BEET RAVIOLI WITH POPPY SEEDS

Steps:

• 1 Place the beets in a medium saucepan with cold water to cover. Bring to a simmer and cook until tender when pierced with a knife, about 30 minutes. Drain and let cool. 2 Peel the beets and cut them into chunks. Place them in a food processor and chop finely. Add the ricotta, 1/2 cup of the Parmigiano-Reggiano, bread crumbs, and salt and pepper to taste. Process just until blended but still slightly coarse. 3 Prepare the pasta (see below). 4 Meanwhile, melt the butter with the poppy seeds and a pinch of salt. Pour half the butter into a warm serving bowl. Transfer the ravioli to the bowl. Spoon the remaining sauce over the ravioli and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of Parmigiano- Reggiano. Serve immediately. PREPARE THE PASTA1. Dust 2 or 3 large baking sheets with flour. Set out a small bowl filled with cool water. 2 Lay a strip of the dough on a lightly floured surface. Fold it lengthwise in half to mark the center, then unfold it. Beginning about 1 inch from one of the short ends, place teaspoonfuls of the filling about 1 inch apart in a straight row down one side of the fold. Lightly brush around the filling with the cool water. Fold the dough over the side with filling. Press out any air bubbles and seal the edges. Use a fluted pastry wheel or a sharp knife to cut between the dough-covered mounds of filling. Separate the ravioli and press the edges firmly with the back of a fork to seal. Place the ravioli in a single layer on a baking sheet. 3 Repeat with the remaining dough and filling. Cover with a towel and refrigerate until ready to cook, or up to 3 hours, turning the pieces several times so that they do not stick to the pan. (To store them longer, freeze the ravioli on the baking sheets until firm. Place them in a heavy-duty plastic bag and seal tightly. Store in the freezer up to one month. Do not thaw before cooking.) 4 Just before serving, bring about 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. 5 Lower the heat under the pasta pot so that the water boils gently. Add the ravioli and cook until tender, 2 to 5 minutes depending on the thickness of the ravioli and whether or not they were frozen. Scoop the ravioli out of the pot with a slotted spoon. Drain well.From "1,000 Italian Recipes." Copyright 2004 by Michele Scicolone. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.