Sweet potato ravioli

To prepare the sweet potato

1. Wash the sweet potatoes but leave the skin on. Prick the skin in a few places around all sides then place on a baking sheet/tray. Turn the oven on to 400F/200C and put the sweet potatoes in while the oven is still warming up.
2. Leave to roast until the sweet potatoes are soft and tender when you insert a knife in the middle - around 1 hour but it may take a little more/less depending on the thickness and size of the sweet potatoes. Allow them to cool to room temperature before peeling. Then scoop out the flesh and mash or blend to a smooth puree.

For the pasta dough

1. To make the pasta, put the eggs and salt in a food processor and pulse until broken up and mixed. Add approximately half the flour and the olive oil then pulse a few times to combine. Add the rest of the flour and pulse a few more times to mix and until the dough comes together, away from the sides into a ball, or at least into large crumbs.
2. Remove the dough to a floured surface and knead with floured hands for a couple minutes. It should be slightly soft but not sticky. Note it will be firmer than a typical pasta dough.
3. Wrap in plastic/cling film and allow to rest at room temperature for around 30 minutes. At this stage, you can keep the dough in the fridge for a day or two until ready to use.

For the filling

1. Mix together the pureed sweet potato, grated parmesan and black pepper/nutmeg if using until well blended. Set aside to use as you roll and fill the dough.

To form ravioli

1. When ready, use roughly ¼ - ⅙ of the dough at a time and cover the rest that you aren't working with with a damp cloth or the cling film to save it drying out. Prepare around 2 large baking sheets/trays by dusting them with flour.
2. As you work with each piece, flatten it out slightly, dust with flour then put it through your pasta roller on the widest settings a few times (about 2-3 should be fine) until smooth. Dust with flour in between if at all sticky. Then move up the settings rolling once or twice at each settings until you get to the thickness you would like - I usually go to around 6 on my pasta maker. It should be very thin but not breaking up.
3. If using a ravioli mould, lay the sheet of pasta over a ravioli mould then press down the frame to make indents. Fill each with a teaspoon of filling.
4. Lightly dampen around the edges of each ravioli with a little water then roll another pasta layer to place on top, or fold over the rest of the piece you have if it is long enough, trying to avoid any air getting in each one. Press down with a rolling pin to seal then trim the excess pasta from around the side of the mould and add to a piece to use later. Carefully remove each ravioli from the mould and lay them on the floured trays.
5. If not using a mould, you can make them by laying the first piece of pasta out, dotting teaspoons of filling out evenly in lines with gaps between, dampening between then laying another layer on top. Then gently press in the areas between the filling to seal and cut.
6. Repeat with the rest of the pasta and filling. Once all the pasta has been used and you are ready to cook, place a few ravioli at a time in a shallow pan of boiling water for around 2-3 minutes until they rise up to the top, then remove with a slotted spoon and cook the rest in batches.

To serve

1. I served these with a simple browned butter - warm the butter in a small skillet over a medium-low heat until you can see it brown slightly and the smell is becoming nutty. Drizzle over the top of the cooked ravioli. Alternatively, a cream sauce would also be good.