Beet and Goat Cheese Ravioli with Brown Butter Sauce
The ravioli filling, made from roasted beets and creamy sheep's milk feta, offers a delightful combination of earthy and tangy flavors with a nice crunch from either poppy seeds or nuts. This recipe is flexible and adaptable with it's ingredients. The measurements do not need to be exact either. Use homemade or store-bought pasta for convenience, and customize the rich brown butter sauce with poppy seeds, pistachios, or hazelnuts to suit your taste or what you have on hand. You can even substitute a different type of feta if you like. Whichever options you choose, this is a great gourmet dinner! And it also can be made in advance or as a make-ahead freezer-friendly meal option.
In a food processor, combine roasted beets and a pinch of salt. Pulse until finely chopped.
Add sheep's milk feta (or desired alternative feta) to the beets. Process until a paste forms.
Ravioli Assembly
Lay out the fresh egg pasta or use store-bought pasta sheets/wonton wrappers.
Place 1 pasta sheet on your work surface. Using a 2-3-inch round cutter, cut sheet into 6 rounds. Transfer the cut pasta to a lightly floured baking sheet and cover it with a towel or plastic wrap. Repeat with remaining dough until you have about 48 rounds.
Lay 6 pasta rounds out at a time. Place 1-2 teaspoons of the beet and goat cheese paste onto each round. Use another 6 pasta rounds to cover each topped pasta.
Seal the ravioli by wetting your finger with water and gently pressing around the filling, removing excess air, and ensuring a tight seal between each one.
Brown Butter Sauce
In a pan over medium heat, melt the unsalted butter. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the butter turns golden brown and develops a nutty aroma.
Either add poppy seeds, or nuts (or both) to the brown butter for added flavor and texture.
Ravioli Cooking
Bring a pot of salted water to a simmer.
Cook the ravioli in batches for 2-3 minutes or until they float to the surface.
Remove the cooked ravioli with a slotted spoon and transfer to either the saucepan with the sauce or serving plates.
Serving
Either toss the ravioli in the saucepan with the sauce or spoon the brown butter sauce over the cooked ravioli.
Optionally, top with grated cheese or garnish with chervil or thyme.
Notes
Make ahead: The ravioli filling or ravioli can be made a few days ahead.
Feta: We like this with sheep or goat feta, but feel free to use whatever feta you like. The sheep and goat feta's will be creamier however.
Customize sauce: The brown butter sauce can be customized with the addition of poppy seeds, pistachios, or hazelnuts for varied flavors.
Extra sauce: if you plan to not freeze any extra ravioli, you may wish to double the sauce recipe.
Freeze: This recipe yields approximately 2 dozen 2-inch ravioli. Any extra ravioli not used can be individually laid flat and frozen for future use. Transfer frozen ravioli to resealable plastic bags.