Pancetta & Spinach Finished Asparagus & Mozarella Ravioli - Dell'Ugo Recipe No.2

Today's family dinner was Pancetta & Spinach Finished Asparagus & Mozarella Ravioli. Another Dell'Ugo recipe card under the belt and in the belly! Another step of the #dellugopastachallenge completed!

This is another quick, easy and flavoursome way to serve ravioli which hands down beats the usual tomato or carbonara sauce...and it includes some greens! Plus everybody loves bacon (eventhough it's not really bacon, the kids don't know any different.)

Pfitscher Pancetta Alto Adige

I discovered some really fantastic pancetta for this recipe in Waitrose. Rather than the cubes which I find very fatty and gristly, I went for the thinner, sliced variety that crisps up beautifully when fried.

I was feeding two adults and two teenagers, one of which can eat the same quantity of two grown men. I decided on three packs of ravioli between us. I think they probably would have eaten more if I'd put it down in front of them!

I made a couple of instinctive modifications to the recipe as I went along. 

First of all, 50g of spinach once wilted amounts to about a tablespoon of greens! I used a whole bag of spinach between the four of us and it was only just enough.

Secondly, using the amount of rapeseed oil specified (8 tablespoons for 4 people) would have resulted in the pasta swimming in oil. I used half the amount suggested.

Thirdly, as mentioned at the beginning of the post, I used sliced pancetta and chopped it up, rather than using pancetta cubes which I am not keen on.

So here it is, my slightly modified version to feed 4 (large) people:

Pancetta & Spinach Finished Asparagus & Mozarella Ravioli -  - Dell'Ugo Recipe No.2

Serves 4

Ingredients:

260g bag of baby spinach

100g fried pancetta slices, chopped up

Juice of 1 lemon

4 tbsp rapeseed oil

1 tbsp wholegrain mustard

Pinch of sugar

3 x 250g packs of Dell'Ugo Asparagus & Mozarella Ravioli

Method:

• Heat a large pan of boiling, salted water (use the same water for spinach & pasta).
• Wilt the baby spinach - place into the boiling water for about a minute and remove with a slotted spoon and place in a collander or similar (I used one layer of my steamer over the pan to collect the drips). Set aside. 
• Make a dressing with the pancetta pieces, lemon juice, rapeseed oil, whole grain mustard and sugar. 
• Cook the pasta in the boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain and return to the pan without any heat.
• Add half the dressing and toss well.
• To serve, place the spinach on the bottom of a warmed plate, lay the ravioli on top and drizzle over the remainder of the dressing.

See my other Dell'Ugo creations:

No. 1 : Asparagus Cream Ravioli

No.3 : Crab & Crayfish Ravioli With Chilli & Avocado Dressing

No. 5 : Mushroom & Truffle Ravioli With Toasted Breadcrumbs

No. 11: Beetroot & Goats' Cheese Fiorelli With Toasted Pine Nuts & Rocket

No. 12 : Goats Cheese & Beetroot With Spinach & Chive Pesto