PEA & MINT RAVIOLI WITH ANGELES CHAVARRIA

I’m a native of Ecuador and have worked in wonderful kitchens in New York, including the NoMad Hotel, Estela, and Café Altro Paradiso. For the past four years, King has been my home; it’s the place where I get to cook, write menus, find a creative outlet and work with the most wonderful team.

King is made up of brilliant chefs under the leadership of co-owners Clare de Boer, Jess Shadbolt, and Annie Shi. We offer a daily-changing menu inspired by the cuisine of northern Italy and southern France that highlights peak seasonal produce. We are a small team that takes immense pride in the work we do, and each night's dishes are a vivid representation of the chef cooking it.

Natoora for me represents peak seasonality so whenever something new is coming up, I know Natoora's produce will have the best flavour. It's a special time of year at King when the first peas and favas come in from Natoora, and we can sit outside in the spring sun and pod together.

In terms of history, ravioli is an Italian classic that dates back to the 14th century, first found in Venice stuffed with fresh cheese and soft herbs. You can find a traditional filling in each region of Italy. It's a dish we often make at King, and you can easily make it at home for a leisurely Sunday lunch.

Ravioli is the perfect vessel for flavour, especially to showcase very sweet and delicate produce like peas. Our ravioli is filled with fresh handmade ricotta, sweet peas and lemon zest in a thin dough. We blanch the pasta briefly and finish it in a velvety butter sauce, adding torn mint, freshly grated Parmesan, a pinch of cracked black pepper and, of course, a glug of good olive oil on the plate.

PEA AND MINT RAVIOLI

Serves 4 - 6

Ingredients

Pasta dough:
3 cups 00 flour
8 yolks
2 whole eggs

Filling:
3 cups shelled fresh peas
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan plus more for serving
8 sprigs of mint
1 cup fresh ricotta
1 garlic clove
Black pepper
4 tbsp butter

Method

For the dough:

1. Pour the flour on the table and make a well in the middle. Add the eggs and yolks.

2. Begin mixing the eggs with a fork and slowly start incorporating the flour.

3. When it has come together, start working the dough with your hands.

4. At the beginning it will look dry and rough, but working it with love and patience will make it come together. Work the dough until it looks smooth, springs back when pressed with a finger.

5. Cover and let the dough rest while you make the filling.

Filling:

1. Shell the peas and get a pot of water boiling for blanching.

2. Season the water with salt, a clove of garlic and a sprig of mint.

3. Add peas and blanch until tender, usually 4 to 8 min depending on the size.

4. Once ready, drain the peas and put in a food processor with 1/4 cup of olive oil and picked mint.

5. Blitz until it becomes a green paste. It doesn’t need to be super smooth – a little texture is nice.

6. Transfer to a bowl and add fresh ricotta, grated parmesan, and season with salt, pepper and olive oil to taste. It should taste bright and delicious.

Shaping:

1. Split the dough in half.

2. First press with your hands and then roll with a rolling pin or ideally a pasta sheeter.

3. Roll dough and form a rectangle, fold in thirds and roll again.

4. Repeat this process 2 to 3 times or until the dough feels like silk in the hands.

5. Roll into a rectangle as thin as you can get it.

6. Cut into 3 strips.

7. Place tablespoons of filling along the dough sheet, around 1 inch apart. Cover with remaining dough.

8. Press with your thumbs to remove air and cut with a cutter or a knife.

9. Place in a tray with semolina.

10. Meanwhile, prepare a large pan of boiling water. Season generously. Add the ravioli and boil for 2 minutes.

11. Transfer raviolis to a pan with the butter and a few leaves of picked mint.

12. Add a ladleful of pasta water to make a sauce.

13. Transfer to a plate and add more picked mint leaves, finished with grated parmesan and olive oil.