Beet Ricotta Ravioli with Basil Butter Sauce (Barbabietola Ravioli con Salsa di Burro Basilico)

The time is here... Everything heart shaped is coming.  So, I jumped on the coming bandwagon and made these very tasty, romantic little pillows of cheesy red hearts of a healthy super-food

Ravioli is pretty, easy to make heart shaped.  The logical stuffing is some bright colorful Beet/Ricotta Cheese filling.

Filling ravioli is not terribly difficult.  Only real trick is to be sure the edges are completely sealed before you cook the ravioli.  Once you master the skill, ravioli becomes a dessert, a meat course, even a salad.  Generally these are considered a Primo course for an Italian meal.

I chose a light, nearly clear colored sauce for this.  You have the beautiful (BEETuful???) color, you don't want a sauce that hides the color.  Plus the little flecks of green against the neon pink background adds to the look.

So, Happy pre-Valentine's Day.  Hope there is fun, inventive cooking for your day.  On non-romantic days, pasta filled with cheesy beets is a specialty of the Veneto (Venice) region of Northern Italy.

This post assumes the basics of how to make your own stuffed ravioli.  If this is your first time, take a second and look over this post that includes a terrific easy to follow video that shows everything you always wanted to know...  Click HERE.

Here's What I did...

Beet Ravioli with Basil Butter Sauce (Barbabietola Ravioli con Salsa di Burro Basilico)

Ingredients

• 2 Medium Red Beets
• 1/2 Cup Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese
• 2 TBS Dried Bread Crumbs
• 1 Pound Fresh Egg Pasta
• For the Sauce
• 1 Stick Butter
• Several Leaves of Basil Cut into ribbons (reserve some for fresh garnish)
• 1/4 Cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
• Pinch of Salt
• Pepper to taste

Cooking Directions

1. OK, first cook the beets... preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Wrap beets individually in foil; place on baking sheet. Roast until tender when pierced with knife, about 1 hour. Open foil carefully (steam will escape).
3. Cool. Peel beets; finely grate into medium bowl. Add ricotta cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in breadcrumbs.
4. Roll Fresh Egg Pasta dough into sheets according to recipe. Place 1 dough sheet on work surface. Using a heart shaped cookie cutter, cut sheet into hearts.
5. Transfer hearts to lightly floured baking sheet; cover with plastic wrap. Repeat with remaining dough.
6. Sprinkle 2 smooth kitchen towels with flour.
7. Place 8 pasta hearts on work surface, keeping remaining dough covered with plastic. Place small bowl of water next to work surface. Spoon 1 teaspoon beet filling onto half of each heart. Dip fingertip into water and dampen edge of 1 heart.
8. Using a second heart, top over filling, pushing out as much air as possible and pressing edges firmly to seal. Transfer to prepared towels.
9. Repeat with remaining rounds.
10. Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat and stir in basil and Parmesan cheese; keep warm.
11. Working in batches, cook ravioli in large pot of boiling salted water until cooked through, stirring often, about 2 minutes.
12. Using slotted spoon, transfer to skillet with melted butter; toss to coat.
13. garnish with fresh Basil and Parmesan Cheese
14. Serve WARM and ENJOY!

As a romantic gimmick .. Perfect!

As a delicious change of pace pasta... Perfect!

I loved the combination of sweet cheese, rustic Earthy beets, the chewy pasta and the sauce complimented perfectly.

 Now's the time for the bold romantic gesture.  Like Heart Pasta!

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So,  I am pleased to list this as one of my Growing list of  "52 Authentic Italian Recipes"!!!

Well over 52 recipes actually as I just can't stop. The world's most popular cuisine, authentic, natural, organic, Farm to Table... the Italians started, perfected or embraced it before it became a fad. This page is a guide to Italian Cooking... For the home cook!  So, Cin Cin (toast) and Buon Appetito (Enjoy your Meal) to you all and let's Cook authentic Italian!

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