Egg Yolk Raviolo with Ricotta, Peppercorn & Pecorino

Directions

• Filling
• Toast peppercorns in a small dry skillet over medium heat, shaking the pan often, until fragrant, 3 minutes. Transfer to a spice grinder or mortar and pestle and process until semi-fine.
• Combine the ricotta, pecorino, and black pepper in a food processor or mixing bowl. Pulse or mix vigorously to combine until smooth and creamy. Add more pecorino if you’d like; season to taste with salt. Transfer the filling to a piping bag and refrigerate until use.
• Pasta
• Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and dust with semolina flour. Cut off one-third of the dough and rewrap the remainder immediately.
• To roll the pasta, cut 1/3 of the dough and keep the rest under wrap. On a lightly floured surface and with your hands, flatten the dough into a rectangular shape that is thin enough to go through the #1 setting on your pasta machine. Run it through and then fold it in on itself so the two ends meet in the center. This helps keep it square. Run it through #1 again.
• After you have run it through twice on #1, change the setting on the machine one notch to #2 and run through again. Continue this process until you have reached your desired thickness. For ravioli, I prefer #8.
• Once you have a long, thin sheet of pasta, lay it on a work surface (ideally wood, which helps prevent the dough from sticking) and trim the ends of any uneven areas. If you don’t have a wooden surface, dust some flour on the bottom of the pasta sheet and your countertop.
• Fold the pasta sheet in half crosswise and make a crease to mark the midpoint, then unfold it again. Cut down the line of the crease so you have two even pieces. Cover one piece with a damp dish cloth or plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out.
• Assembly
• For round ravioli, use a 4″ or larger cutter to lightly mark the outlines of the ravioli across one half of the pasta sheets. Make sure not to cut through, and leave just under a ½” of space between each circle and the edges of the sheet. This will be your guide for where to place the filling.
• For square ravioli, make light marks every 4 or 5″ along the full length of the pasta sheet. This will be your guide for where to place the filling.
• With the piping bag tip snipped to about ½ inch, pipe an open circle of filling in the center of each shape—it should be large enough to fit an egg yolk snugly. Then pipe another layer of filling on top of the first, so you have a little nest. Very carefully slide one egg yolk into the nest. Putting the egg yolk into a small bowl will make this part easier. Repeat all along the full sheet of pasta.
• Add a small amount of water around each filling with your finger. Carefully lay the other pasta sheet on top, making sure everything is completely covered (you can stretch the dough a bit if needed). Before cutting, gently trace your fingers around the dough overlaying each dollop of filling to remove any air, pressing it out toward the nearest exit to prevent the ravioli from bursting when cooked.
• Using a fluted pasta cutter, sharp knife, or large cookie cutter, trim the excess pasta dough into a square or round.
• Firmly pinch the edges of the raviolo to seal once more and thin them out (if you’d like, use the tines of a fork to press the edges closed, too). Transfer the raviolo to the prepared sheet pan. Repeat with the other half of the pasta sheet, and then repeat with the remaining two-thirds of dough until you have as many ravioli as you’d like.
• Bring a large pot of water to a gentle (not rolling) boil, then salt it generously. Working with no more than 4 of the ravioli at a time, cook until the edges are tender, about 5 minutes (you will finish for an additional minute in the sauce). Use the back of a spoon to push the edges under the water as needed. Cook the remaining ravioli.
• Make sure the sauce you are using is warming on the stove in a large enough pan to fit all the pasta. Transfer the raviolo to the sauce with a spider or slotted spoon and swirl gently to coat. Allow to meld with sauce for about a minute until al dente.
• Divide among plates and serve immediately.