What inspired this recipe for Valentine’s day? … you might ask. Well! it was a recent trip to Verona, Italy. We all know how much Italians love pasta.

While visiting Verona in Italy I came upon Juliet’s balcony. A place where people leave love notes and love letters dedicated to Romeo’s girlfriend. People clamoring over each other, desperate to leave an expression of their love in this temple of absolute love. Such zeal. So much bubbling energy. The yearning hanging in the air. I found it both touching and yet puzzling. “Why not express your love in a private manner” The sensible side of me commands. But the other side says: “You are talking about love, be crazy, be outrageous, there is nothing sensible about love.” The sensible side objects: “Come on! this is pathetic. Somebody who is that desperate must have another agenda”. The silly side says: “You are such a cynic. It is beautiful to love over the top.”

So here is me expressing my love is an over the top way. A Valentine’s day recipe of heart shaped ravioli. Watch the video first, then read the rest of the instructions.

Sometimes it is beautiful to express your feelings in subtle, quite and discreet ways and then there are other times when that simply won’t do. Only the outrageous can fit the bill. For those outrageous occasions, I designed this heart shape ravioli recipe.

Ingredients:
One medium size beet
one egg
one cup ricotta cheese
a bunch of spinach
two cups of flour
some olive oil

I boiled the beet until it was fully cooked. Allowed to cool. Then I peeled it and grated it.
Added egg, a table spoon of olive oil and flour.
Mixed together and kneaded for about 10 minutes.
Allowed the dough to rest for an hour.
I don’t have a pasta machine and so I just used a rolling pin instead.
Using a heart shape cookie cutter I cut up the pasta.
To make the filling I washed the spinach then cocked it in some oil.
I drained the spinach of liquid, by pressing it by hand once it was cold enough to handle.
In a mixer I mixed the spinach, ricotta, slat and pepper
I placed a teaspoon of filling into pasta piece.
Cover with another piece.
Pressed with a fork.
Boiled the pasta for 3 minutes and then drained.
I served it on a plate drizzled with olive oil, parmesan cheese and marjoram.
Done!