Born in 1984, chef Alfonso Ferraioli was inspired at a young age, having grown up on his family’s farm in Napoli, Italy, where the daily family meal was made with farm-fresh ingredients and generations of love for Italian cooking and flavourful ingredients.
This early passion led him to study at the Naples Culinary School, before moving on to apprenticeships across Italy. He later worked to develop his talents overseas as a chef de cuisine in Corsica, France, Switzerland and England; however, it was back in Rome that chef Alfonso would have his most inspiring encounter – joining the kitchen brigade helmed by two-Michelin-starred chef Oliver Glowig (pictured below).
Several years later this chance encounter would lead him to The Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain, where he joined up with chef Oliver once again to relaunch the award-winning restaurant Primavera in 2015. At the time, chef Alfonso saidd: “This was the first experience in the Middle East not only for myself but also for chef Oliver Glowig, thus making it even more thrilling to bring a taste of Italy to the region.”
He shares his recipe for a traditional Italian favourite.
Ravioli With Butter Sage Sauce
Ingredients:
Pasta Dough
400g flour
100g semolina flour
330g egg yolk
3g saffron
1g olive oil
Stuffing
250g ricotta cheese
100g mozzarella cheese
10g marjoram
30g parmesan cheese
Butter Sage Sauce
25g sage
125g butter
2g salt
2g black pepper
Method:
To make the pasta dough:
Combine the ingredients in a food processor. Process until the dough mixture leaves the sides of the bowl. Remove to a mixing bowl and knead by hand for a few minutes until smooth. (If the dough is too dry, add a few drops of water.) Divide into four equal parts and shape them into discs. Wrap in plastic wrap and let rest for 20 minutes.
To make the ravioli filling:
Put the cheeses, salt, and pepper in a blender and pulse. Add the egg yolks and pulse until incorporated.
To make the ravioli:
Roll the discs of dough into thin sheets in a pasta machine. Arrange tablespoon-size dollops of the filling around 4cm apart on one of the sheets. Brush a little egg white around each dollop, then place another sheet directly on top. Gently press around the filling to remove any air pockets and seal the sheets. Using a ravioli cutter or a knife, cut out ravioli squares. Sprinkle with flour to prevent the dough from sticking.
To cook the ravioli:
Cook the ravioli in plenty of boiling salted water until they float to the top, three to four minutes. Drain well and toss with the fresh butter sage sauce.
