This extremely flavorful home made ravioli recipe from Cortina d’Ampezzo within the Italian mountains pairs beetroot and potato stuffed ravioli with melted butter and poppy seeds. Not solely do these raviolis look stunning however the mixture of the flavors and textures makes this a dish to impress friends with. Casunziei all’ampezzana, are a beautiful instance of conventional Italian mountain fare.

Historical past and origin of casunziei.
This distinctive beetroot ravioli dish comes from Cortina d’Ampezzo, a well-known ski resort within the Dolomite mountains of Veneto, Northern Italy. Casunziei are a typical vacation or special day ravioli which, relying on the season, are distinguished by the filling: in winter ‘crimson’, with beets and potatoes, in summer time ‘inexperienced’, with spinach, ricotta and chives.
Casunziei all’ampezzana is an instance of the affect of the centuries-old Austro-Hungarian domination of the Ampezzo space, which solely ended with the First World Battle. Beetroots are a typical Jap European ingredient as is the poppy seed garnish.


Curiously, Ampezzo by no means turned a German-speaking territory like different elements of Northern Italy that used to belong to Austria. The native folks conserved their unique language, Ladin, a Romance language which remains to be spoken at this time!
Variations of this recipe.
Though this explicit recipe is a signature dish in Cortina d’Ampezzo, yow will discover variations of beet ravioli in different elements of Northern Italy. Traditionalists choose including white or yellow turnips both as an alternative of potatoes or as nicely.
In Trentino-Alto Adige, some folks add carrot to the beet and potato filling. Elsewhere in Veneto, butter, breadcrumbs and cheese are generally added to the filling too.
I’ve come throughout recipes for beetroot ravioli with ricotta as an alternative of potatoes. Though scrumptious, this isn’t conventional in Cortina, the place ricotta is used with wild spinach in a summer time model of casunziei, however not with beets.


Components for this beetroot ravioli.
The pasta dough: The ravioli dough on this recipe is made in a really comparable solution to different egg pasta dough, besides it requires an egg yolk plus a little bit water rather than one complete egg.
Eggs: You have to one complete giant egg and one yolk. I choose to make use of free-range natural eggs for his or her color, taste and dietary worth.
Flour: I used Italian ‘00’ gentle wheat flour which is a high quality white flour. You can even use all-purpose flour.
The filling: The ravioli filling may be very easy, simply beetroot, potatoes and salt.
The beetroot: I used prepared cooked beetroot which actually saves various time and work. If utilizing uncooked raw beetroot, you will want to boil or steam it after which peel it. Some folks roast the beetroot which supplies it a sweeter taste, however this isn’t conventional.
The potatoes: You need to use most any sort of potato for this beetroot ravioli, even leftover mashed potatoes. Nonetheless, the very best sorts are starchy potatoes that don’t include a lot liquid, like these used on this mint and potato ravioli recipe from Liguria.
The condiment/dressing.
As with many kinds of home made stuffed pasta, Italians serve casuziei all’ampezzana with melted butter and grated grana or Parmigiano. Nonetheless, some recipes name for smoked ricotta as an alternative of the grana and parmigiano Plus, this beetroot ravioli can also be dressed with poppy seeds which add a beautiful crunch to the gentle ravioli.
Step-by-step directions and suggestions.
If utilizing uncooked beetroot, cook dinner the beets in a little bit water (simply sufficient to cowl them), or steam them in order that they don’t soak up any extra water. When a fork can simply pierce the beets, drain and peel them. Grate the cooked and cooled beetroot right into a sieve and let any liquid drain for not less than one hour. Prepared cooked beetroot might not want draining.
Cook dinner’s time administration tip: Make the pasta dough first and the filling whereas the dough is resting.
Make the ravioli dough first so it could relaxation whilst you make the filling. Sieve the flour right into a bowl, add one egg and one egg yolk to the flour with a pinch of salt. Use a fork to beat the eggs and incorporate them into the flour till nicely combined.




Then use your fingers to roughly knead the combination, including a little bit water at a time till you might have a dough that now not sticks to the facet of the bowl and your fingers.
Flip the dough out onto a flour dusted work high or pastry board and knead for as much as 10 minutes till the dough is kind of clean and elastic. Roll it right into a ball and wrap it in clingfilm (plastic wrap) and go away to relaxation for not less than half-hour.




