Ingredients
Method
Make the pasta dough
- Mound the flour on a clean work surface and make a well in the center. Crack in the eggs, add the olive oil and salt, and beat with a fork, gradually drawing in flour from the inner wall.
- Once a rough dough forms, knead with your hands for 8 to 10 minutes until the dough is smooth, firm, and elastic. It should not stick to the surface.
- Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. Do not skip this step.
Make the filling
- Combine the drained ricotta, finely grated caciotta, egg, lemon zest, and chopped marjoram in a bowl. Mix with a fork until smooth and uniform.
- Season with salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Taste and adjust. The filling should be fragrant and hold its shape when spooned. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
Make the tomato sauce
- Warm the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the crushed garlic clove and cook for 1 minute until pale golden and fragrant, then remove it.
- Add the passata and basil leaves. Season with salt. Simmer uncovered over low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is slightly thickened and tastes less sharp. Set aside.
Roll and fill the ravioli
- Cut the rested dough into four pieces. Work with one piece at a time, keeping the rest wrapped. Flatten slightly with your palm, then feed through the pasta machine starting at the widest setting. Fold and feed through again twice at the same setting.
- Progressively narrow the setting, rolling the dough through each one. Stop at setting 5 or 6 on most machines - the sheet should be thin but not transparent.
- Lay one pasta sheet on a lightly floured surface. Place teaspoon-sized mounds of filling in a row about 4 cm apart, keeping a 2 cm border at the edges.
- Brush water around each mound with a pastry brush or fingertip. Fold the pasta sheet over the filling or lay a second sheet on top, pressing firmly around each mound to seal and push out all air.
- Cut into squares or rounds with a pasta cutter or knife. Press the edges firmly once more. Lay the finished ravioli on a lightly floured tray in a single layer. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
Cook and plate
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it generously. Gently lower the ravioli in batches. Cook at a gentle boil for 3 to 4 minutes until the pasta is tender but still has a slight bite and the ravioli float to the surface.
- Warm the tomato sauce in a wide pan over low heat. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked ravioli directly into the sauce. Toss gently off the heat.
- Divide among warm plates. Finish with fresh basil, a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, and grated Parmigiano if using. Serve at once.
Notes
The lemon zest and marjoram are not optional garnishes - they define the dish. Use both fresh and at the quantities listed for the filling to taste like the real thing from Capri.
