Spinach ravioli

If you ask a resident of Val Badia what sentiments spinach ravioli, in the Ladin language “cajincí te ega”, evoke in him, he will tell you that the aroma reminds him of his childhood and his family.

And indeed, in most families, it is still the custom to serve the cajincí on a large serving dish, sprinkled with grated cheese and doused in plenty of melted butter. The room is then filled with the sweet smells of the butter and both young and old are eager to help themselves to this delicacy.

In restaurants and mountain huts, servings are usually brought to the table on individual plates but the taste and the aroma are just as enticing and special as in grandmother's time.

Ingredients
For the dough
220g of rye flour
300g of white flour
3 eggs
1 tablespoon olive oil, lukewarm water, salt

For the filling
400g spinach
400g "Ricotta" cheese
140g butter
A small onion, some grated cheese, salt and pepper, nutmeg (optional)

Preparation

Prepare the dough from the ingredients listed above, it should remain quite elastic. Allow it to rest for about 1 hour. In the meantime, wash the spinach and cook it in salted water. Drain the spinach, squeezing out as much water as you can, chop and season with salt and pepper (add some grated nutmeg if you like) and a handful of grated cheese (about 40 g).
Fry the chopped onion in a little butter and add the spinach. Allow to cool and mix in the ricotta.
Roll out the dough in a thin layer. Work quickly ensuring the dough does not dry out.
Use a cutter (or a glass) to cut out discs approx. 8 cm in diameter. Put some filling in each of the slices (do not overfill, because the slices have to be folded and sealed). Fold the filled slices in the middle (like a half-moon) and seal them carefully by pressing the edges together.
Cook the cajincí in gently boiling salted water for about 5 minutes. In the meantime, melt the remaining butter in a small pan until it turns the colour of hazelnuts.
Serve the cajincí on a large serving plate or distribute on individual plates. Sprinkle with grated cheese and pour over plenty of melted butter before serving.
(The recipe comes from the book "Sapori delle Dolomiti" by Rosmarie Pescosta).

Tip
Also suitable as a filling are potatoes and spinach, beetroot, mushrooms or whatever your imagination suggests.