Sfoglia Lorda - Easy Filled Ravioli

 In Emilia Romagna, there is a very small town called Brisighella where they make Sfogla Lorda. It’s so popular they even have an annual sagra (food festival) each year to celebrate this unique pasta dish. Sfoglia Lorda literally means “dirty pasta” and it was invented as way of using up leftover filling from making other types of ravioli, especially around Christmas, but as well when cooks were bored of making too many complicated shapes.
​I’ve filled mine with Grana Padano cheese, ricotta, eggs and nutmeg and served it in a simple broth. It really is so simple to make and is ideal for those that never made ravioli before. If you prefer, it’s also great served in a simple tomato sauce. 

Serves 2 

Ingredients

For the stock

• ½ an onion
• 1 small celery stick
• 1 small carrot
• 5g fresh thyme 
• 3 peppercorn
• 1 sun-dried tomato 
• 500g of meat (optional)  this can be chicken legs and wings or pork shoulder or beef rib
• 1 rind of Grana Padana cheese 
• Fine sea salt 

For the pasta dough 

• 150g 00 flour 
• 50g finely ground semolina flour 
• 2 eggs 

For the filling 

• 50g Grana Padano cheese, plus extra for serving 
• 200g fresh ricotta cheese 
• 1 egg yolk 
• A pinch of nutmeg to taste 
• Fine sea salt 
• Zest of ½ a lemon 

Method

1. Slice the onion into large petals and chop the carrot and celery into 2cm pieces. 
2. To make the simple stock, add the onion, carrot and celery to a saucepan of cold water. Add the fresh thyme, sun-dried tomato, peppercorns and the rind of the Grana Padano cheese. Cook the stock on a medium heat for at least 2 hours.
3. To make the dough, combine the flour and semolina and use the same method as the egg pasta dough. Cover it and let it rest in the fridge for about half an hour.
4. Meanwhile, in a bowl make the filling. Mix together the ricotta, a pinch of nutmeg, loads of Grana Padano cheese to taste, an egg yolk, a bit of lemon zest and a touch of sea salt. Mix all together until all of the ingredients are well incorporated, then transfer it to the fridge to firm up and cool down while you roll the pasta. 
5. Dust your rolling pin and work surface with flour and roll out your pasta dough nice and thin. 
6. Only on one half of the pasta sheet, spread all of the filling on top. Fold the other half of the pasta over the filling and then pat it down gently with your hands to make it nice and even.
7. Using a pasta cutter, go around the edges to seal and enclose the filling. Use a fork to poke the dough all around. This will eliminate the air between and help the ravioli to cook more evenly in the water.
   
8. Then cut the sheet into loads of little ravioli squares, about two fingers thick. If need it move all the ravioli to a flour dusted tray. 
9. Filter the broth so only the clear liquid is left, taste it for seasoning and add sea salt as if it was pasta water.
   
10. Cook the ravioli in the broth for about 2-3 minutes then use a slotted spoon to serve the ravioli first on each plate and then pour over a few ladle of the broth over each bowl. Enjoy! 

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