Lamb and Caramelized Onion Ravioli
The lamb filling wrapped in the beautifully colored beet pasta make not only a delicious Valentine’s Day dinner, but also a damn cute one too!!
Homemade ravioli are worth every single second they take to make; once you make your first batch you will be hooked! A huge plus is that they freeze great as well- just put them on a parchment lined baking sheet, into the freezer for a few hours until they are frozen solid, pop them in an airtight container or zip top bag, and keep them in the freezer until you are ready to boil.
Lamb and Caramelized Onion Ravioli
1/2 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped cremini mushrooms
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 lb ground lamb
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon Trader Joe’s Italian Style Soffritto Seasoning Blend (optional)
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 egg
Prepare the BEET PASTA DOUGH
While the pasta dough is resting, make the lamb ravioli filling
Heat a 8 - 10 inch cast iron skillet on the stovetop over medium heat, add olive oil, thinly sliced onion, chopped cremini mushrooms, and minced garlic. Let cook while stirring occasionally until onions have caramelized, about 10 minutes.
Transfer caramelized onions and mushrooms to a medium size mixing bowl; set aside.
Add ground lamb, thyme, rosemary, salt, pepper, and soffritto seasoning to the cast iron pan; stir to combine and brown lamb over medium heat for approximately 5 - 7 minutes.
Transfer cooked lamb to the mixing bowl with the caramelized onion mixture, set aside until cool.
After the ground lamb and onions are cool, add ricotta cheese; use a spoon to stir until combined.
Beat 1 egg in a small bowl; set aside.
When dough has finished resting, divide into 4 pieces and begin rolling dough as directed in the recipe. (leaving each of the 4 sections in the full “sheet” of pasta dough)
Working on a floured surface begin making ravioli.
If making hearts check to see how many will fit on the sheet of pasta to gauge where you will place your filling, you can lightly press the heart shaped cutter to make a small indentation on the bottom layer to act as a “guide” on where to place filling. Make sure not to put too much filling in each or you will not be able to seal the edges.
Place a small amount of filling evenly spaced down the sheet of pasta dough, lightly brush beaten egg around filling on pasta dough, carefully add the second sheet of pasta dough on top of the filling.
Gently press around each area of filling to work air out and seal around edges; once all have been sealed around, use a cookie cutter to cut out the heart shape OR use a pizza cutter to cut into square ravioli.
Continue process with the second set of pasta dough.
To cook: Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil, add ravioli to the boiling water (they will have to be cooked in a few batches to not over fill the pot); let boil for 3 - 4 minutes, ravioli will float to the top when done.
**Serve topped with a browned butter thyme (or sage) sauce and fresh ground salt/pepper.
In a cast iron skillet or frying pan, brown 1/2 cup butter over medium heat while stirring continuously. Butter will foam up and when the foam subsides you will see the little browned milk solids at the bottom, this can take 3-5 minutes. Once you see the little milk solid “bits” at the bottom of the pan add 2 teaspoons fresh thyme or chopped fresh sage, let cook for an additional 1 - 2 minutes while stirring. Drizzle over cooked ravioli.