This Nettle and Feta Ravioli is a fun meal to make from scratch and tastes out of this world. Go pluck those weeds from your back garden and put them to good use!

Gardeners up and down the country are despairing at the first sight of the invasive stinging nettles return, but I just see lunch!

Home Made Pasta

My newest kitchen gadget is a pasta machine, and even before I’d ordered it I couldn’t wait to make a stuffed pasta like a ravioli. It’s very simple to make, although really time consuming, so I would recommend leaving this dish to a weekend or when you have nothing else to do apart from play with your food :)

Start with a clean kitchen, put your phone on silent and pour a glass of chilled white if that’s your thing. This is food that is made with lots of love so ignore the real world and indulge yourself in the act of making beautiful food.

The nettle and feta filling is extraordinarily good. In each bite you have a hit of the salty feta, the earthy green of the nettles and the wonderful texture from the toasted pine nuts, all wrapped up in a soft, fresh pasta drenched with a light and simple butter sauce. Divine.

If you do give this, or any of my recipes a go, please share a pic with me on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook and do let me know what you think. Your comments are always appreciated and help me plan more yummy recipes to share with you in the future :)

Janie x

Print Nettle and Feta Ravioli Prep Time 2 hrs 30 mins Cook Time 20 mins Total Time 2 hrs 50 mins Course: Main Course Cuisine: Italian Keyword: Nettle and Feta Ravioli Servings : 4 -6 depending on sides & hunger levels Calories : 440 kcal Author : Jane Sarchet Ingredients Filling 2 tablespoons pine nuts

Oil or fat like butter or dripping

1 onion small ,finely chopped

1/4 teaspoon dried chilli flakes

2 handfuls stinging nettle tops fresh

salt & pepper

200 g feta cheese Pasta 2 eggs large

200 g flour Cooking 2 tablespoons butter UK Measurements - USA Measurements Instructions Filling Heat a large saucepan and without adding any oil, pop in the pine nuts and keep moving them round and round until they are lightly browned. Pop them to one side. Next add the oil to the pan and gently cook the onion until softened. Add the nettle tops and let them sweat down just like spinach does then season with the chilli, salt and pepper, and let the whole pan cool. Pasta On a clean work surface or in a large mixing bowl weight out the flour and make a large well in the middle. Crack in the eggs, and gently whisk them well with a fork. Slowly starting bringing in the flour, until you have a lumpy looking dough. Dust the work surface with more flour and start kneading the dough for about 10 minutes or until it feels silky and smooth. Bring together into a ball and wrap tightly in cling film and pop in the fridge for an hour. Filling By now the nettle mixture should have cooled, so crumble the block of feta into it and mix loosely. You'll need to break up any lumps larger than a marble. Pasta It'll be very firm when you bring it out, so get kneading again as best you can until it feels more pliable. Cut off 1/4 of the dough, wrapping the remainder back in the cling film to stop it drying out. Flatten it out and dust with more flour before putting it through a pasta machine, starting on the widest setting. Take it through each setting 2 or 3 times before reducing the thickness again. On my machine I found the second to last setting was best for ravioli as the last setting was very thin and tore easily when forming. Lay the long sheet of pasta out on the floured counter. Mark the halfway point with a knife and on one half add little teaspoons of your nettle mixture. Ensure you leave enough room either side of your filling to close the pasta. Brush around each lump of filling with water, then fold the other half of pasta over the filling and press down gently around each nodule of filling, being careful not to rip the pasta and to expel any pockets of air. Use a knife, cookie cutter or fancy pasta cutter to cut into the shapes and size you want, leaving enough pasta around each filling to make a good seal. Pop each ravioli onto a floured baking tray and cover with a clean teatowel. Continue with the rest of the pasta until all is used up. To Cook Bring a large pan of water to the strong simmer. Add a good tablespoon of salt to the cooking water. This step is more important than it sounds - it turns an OK pasta into an amazing pasta! Add the pasta in batches and cook for 2 minutes, then use a slotted spoon to remove them onto a waiting plate. When all is cooked, drain all thw water away apart from around 2 tablespoons. Add in the butter and cook the salty water and butter together until it starts to reduce. Gently slide the pasta back in and spoon over the buttery sauce so each pieces gets a little coating. Serve and enjoy! Nutrition Facts Nettle and Feta Ravioli Amount Per Serving Calories 440 Calories from Fat 198 % Daily Value* Fat 22g 34% Saturated Fat 12g 75% Cholesterol 141mg 47% Sodium 643mg 28% Potassium 184mg 5% Carbohydrates 43g 14% Fiber 2g 8% Sugar 3g 3% Protein 16g 32% Vitamin A 540IU 11% Vitamin C 2.1mg 3% Calcium 273mg 27% Iron 3.4mg 19% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.