Robiola cheese ravioli from Lombardy

Make the ravioli dough.

1. Sift the flours into a large bowl. Break in the eggs and add a pinch of salt. Then use a fork to beat the eggs and start to mix them into the flour.
2. Next use your hands to mix and knead the eggs and flour until you have the start of a dough that no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl.
3. Turn the dough out onto a flour dusted work surface and continue kneading for 5-10 minutes until the dough is quite soft and elastic. Roll the dough into a ball and wrap it in some clingfilm (plastic wrap) . Let it rest for 30 minutes.

Make the robiola filling.

1. While the dough is resting, put the robiola and grated grana into a bowl. Add some chopped chives, nutmeg and salt and then mix everything together with a fork. Put the filling in the fridge until ready to use it.

Make your robiola cheese ravioli

1. Cut off a quarter of the dough and rewrap the rest so it doesn’t dry out. Flatten the dough piece with your hands or a rolling pin. Then pass it through your pasta machine at the widest setting. (Mine is 7 but some are 1).
2. Fold the first dough sheet into thirds and pass it through the same setting with the narrowest side first. Repeat this step again twice.
3. Then pass the dough sheet through two narrower settings (I use 5 then 3, for others it will be 3 then 5). Place the ready dough sheet on a flour dusted surface. Cut it in half so you have 2 sheets of equal length.
4. Place a teaspoon of filling along one dough sheet at 5-6 cm intervals. If your dough sheet is wide enough you can get 2 rows of filling on it. Use your index finger or a small brush to wet around each teaspoon of filling.
5. Place the second dough sheet on top of the first and press down gently around each ball of filling. Use a pasta/ravioli cutter to cut out the filled ravioli. Place the ravioli on a flour dusted tray, tea towel or sheet of baking paper. Repeat with the rest of the dough and filling.

Finish and serve

1. Once you are ready to serve your cheese filled ravioli, put a pot of water on to boil for the pasta. Add salt once it starts to boil and bring to a boil again!
2. While the water is heating melt the butter in a skillet large enough to hold the pasta. Heat it until it just starts to brown.
3. Cook the ravioli in the boiling salted water until they are al dente. Cooking times may vary depending on the size and thickness of your stuffed pasta. I usually wait until a minute after the ravioli have risen to the surface of the boiling water. But test taste before draining!
4. Using a slotted spoon transfer the ravioli to the pans with the melted butter. Mix the pasta and butter carefully over a low heat until the ravioli are coated in melted butter. Add some grated cheese and more chives and serve immediately.