Gluten Free Beet Ravioli with Three Cheeses and Browned Butter Sauce

Ingredients:

For the Ravioli:
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons potato starch + up to 1/2 cup for kneading + more for dusting
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 5-1/3 teaspoons xanthan gum
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3-1/2 to 6 teaspoons beet powder (optional for vibrant color)
For the Pasta:
• 1 cooked and peeled beet, approximately 3 inches round
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 4-1/2 teaspoons neutral-flavored oil, plus more for boiling
For the Filling:
• 8 ounces gluten free cream cheese (Philadelphia)
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan (or Kraft canister)
• 1-ounce Mozzarella cheese, broken into pieces
• 8 fresh leaves basil or spinach (or more, to taste)
• 1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
For the Browned Butter Sauce:
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1 sprig fresh or slightly dried sage
• Ground white pepper, to taste
• Salt, to taste
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream (optional)

Instructions:

To Make the Dough:
1. In the bowl of your heavy-duty mixer, combine the starches, xanthan gum, salt, and beet powder, if using; set aside.
2. Puree the beet in a small food processor or blender. Add eggs and oil; pulse to combine.
3. Add the beet mixture to the flour mixture using the paddle attachment of your electric mixer (or using a wooden spoon) until dough forms.
4. Transfer to a heavily starch-dusted surface or the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer fitted with a dough/kneading attachment (spiral or hook). Knead until dough is no longer sticky, and no seams show, 5 minutes or longer by hand. Continue to add additional starch, as needed to prevent stickiness.
5. Form dough into a mass; cut into 4 pieces (not necessarily equal). Store them in a plastic bag while you make the filling.
To Make the Filling:
6. Place the cream cheese, Parmesan, and Mozzarella in a small food processor. Top with basil or spinach, garlic powder, onion powder, and white pepper. Pulse until combined. Refrigerate until needed.
To Make the Ravioli:
7. Transfer one piece of dough to the starch-dusted surface. (A silicone baking mat is ideal.) Leave the other three pieces in the zipper-sealed plastic bag.
8. Using your fingers, flatten the dough and shape into a rectangle.
9. Using a lightly-floured rolling pin, roll out as thin as possible, less than 1/16-inch. Flip the dough often and roll some more, dusting with additional potato starch as needed. (If you're using a pasta machine or roller, like I do, add starch each time you pass it through the roller. Begin with the notch on 0. Then set it a notch thinner each time you pass it through. You should be able to roll it to notch 6 without it sticking or tearing. If not, stop at number 5.)
10. To form a striped dough, make the traditional gluten free egg noodles and add strips of beet pasta dough and then roll flat.
11. For round ravioli, cut the dough into 2-inch circles using a biscuit or cookie cutter.
12. For Square ravioli, lay a sheet of pasta out, scoop some filling in separate mounds, cover with an equal size pasta sheet and press down between the mounds to seal. If the dough isn't tacky enough you'll need to baste in between the mounds with egg wash*. Using a pizza cutter or pastry cutter, slice in between the mounds of filling. If you've rolled your dough too thick, be sure to press the edges thinner prior to cooking or they will be tough and chewy.
13. To make fettuccine or lasagna noodles, cut each rolled pasta dough into 4-inch strips about 10-inches long to make lasagna noodles. To make fettuccine noodles, fold those strips twice lengthwise and cut them into 1/4 to 1/3-inch strips. Then unfold the strips; set aside. Repeat the process with remaining sections of dough.
To Cook the Ravioli:
14. Fill a large saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Add pasta, and cook until desired tenderness, 9 - 17 minutes, depending upon thickness and preferences. (I rolled my dough out using a machine down to the No. 6 setting and cooked them for 11 minutes, but I like mine fully cooked.) Test for doneness.
15. Drain and rinse the pasta with cold water. (This stops the pasta from cooking further and from sticking together.)
To Make the Browned Butter Sauce:
16. While the water boils and the pasta cooks, melt the butter in a medium-size saucepan with a sprig of sage. Simmer for about 4 minutes, stirring often to allow the flavor of the sage to permeate throughout the butter.
17. Season with salt and white pepper.
18. If desired, just prior to serving, whisk in up to 2 tablespoons heavy cream. The cream may curdle upon reheating unless heated on low heat. If this occurs, use a handheld immersion blender to cream.
To Serve:
19. Serve the pasta in individual shallow bowls topped with the sauce of your choosing. Serve with a small container of Parmesan cheese for individuals to add if desired.
To Store:
20. Freeze any uncooked leftover ravioli in a single layer. Then you may stack them in a zipper-sealed bag after they are completely frozen. Cooked ravioli may be stored, covered in the refrigerator through the expiration date on the cheese.

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