Spinach and Beef Pasta Rolls
A while back, I made what I called lasagna pinwheels in that I rolled up cheese inside sheets of pasta before slicing that, baking that, and serving over tomato sauce. Those, I thought, were delicious, so imagine my surprise when I look through a cookbook from Pasta Grannies to find that they, too, did some kind of rolled up pasta, so you know I have to give it a shot.
These spinach and beef pasta rolls are a bit different than the pinwheels I made, but will no doubt be delicious. Theses are filled with fresh spinach and ground beef while being served with a hearty, rich meat ragu. These rolls will also be rolled up raw, vs mine where I cooked the pasta before rolling, then poached as a whole log before being sliced.
I can see these being the sort of thing to serve at a dinner party, or any occasion where you want to make the people you’re cooking for feel extra special.
The thought of this is making my mouth water at just the thought, so I say let’s jump right into it!
Serves 4-6
Difficulty: Intermediate
Total time: 3 hours
For the Ragu
A generous glug of olive oil
1 pork rib
1 pound braising steak (bone in preferred)
Salt
1 large Italian sausage (Mild or hot, the choice is yours.)
1 onion, sliced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 pound canned crushed tomatoes
For the Pasta*:
7 oz 00 flour
2 large eggs
For the Filling:
3 1/4 pounds fresh spinach leaves
2 tablespoons butter
14 oz ground beef
Pinch of salt
3 1/2 oz grated Parmigiano Reggiano, plus more to serve
Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
*Don’t feel like making your own pasta? Then you could boil some dry lasagna sheets until they are bendable
Step 1: Make the Ragu
Pour enough olive oil into the bottom of a Dutch oven or casserole dish and heat over medium high.
Season the rib and braising steak all over with salt, then brown them along with the sausage in batches until all of the meat is golden all around.
Once all of the meat is browned, set aside then add the veggies in the residual fat for about 7 minutes, or until they start to brown as well. Deglaze the pot with the white wine, then return the meat to the pot and cover with tomatoes.
Let the ragu simmer for at least 2 hours, or until all of the meat is very tender.
Step 2: Make the Pasta
(Again, you can skip this step and just boil some lasagna sheets. You will want to let them cool before rolling up, though.)
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil for the spinach.
Mound up the flour on a workbench, make a well in the center, then add the eggs.
Use a fork to beat the eggs and slowly incorporate the flour until you get a shaggy dough, then use your hands to knead the dough, adding more flour if needed, until you get a smooth, somewhat elastic ball.
Let the dough rest for at least 20 minutes.
Step 3: Make the Filling
Blanch all of the spinach leaves for about 30 seconds or until wilted. Dump out into a strainer over the sink, then let the spinach cool before squeezing out the excess water, then dump onto a board and chop finely.
In a large frying pan, melt the butter over medium-high heat, then add the ground beef. Season the beef with salt, then cook, breaking up the beef with a wooden spoon, until the meat is no longer pink in the middle and has started to brown, about 10 minutes. Add the chopped spinach, then cook for a few more minutes to allow any residual water to cook out.
Remove from the heat, then stir in the Parmigiano and plenty of grated nutmeg. Set aside to cool.
Step 4: Roll out and fill pasta
Bring a wide saucepan full of salted water to a simmer.
Roll out the pasta into a 23 inchX25 inch rectangle with a see-through thickness, you should be able to see your countertop underneath the pasta. (With how wide you want to make it, a pasta roller really isn’t going to be much help here)
Spread out the spinach filling into an even layer, leaving about 1 inch of space at the end facing towards you, then, starting from the wide end furthest from you, roll the pasta up into a log.
Step 5: Cook the roll
Lay out a clean dish towel or a double thick piece of cheese cloth with the width of a dish towel, then carefully lay the pasta on top. Wrap up the pasta and use pieces of kitchen twine to tie up the ends.
Lower the pasta into the simmering water and poach for about 30 minutes, make sure the water does not reach a full boil.
Carefully remove the pasta from the water and onto a cutting board. Allow it to cool, for a bit, then unwrap and slice into 3/4 inch thick discs and arrange on a serving platter.
Remove the meat from the sauce, then spoon plenty of that meaty sauce on top of the pasta to coat, then finish with a sprinkle of Parmigiano.
(The meat can be served separately as a main course with a nice green salad.)
