Wild Mushroom Ravioli with Summer Truffle Butter and Hazelnuts

I love this time of year for coming up with new recipes. There is just so much great produce around. This is one of my favourite Italian dishes to do. It does cost a few quid to make but give it a go for a special occasion or a date night dinner! This recipe will serve 4.

You will need:

For the filling:

100g Forestiere Mushrooms (0r chestnut mushrooms)

30g Dried Porcini (rehydrated and chopped)

50g Chanterelles (if you can’t get hold of them just pick any mushroom of your choice)

2 Banana Shallots

1 Clove Garlic

150g Ricotta Cheese

2 tbs Finely Grated Parmesan

1 tsp Fresh Thyme

Plenty of Cracked Black pepper

Salt

For the Pasta

200g Double Zero Pasta Flour

2 Eggs

For the Garnish

2 Tbs White Truffle Butter (truffle hunter.co.uk)

Fresh Summer Truffle (trufflehunter.co.uk)

Chives

Hazelnuts

Grated Parmesan

1. First of all make your pasta. In a bowl add the flour then crack in your eggs. Stir with a spoon until its as mixed in as possible. Then using your hands bring the mixture together in to a ball before transferring to a floured surface. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes until it is smooth and slightly spongey. Cover with clingfilm then place in the fridge

2. Pour boiling water over the porcini and leave for 30 minutes before draining, gently squeezing out the excess water and chopping. Then very finely chop the mushrooms, shallots and garlic.

3. In a pan add a few tablespoons of olive oil and heat to a high temperature. Add the mushrooms, garlic, thyme and shallots and fry until they just start to brown. Season well with salt and plenty of black pepper. Grate in 4/5 rasps of the fresh truffle and stir. Take off the heat and set aside to cool completely.

4. Once cooled stir in the ricotta and parmesan. Check the seasoning and add more salt and pepper if needed or even a little more parmesan.

5. Time to make the ravioli. Diving the pasta dough in half and roll through your machine at the thickest setting. Dust the pasta with flour to prevent it sticking. Repeat bringing the roller in each time. You want to aim for a very fine pasta that you can see your hand through from the other side. (if you don’t have a pasta machine you can absolutely roll the pasta using a rolling pin on a well floured surface.

5. Once you have 2 long sheets of pasta lay the bottom sheet on a floured surface and then dot your filling with around 3-4cm gap in between each. You will need about 1 tsp of the mix per ravioli. Using a pastry brush then brush a little water around the mixture. Carefully lay over the top sheet of pasta and using your fingertips press around the ravioli ensuring there are no air bubble and the top sheet is stuck to the bottom. Then using a scone cutter cut out your ravioli.

6. I like to pop the ravioli back in to the fridge for 10-15 minutes covered with clingfilm just to firm up.

7. In a deep pan of well salted water then drop in your ravioli. They won’t take long to cook. Around 3-4 minutes or until they start to float in the water. Meanwhile drop 3 tbs of the truffle butter in a pan and gently melt until foaming. Finely slice a few hazelnuts and around a tablespoon of chives.

8. Drain the pasta and arrange in each dish. Then knapp over some of the truffle butter. Finish with the hazelnuts, a few shavings of truffle, the chives and a final grating of parmesan.

Enjoy!