OTTO Sydney head chef Richard Ptacnik has revealed his signature spinach and ricotta raviolo as part of the restaurant's 25th anniversary celebrations. The limited-edition series highlights one of Italy's most iconic comfort dishes, reimagined as a single large pasta parcel filled with rich, seasonal ingredients.
Spinach and Ricotta Filling Ingredients
The filling requires 125g spinach, 125g ricotta, 35g finely diced eschalots, 5g chopped garlic, 60g finely grated Grana Padano, 10ml extra virgin olive oil, 1g freshly grated nutmeg, and salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Method for Filling
Blanch the spinach in boiling salted water for 10 seconds, then transfer to ice water. Drain well, squeeze out moisture, pat dry, and finely chop. Heat olive oil over medium-low heat, cook eschalots until soft and translucent without colouring, add garlic for one minute, then cool completely. In a large bowl, combine chopped spinach, cooled eschalt and garlic mixture, ricotta, Grana Padano, and nutmeg. Season and mix until smooth.
Egg Yolk Pasta Dough Ingredients
For the dough: 250g 00 flour, 190g egg yolks, 10ml extra virgin olive oil.
Pasta Dough Method
Place flour in a bowl, make a well, add egg yolks and olive oil. Gradually incorporate flour into yolks until dough forms. Knead on a lightly floured bench for 8–10 minutes until smooth, firm, and elastic. Wrap in plastic and rest at room temperature for 30–60 minutes. Roll through a pasta machine to 0.8–1.0 mm thickness.
Assembling the Raviolo
Pipe a thick ring of spinach and ricotta filling onto one pasta sheet, leaving a hollow in the centre. Place one fresh egg yolk into the middle. Brush pasta around filling with water, place second sheet on top, press to remove air pockets, seal well, and cut into large ravioli.
Cooking and Serving
Cook ravioli in salted boiling water for 2½–3½ minutes until pasta is tender and yolk remains runny. Meanwhile, melt butter with sage until light golden brown, stir in raisins and pine nuts. Lift ravioli onto plates, spoon over sage butter with raisins and pine nuts. Finish with Grana Padano and crispy sage leaves. When cut open, the egg yolk creates a rich, silky sauce.
