Herbie Creamed Ricotta, Toasted Pine Nuts and Parmaggio (Ravioli filling)

(Adapted from a Jamie Oliver recipe)

1 pack of ricotta [typically 450g]
150g of grated parmaggio/parmesan
50-100g of roasted pine nuts [depends on your mood and how strong the ricotta/parmaggio is. Mix in some nuts and taste - its about the balance of nut vs cheese]. Oh, and don't burn those babies, just brown them. Do not take your eyes off them for a moment as you dry fry them. Roasting in the oven works to, but difficult to look at them in there.
Lots of basil [again, do the mix and taste] if you have other fresh herbs, add some to, try flat leaf parsley, sage... Whatever you have fresh to hand.
Crushed peppercorns to taste.
Freshly ground nutmeg [add very carefully. Easy to ruin this with too much]
1 egg yolk

1] Break up the ricotta in a bowl, and fork in the egg, then add the parmaggio. You should have a good texture.

2] Pestle and mortar the pine nuts coursely, you want some crunch from them.

3] Add pine nuts, herbs and nutmeg to the bowl, gentle mix in and taste. [ok, after you have eaten that batch make another load... I have!]

4] Fill your ravioli, making sure you seal them properly. Nothing worse than the salted water getting into the ravioli, or the contents escaping.

5] Drop them in that huge boiling pan of salted water for 3 minutes.

6] Taste one after 3 mins... We are wanting our fresh pasta to be suculent and al dente, not soggie.

7] Drain quickly and carefully, let's not break any of those precious parcels.

Serve right away on those plates you had warming in the oven, with either olive oil, or some garlic butter poured over them. A few basil leaves on top work well to.

Update on that, a little olive drizzled over then, but provide guests with olive oil and melted garlic butter to pour themselves.

I have done this with toasted almonds to... Worked well. Also switched feta chesse fo tthe ricotta with yummy results.

Its about the texture vs cheese vs nuttiness.