Ligurian swiss chard pansotti in walnut sauce

Method

1. To make the pasta dough, put the flour into a large mixing bowl or heap on a clean work surface. Make a well in the centre, add the water and mix well to form a dough. Wrap in clingfilm and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or until required.
2. To make the filling, wash the chard, then remove the stalks (keep them for another recipe). Roughly chop the leaves and set aside.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan or skillet over a medium heat, add the garlic clove and sweat for 1 minute. Add the chard and some salt, lower the heat, cover with a lid and cook for about 5 minutes until softened.
4. Remove from the heat, discard the garlic, then drain and squeeze any excess liquid from the chard – you may have to squeeze it between your hands to do this well. In a large bowl, combine the chard with the ricotta, grated cheese, thyme leaves, beaten egg and some black pepper.
5. Roll out the pasta dough on a lightly floured work surface until wafer-thin (or run it through the thinnest setting on a pasta machine). Cut the dough into 7cm squares, then brush each with beaten egg.
6. Put a little filling in the middle of each square, then fold over the dough to form a triangle and press to seal, making sure to remove any air.
7. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil, add the pansotti and cook for about 4 minutes.
8. To make the sauce, soak the bread in the milk for a minute to soften, then put with the rest of the sauce ingredients into a food processor and whizz until smooth. Transfer to a large frying pan and heat through.
9. Drain the pansotti with a slotted spoon and add to the walnut sauce with a little of the hot pasta cooking water, mixing well to combine. Heat through and serve immediately, sprinkled with fresh thyme.

This recipe is is from Gennaro’s Pasta Perfecto! Published by Pavilion Books. Grab yourself a copy here.