 kcal
Ingredients
For the pasta:
- 400g “00” flour
- 4 large eggs
For the filling:
- 200g ‘Nduja
- 200g Taleggio
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Method
Making the pasta sheet for your ravioli is very simple and we’ve outlined the process in the steps below. You can also follow along with our Head Chef Roberta as she makes fresh pasta dough from scratch in the video below.
Step 1: Making the pasta dough
- Start by making a mound with your flour on a wooden board or clean work surface. Then make a well in the centre to form a crater-like shape.
- Crack the eggs into the centre and, with a fork, start whisking to combine flour and egg, slowly incorporating more and more of the flour from the edges of the crater as you go until you’re left with a thick mixture.
- At this stage the mixture becomes too sticky for the fork so we recommend using your hands (or a dough scraper if you have one) to incorporate the rest of the flour.
- Form the mixture into a ball of dough and begin kneading it.
Step 2: Kneading the dough
- To knead, drag the dough forward with your palm, using the other hand to hold it steady. Then pull the stretched dough back over, turn it around and start again. Repeat this process until you’re left with a firm, smooth consistency.
- We recommend 10-20 minutes of kneading to create a nice elastic dough. A good way of checking if you’ve kneaded the dough well is to press your finger into the centre. As you lift your finger away, the dough should spring back up.
Step 3: Resting the dough
- Wrap the dough in a tea towel (a more sustainable alternative to cling film) and set aside to rest for about 20-30 minutes at room temperature. This is a good time to prepare the filling for your ravioli.
Step 4: Making the filling
- Grate the Taleggio and combine with the ‘nduja in a large bowl.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Store in the fridge until your ready to form your ravioli
Step 5: Rolling the dough
- Once rested, unwrap the dough and divide it into two pieces. Cover one half with the tea towel to keep it from drying out and set aside. Press the remaining piece of dough into a flat circle using your hands. Next, take a rolling pin and begin rolling out the dough to create a thin sheet. This will take a little while if you’re doing it by hand, so if you have a pasta machine now is the moment to put it to use, however this is not by any means an essential piece of kit!
- When your pasta sheet, called a sfoglia, is ready, you should be able to see your hand through it.
Step 6: Shaping the ravioli
- Even off the edges of your pasta sheet and cut it in half so that you have two even strips side by side. Spoon your filling, at even intervals (roughly 5cm apart), down the middle of the first strip. Don’t forget you’ve got another piece of dough to roll out, so only use half of the filling at this stage.
- Wet the edges of the two strips with a pastry brush and place the second strip directly on top of the piece with the filling on. Gently press the dough to eliminate excess pockets of air.
- Seal the dough firmly around the edges and between each lump of filling.
- Now take your ravioli cutter if you have one and cut out the individual ravioli, ensuring they’re tightly sealed so the filling can’t escape.
Step 7: Cooking the ravioli
- Bring a large saucepan of generously salted water to the boil. Carefully place your homemade ravioli into the pan and cook for 3 minutes.
- Serve with a melted sage butter and a sprinkling of Parmigiano Reggiano!
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