Calabrian sweet chickpea ravioli

(Ravioli dolci alla calabrese)

Serves 6 (makes approximately 50 ravioli)

300 g (10½ oz/1½ cups) dried chickpeas, soaked in water overnight

100 ml (3½ fl oz) vino cotto

100 g (3½ oz) dark chocolate (50–60% cocoa), chopped

a pinch of fine sea salt

500 g (1 lb 2 oz/3¹/₃ cups) plain (all-purpose) flour

80 g (2¾ oz) sugar

5 x 55 g (2 oz) free-range or organic eggs

2½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

olive oil, for deep-frying

icing (confectioners’) sugar, for dusting

Drain the chickpeas, place in a saucepan and cover with salted water. Cook until very tender. Strain, discarding the skins, and pass through a sieve.

Using a double boiler, heat the vino cotto, chocolate and sea salt over low heat until the chocolate has melted. Add the chickpea mixture and stir until the mixture is smooth. Set aside and allow to cool to room temperature.

Prepare the dough by combining the flour and the sugar on a work surface or large wooden board. The flour should form a peaked mound. With your hand, make a hole in the top of the mound so that it resembles a volcano. This hole needs to be big enough to be able to ‘house’ the eggs. Break the eggs into the hole and add the extra virgin olive oil. With your hand or with a fork, gently beat the eggs and oil, then slowly incorporate the flour into the egg mixture. I do this by moving my hand in a circular motion, slowly incorporating the flour from the inside wall of the mound. Don’t worry if the dough looks like a mess. This is normal. Once fully combined, knead a little more flour into the dough if it feels a little wet and sticky. Set the dough aside and clean the work space. Dust some fresh flour onto the work surface and continue kneading the dough for another 5 minutes. Allow to rest for about 1 hour.

To make the ravioli, roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface to about 2 mm (1/16 inch) in thickness and cut into round discs roughly 10 cm (4 inches) in diameter using a pastry cutter. Place a spoonful of chickpea mixture on each of the discs and fold over to the edge to form half-moons, making sure to remove as much air as possible. Press the edges down with a fork and trim with a slightly smaller cutter. Re-roll offcuts if desired.

Heat the olive oil in a deep saucepan, no more than half full, to 180°C (350°F). Deep-fry the ravioli in batches for 4 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on a paper towel and serve dusted with the icing sugar.