I adore the flavour of swiss chard (silverbeet) in pasta and pastry dishes. Traditionally the Italians prepare one large roll and serve 3-4 slices per portion.
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6 Portions
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Prep: 1 hour
Cook: 10-12 minutes
Ingredients
Filling
600g swiss chard (silverbeet), roughly chop and cook in boiling water for 3-5 minutes until wilted, refresh in plenty of cold water and squeeze out the excess water
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
6 spring onions, finely chopped
250g ricotta
2 tbsp grated parmesan
2 tbsp basil, shredded
2 tbsp grated parmesan
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
maldon salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pasta
250g tipo 00 or bread flour
250g fine semolina
3 eggs (medium)
2 egg yolks
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
To Serve
100ml extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
120g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
2 tbsp sage leaves
parmesan shavings
maldon salt and freshly ground black pepper
You Will Need
muslim cloth
Method
Filling: Finely chop the swiss chard and place in a bowl with the remaining ingredients, mix until well incorporated. Season to taste.
Pasta by Food Processor: Place all the ingredients in a food processor and process it until you have a breadcrumbs like consistency. Tip the mixture out onto a work surface and bring together with your hands so that you have a ball of dough. If it is to dry add a little water and if to wet add some more flour. Knead the mixture for a couple of minutes until it has some elasticity. Make the dough into 4 balls and cover them with cling film and place it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
By Hand: Place the flour out onto a work top and make a well in the centre. In a bowl beat the egg, oil and herbs together, pour this mixture into the well in the centre of the flour. Using your your hands bring the flour into the egg mixture and gradually combine it until you have a dough. Knead the dough for couple of minutes until it is firm and has elasticity. Make the dough into 4 balls, cover them with cling film and place them in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
Pasta: Remove the dough from the refrigerator and starting with one ball of dough roll it out so that it is around 1-1.5 cm thick. Set a pasta machine to the lowest setting and pass the pasta through it 3 times. Then set the pasta machine to a higher setting and pass it through, then reduce the setting and repeat the process to the last or second last setting so that the pasta is very thin and long. If the pasta comes sticky dust it with a little flour. Cut the pasta at 30 cm intervals and lay them on a surface lightly dusted with flour. Prepare more pasta as necessary. Remaining dough can be prepared in fettuccine or your choice of pasta.
Rolls: Spread the filling over the pasta rectangles so that it is .5mm-.75mm thick. Roll the pasta into a cylinder, like a swiss roll. Wrap the rolls in muslin cloth and tie with string at each end and once in the centre, to secure.
To Cook: Bring a casserole pan or large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Add the rolls to the water (they water should just cover them), adding more water if necessary. Allow the rolls to cook in steady simmering water for 10-12 minutes until cooked through. Remove from the boiling water and allow to stand for a 1-2 minutes before handling. Carefully remove the rolls from the cloth and cut them into 4-5 slices. Serve at once.
To Serve: While the rolls are simmering heat the olive oil in a saucepan over a moderate-high heat. Add the garlic mushrooms and sage and saute for 1-2 minutes. Carefully fan the sliced rolls onto the warm plates and spoon over the mushroom, sage and olive oil. Scatter over a few parmesan shavings. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.