Whereas the dough is resting make the beet ravioli filling.
Boil unpeeled potatoes in salted water till fork tender. Drain after which peel the potatoes. I used a potato ricer which works with out peeling the potatoes. The peel stays within the ricer whereas the cooked potato passes by way of the holes. When you don’t have a ricer grate the cooked potato after peeling it.


Subsequent, for those who haven’t already executed so, grate the beetroot. Then add it to the grated potato with a pinch of salt and a few freshly floor black pepper. Combine and mash the potato and beet collectively utilizing a fork.




Make the pasta sheets.
Minimize off ¼ of the pasta dough ball and rewrap the remaining to maintain it from drying out. Flatten the dough barely with a rolling pin or your fingers. Go it by way of the widest setting of your pasta machine (mine is 7, some aren’t any 1). Fold the dough sheet in thirds and go it by way of the widest setting, narrowest width first. Repeat.
Subsequent, go the dough sheet by way of the threerd widest setting (mine is 5) after which by way of the 5th widest setting (mine is 3). The pasta sheets for beetroot ravioli must be fairly high quality in order that the color of the filling reveals by way of when the ravioli is cooked. Nonetheless, the narrowest setting available operated pasta machines might produce dough that’s too high quality and liable to interrupt.




Make the beet ravioli.
Lay a dough sheet onto a flour dusted floor. Use a glass or cookie cutter to chop out 8cm discs. Remaining dough cuttings will be kneaded collectively and used to make extra ravioli. Place a small teaspoon of filling on the centre of the pasta discs, moist the perimeters with a little bit water utilizing your index finger after which fold the pasta over the filling to create half-moons (mezze lune).




Use the tines of a fork to crimp and seal the perimeters of your beet ravioli. Place the prepared casunziei on a flour dusted tray. Semolina flour is finest for this. I used a tray lined in oven paper. Repeat with the remainder of the pasta dough, one quarter at a time.




Cook dinner and serve your beetroot ravioli.
Carry a pot of water to a boil after which add salt and convey to a boil once more. Within the meantime, soften the butter in a frying pan that’s giant sufficient to carry the ravioli. Add the poppy seeds to the butter so that they cook dinner a little bit however don’t let the butter brown.
Cook dinner the ravioli within the boiling water. After they rise to the floor, go away them for a minute after which take away with a slotted spoon and add them to the melted butter and poppy seeds. You’ll most likely must cook dinner the ravioli in batches to keep away from crowding the pan.


Toss the cooked ravioli gently within the butter and serve with grated grana or parmigiano if required.
Be aware for vegetarians.
This recipe is vegetarian aside from the usage of grated grana or Parmigiano when serving. These Italian cheeses are made with animal rennet and so usually are not appropriate for vegetarians. Use a vegetarian parmesan as an alternative.


What to do with leftovers.
You probably have leftover cooked beetroot ravioli you may retailer them within the fridge in a sealed container for 2-3 days. Then reheat within the microwave or fried in additional butter! Frying them could make them a bit crispy however we just like the ravioli like that!
Leftover raw ravioli will be frozen for later use. Place them unfold out on a tray within the freezer after which switch to a freezer bag as soon as frozen. Cook dinner frozen ravioli with out defrosting.
Additional filling can be utilized to make fritters or patties. I’ve used further filling in a meatloaf which labored rather well.
Pin for later.


Let me know what you assume.
The combo of potatoes and beetroot provides the casunziei filling a really explicit crimson coloration with a barely candy and really delicate taste. Plus, the easy butter-based sauce permits the colour and taste of the pasta to shine! The result’s a really distinctive ravioli that I’m positive you’ll love!
When you do do that casunziei recipe, I’d love to listen to what you assume. Please write a remark right here on the weblog or submit a touch upon the Pasta Challenge Fb web page.
Your suggestions is essential to me!
Buon Appetito!


Different scrumptious home made ravioli recipes.
- Robiola cheese ravioli from Lombardy.
- Sardinian ricotta, saffron and lemon ravioli.
- Baked fish ravioli from Liguria.
- Gnocchi ravioli from Trieste.
- Baked ravioli from Marche.
- Meat ravioli from Piemonte (agnolotti)
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