Buckwheat ravioli stuffed with ricotta and goat cheese

Buckwheat ravioli stuffed with ricotta, cinnamon and goat cheese is one of the most delicious dishes from the far northern Alto Adige region of Italy.

Although the name may imply otherwise, buckwheat ravioli are excellent for celiacs because they are gluten-free. Buckwheat is actually a seed-based grain with an earthy and robust flavour which in our recipe for buckwheat ravioli, have been sweetened by a fabulous filling of ricotta, cinnamon and goat cheese.

If you are a fan of cheese this recipe is heaven, especially the filling and we recommend using a really tasty goat cheese like Robiola di Roccaverano.

Here at The Big Dream Factory, we are revisiting our gluten free recipes for pasta with Pasta Nostra USA. Gluten free pasta is a challenge and we have been in the test kitchen working to make it as close to the real thing as possible. Although we do appreciate that many gluten free recipes are in fact a fuory into the unknown and that makes it rather exciting.

The trick with making ravioli using any gluten-less flour, is to be patience and not to roll it too thick. If you have a pasta machine used for making lasagna sheets, you would normally roll your pasta to number 5. In this case, we recommend no more than number 4. The dough should not be too thin. Great tricks or secrets are not for this recipe: you need patience, good ingredients and elbow grease to pull the dough,

Buckwheat ravioli stuffed with ricotta and goat cheese – 8 people

For the pastry

5 eggs
500 grams of buckwheat flour
olive oil thread

For the stuffing

500 grams of fresh goat’s cheese
300 grams of ricotta
60 grams of Parmigiano Reggiano
sprinkled plenty of cinnamon and nutmeg
salt and pepper
For the seasoning

How to prepare buckwheat ravioli filled with ricotta, cinnamon and goat cheese

In a large bowl blend the goat and ricotta to reach a firm, creamy consistency. Season with salt, pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg and Parmesan and mix to obtain a well blended mixture.
On a cutting board lay the flour and create a crater in the center of it (like a volcano) to make room for the eggs, which you will mix with a fork.
As the mixture thickens, knead with your hands, pushing your weight on the dough. It’s a bit of a workout!
When the dough becomes elastic and compact, wrap it in plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
After an hour, take manageable amounts of the dough and roll it out using either a rolling pin or pasta machine. Roll out the dough helping with a handful of flour, the ideal thickness should be 2 – 3 mm.
With a spoon place walnut-size dollops of filling along the dough, about 2 inches apart, then fold the dough on itself, squeezing all around the filling to let the air out. You can make them any shape you like. We made ours round.
With a ravioli wheel or a knife, cut the tortelli and seal them carefully by pressing with your fingertips or the tip of a fork.
Allow the ravioli to rest a little in the fridge.
To cook, bring a pan of lightly salted water to a boil, add the ravioli and cook for 8 – 10 minutes.
During this time have a sauce prepared and hot ready to receive the ravioli as they cook.
Sprinkle with a little Parmesan then serve. We served ours with a little arugula pesto blended with olive oil, garlic and lemon.