Pork, rosemary and white bean ravioli with a chilli tomato sauce

by Paul Warburton on 13 January 2010  |  1 comment
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Check out this amazing recipe for pork, rosemary and white bean ravioli with a chilli tomato sauce – for £1.39 per person!

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Pork, rosemary and white bean ravioli with a chilli tomato sauce (Serves 4)

Now there is a little effort involved in making fresh pasta. But if we want to keep food costs down, we need to make more meals from scratch. Not only is it cheap to make your own pasta, it's also a great deal better tasting than any dried pasta or shop bought fresh pasta.

The pork filling is surprisingly rich and the chillies in the tomato sauce really work well with the simple and clean flavour of the pasta.  For me this dish is a marriage made in heaven.

Ingredients

• 475g of fresh pork mince, British freedom outdoor reared (£2)
• 1 can of haricot beans (39p)
• 1 bulb of garlic (30p)
• 1 green chilli (9p)
• 20g of fresh rosemary (79p)
• 1 medium red onion (14p)
• 500g of creamed tomatoes (46p)
• Spandoni double zero flour (£1.39)

The cupboard staples...

Olive oil, salt, black pepper, tomato puree and 2 eggs.

Total cost

If you already have the cupboard staples, then according to mysupermarket.co.uk, this trolley was cheapest at Sainsbury's, where it came to £5.56 - that's £1.39 per head!

Instructions

• Let's make the filling for the ravioli first as we need the mixture to be chilled right down and you can make it up to 2 days in advance if you wish.
• Finely chop a red onion and sauté off in a little olive oil until translucent and softened. Then add the pork mince (season with salt and lots of black pepper) and cook off until nice and browned all over and then the haricot beans. Now add three cloves of finely chopped garlic and the finely chopped rosemary - lower to a medium heat and add some water (around half a cup) and 2 tablespoons of tomato puree. Reduce the mixture down to the consistency of a bolognaise. Set to one side and allow to cool right down.
• The accompanying sauce can also be made in advance if you wish, and re-heated. Get a pan on the heat with a little olive oil and gently sauté two cloves of finely sliced garlic and 1 green chilli (seeds optional - I would include them). Watch you don't burn the chilli of garlic. Now add the creamed tomatoes and season. Then add a little splash of water and a pinch of sugar and reduce the sauce on a low heat for around 15 minutes to develop the flavours.
• Now to make the fresh pasta. I'm sure there are many methods to make fresh pasta but I find this way the easiest in the absence of a pasta rolling machine. Place 5oz of the pasta flour in a food processor along with 1 whole egg, the yolk of one egg and a pinch of salt. You'll need to keep the processor ticking over for around 2 minutes until the mixture turns to a breadcrumb consistency - once you have a breadcrumb consistency turn out onto a cold floured surface and shape into a ball, then knead really well for 90 seconds. Clingfilm and place in the fridge for 45 minutes.
• After 45 minutes (now the pasta has rested) break off a golf ball sized piece and roll out with a rolling pin. The dough will be a little sticky so keep dusting with flour and keep the dough moving on the surface. Keep rolling out until you reach a paper thin sheet of pasta. Lay to one side on a lightly floured surface and repeat until all the dough has been rolled into sheets. Don't worry about the shape of the sheets as we'll cut them out to a nice shape.
• Now to make the raviolis. Use a standard circular biscuit cutter (or an up turned glass if you don't have) and cut as many discs as you can - there will be ample for 4 persons. Then place 2 teaspoons of the filling on to each disc and wet the top half of the circle with a little water (not too much). Then fold the circle in half and pinch to seal the ravioli (make sure you get the air out of the ravioli and the dough is nicely sealed or they will take on water when you cook).
• To cook the raviolis get a large pan of salted water up to the boil (heat the chilli tomato sauce up to a simmer whilst the water comes up to the boil). Place the raviolis in the water and cook for 4-5 minutes - remove with a slotted spoon to drain off any excess water and serve with the hot chilli tomato sauce, a twist of black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil (parmesan optional).
• Happy eating!

A bit about the Frugal Recipes chef, Paul Warburton

Paul Warburton, a lovemoney.com staff member, had a hectic career in the world of hot kitchens and screaming chefs before joining the lovemoney.com products development team.

During these years, under the tutorage of some great chefs, he honed his skills in cooking for numbers within a tight cost and portion-controlled environment.

Now he's planning to regularly offer his help to all budding chefs in the lovemoney.com community, so you can enjoy his original, low-cost recipes with your family and friends every Friday for free!

What lovemoney.com readers have said about Paul's other recipes

"We enjoyed this recipe very much: easy to make and even easier to eat!" varneyrob

"I made this recipe and it was absolutely delicious! Seriously good! Five of us feasted on it, and feasted well..." Ibeshy

"I made this recipe on Saturday night, and my 13 year-old son promptly requested it again for the following night!" Malcolm Wheatley

"This is a cracking risotto recipe. Just had it for lunch & it's a winner. More recipes please. Thanks." SavvyLass

"Another delicious offering from Paul. Thank you - keep 'em coming!" Palefire

Please add your own comments using the comments box below!

If you like this recipe, why not also try Paul's other Frugal Recipes: Massaman curry | Roasted pheasant | Portobello mushroom, port and stilton wellington | Smoked mackerel pate on crostini and red onion confit |Rolled breast of lamb with garlic mash and Savoy cabbage | Lemon & rosemary chicken thighs |  Thai Pollock curry with egg noodles | Chunky pea and ham soup| Spaghetti alla carbonara | Pork stroganoff | Green chilli meat balls, sunflower seed couscous salad and mint yoghurt |  Tagliatelle with air dried cured ham and minted peas | Beef, thyme and mushroom loaf with potato dauphinoise | Mixed bean and coriander green curry with fragrant rice | Egg Florentine with smoked cheddar and rocket salad | Beef, mushroom and thyme pie | Spicy tuna, bean and coriander lasagne |  Beef koftas with a feta, spinach and fresh mint salad | Chorizo and pea risotto | Sausage and rosemary hotpot | Beef & thyme (Lacashire) hotpot

Remember, if you're registered on lovemoney.com, you can follow this blog and find new posts as soon as they are published, via your personal homepage. Never miss a frugal recipe again - register now.