Wild Sorrel Ravioli with Burnt Butter and Garlic

One of the perks of having a slightly disheveled and exuberant veggie patch are the edible weeds that spring up in the spaces to defy the logic of nice neat rows. Purslane, nettles, wild rocket and wild fennel are some of my favourites, along with the little wild sorrel that I call sheep sorrel. This plant can be quite invasive and spreads underground through dense root mats, so I do try and contain its growth, however the small spear shaped leaves are so delicious that it’s worth fostering a small patch for summer salad leaves alone.

Like regular sorrel, these leaves have a fresh lemony taste (the sourness coming from the relatively high levels of oxalic acid in the leaves) but what makes them really special is the way that the leaves seem to burst with juicy flavour when you bite into them.  Their only downside (okay, other than the small matter of being invasive) is that when cooked, despite being just as delicious taste wise, their bright green freshness becomes a rather disconcerting olive drab.  Perfect for a ravioli filling then!

INGREDIENTS (SERVES FOUR)

2 eggs, lightly whisked (to yield around 100 ml of liquid – if less top up with water)

200 grams Tipo 00 flour

One medium sized brown onion, finely chopped

A colander full of wild sorrel leaves – look for smaller leaves that are plump and fresh looking. Use French sorrel if you can’t find any growing wild.

Half a cup of raw almonds, pounded in a mortar and pestle to bread crumb size so that there are a mix of smaller and larger pieces plus a little extra for finishing

A handful of best quality white sourdough bread (for example Irrewarra), soaked in water and then squeezed to removed excess liquid (the soaked and squeezed bread should weigh about 95 grams)

2 dessertspoons of plain Greek style yoghurt

Three large cloves of garlic, chopped

Lots of unsalted butter

Parmesan cheese

Lemon

Sea salt and pepper

A handful of wild rocket and wild sorrel for garnish

Method

For the filling

Slowly sweat the onion over a low heat in a few tablespoons of oil, a knob of butter and a pinch of sea salt until soft and sweet, but do not allow to brown (cook for about 20 minutes). Scrape into a large bowl, draining away any excess oil and butter as you do so, and set aside to cool.

Bring a pot of lightly salted water to the boil and blanch sorrel the leaves for just a moment.  Don’t be alarmed but they will turn a drab shade of olive green.  Drain and squeeze as much as you can out of the leaves and finely chop. Place in bowl with onions.

Crumble the softened bread into the bowl with onions and sorrel, and add the almonds and yoghurt. Using your fingers, mix together until well amalgamated.  Season with a little sea salt and taste to make sure that the flavours are well balanced.  You may need to add a little more salt or yoghurt depending on the intensity of flavour in the leaves, the type of bread you have used and the freshness of the almonds.

For the ravioli

Add 1/2 a teaspoon of finely ground sea salt to the flour and tip onto your work surface, making a well in the center. Pour in the egg mixture and using a fork, mix the egg and flour together into a stiff dough. Rest in the fridge for 30 minutes. Using a pasta machine, roll out the pasta to setting 7 on the machine (for a lovely, light ravioli).

To assemble

Place a teaspoon of filling along one side of each pasta sheet, about 3cm apart. Lightly brush both long edges of the sheet and in between the filling with water. Fold the other side of the pasta sheet over so that it covers the filling, and working carefully to ensure no air is trapped in the pockets, use your fingers to seal the edges around each piece of filling and cut to size. Cook for 2-3 minutes in a large pot of salted water. Drain carefully so that you don’t break open the ravioli and place on a large platter.

Meanwhile, heat a large frying pan over medium heat, and add around 75 grams of unsalted butter to the pan. When it begins to bubble, turn the heat down and add the chopped garlic and continue to cook until the butter and the garlic are a rich golden colour. Remove from heat and pour over cooked ravioli and gently toss through.

Sprinkle the ravioli with freshly grated parmesan and the reserved almonds, then add a generous squeeze of lemon juice and a little coarse sea salt.  Scatter with wild rocket and a few reserved sorrel leaves.  Serve at the table with extra cheese, lemon and salt.