Traditional ravioli with mint pesto

Ingredients:

For the dough:

2 cups village flour

½ tsp salt

2/3 cup water

For the filling:

2 cups diced halloumi

1 tsp dry mint

1 egg, lightly beat

For the mint pesto:

1 cup of fresh mint leaves

6 tbsps. (90 ml) olive oil

1 tbsp. finely chopped walnuts

1 tbsp. finely chopped almonds

1 tbsp. finely chopped pine nuts (pinoli)

sautéed cherry tomatoes for serving

Method:

Step 1:

Prepare the mint pesto: Put all the ingredients in a blender in order to make a homogenized mixture. In a bowl, combine flour with salt. Pour in the water and mix, until a stiff and sticky dough is formed. Wrap the dough up tightly in plastic to rest for at least half an hour. Mix halloumi with egg and mint.

Step 2:

Have one quarter of your dough rolled out and cut in half, so that you have two pieces of dough roughly 15 inches long and five inches across. Cover one sheet with a towel to keep it from drying out. Fold the first sheet along its midline to make a light crease and then re-open it. Working so that your filling is approximately one-and-a-half inches in diameter and half an inch apart, place six even heaping tablespoons along the lower half of the dough. Moisten the dough lightly with water and then fold it over along the crease, pressing from the folded point outward to remove excess air. Gently pat the dough down around each lump of filling to create a seal. And finally, use the fluted side of the ravioli cutter or a stamp to slice your ravioli into even squares.

Step 3:

Now, toss your ravioli into a pot of salted water at a low boil, and cooking for approximately three minutes, or until slicing into one reveals no starchy line in the centre. Place the ravioli in a large frying pan together with the mint pesto and stir them gently to avoid cracking. Serve with sautéed cherry tomatoes.