A sale was once again about to determine dinner... And those of you who know me - or can read between the lines - know that's not unusual!
Two big bags of spinach for $2! Of course I bought them! Then I got busy, and didn't use them...
And then the time was rapidly approaching when my beautiful bargain spinach would soon die. So I sautéed it for a few moments... thus buying me more time. But then I decided I didn't want time, because an idea was taking form...
Ravioli... YES!
So I took about 1/2 cup of the spinach and squeezed (squoze???) as much liquid as possible out. Then I chopped it and added it to a bowl with 1/4 cup each of ricotta and Parmesan, a few gratings of nutmeg, and a little salt and pepper.
I made a batch of my delicious, fool-proof, egg-free pasta...
and rolled it out into thin sheets (#6 on my pasta roller). I placed scant tablespoons of the filling every inch or so on the top half of the dough...
Now whenever I make ravioli, I keep a glass of water at the ready. I dampen the top, bottom, and sides of the dough, and then dampen a line between each spoonful of filling. Then I drape the bottom over the filling, and carefully press around each ball of spinach to press out all of the air. Then I cut between each ravioli, pick it up, and press all cut sides together.
Yes, this seems endless and fussy but, two things: it's actually a lot of fun when you get into the sort of meditative swing of it, and the results will amaze you and your family!
Set each completed ravioli on a floured kitchen towel (I line a baking sheet with a towel to attempt to contain the flour!!!). These are now ready to be cooked in lots of well-salted water. I think it's best to bring the water to a boil, and then lower the heat JUST A BIT so it's not rolling like mad. These aren't really delicate, but why take a chance?
They can also be frozen... uncooked ...on the towel-covered tray and, once solid, placed in a bag and returned to the freezer. But I wouldn't keep them much longer than a week. They'll be OK, but they get brittle and, anyway, the real point is the freshness aspect.
We decided that, for the first taste, we'd go a very simple sauce route: just melted butter, a sprinkling of chives, and a very very light dusting of Parmesan.
All I can say is, a sale on spinach never tasted so good.
