Ricotta and Asparagus Filled Ravioli with Taleggio Cheese

Sift flour on a wooden board and create a well in center.  Break the eggs and pour them in the well one by one.   Using a fork, beat the eggs together. Gently bring some of the flour into the egg mix. Continue drawing flour into the eggs a little at a time until all the flour is absorbed. 

Use your hands to obtain an uniform mixture, knead the pasta, pushing with the palm of your hands, until the dough feels smooth and firm.  Make a round, smooth ball and place it on a plate.  Cover with a moistened cloth or plastic wrap, and let the dough settle in a fresh place for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Boil asparagus in salted boiling water, best if your pot has an inner basket that allows you to stand the asparagus upright in the water (to leave the tips exposed).  As soon as the asparagus stalks have softened during boiling, remove the pot from the heat, and drain asparagus. 

Place vegetables in a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking process and to maintain the vivid green color.  Drain well again, and cut off half of the asparagus tips, setting the tips aside to use for garnish on cooked ravioli.   With the remaining asparagus, finely dice and add to the ricotta in a medium bowl.  Adjust seasonings to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Using the minimum flour necessary, just enough to prevent dough from sticking while you work, cut into parts. Place one dough piece on floured work surface, and flatten with a rolling pin until very thin, or use the pasta machine to roll out dough to desired thickness.
Repeat the same steps with the other half of the dough, making a pasta sheet of the same size. Set it aside, covered with moist towel if necessary to prevent the pasta from drying out.
Cut with a square cutter and place about 1 teaspoon of the filling on the dough, overlapping the pasta to form a square (filled) shape.  You can fill the pasta with either a small spoon, or using a pastry bag with a large nozzle. 
Seal pasta borders firmly with a fork, being sure to eliminate any trapped air.  Put ravioli on a tray sprinkled with semolina to avoid sticking.

Coarsely dice Taleggio cheese, removing rind.  In medium sauce pot, place milk and diced Taleggio cheese over very low heat (as low as possible).  Allow cheese to melt slowly. 

Add egg yolk in order to bind milk and cheese.  Adjust to taste for salt.   Place into a sauté pan and set aside.

In large soup pot, boil large quantity of salted water. 

Gently place the finished ravioli inside, and allow to cook several minutes (6-8 minutes).  When ravioli float to the surface, pasta is done and can be removed from water using a slotted spoon. 

Add to sauté pan where the cheese sauce is waiting, and toss well.  Serve with a dusting of grated Parmesan cheese, and serve warm.

Special Chef Michele's note:  this dish is best served with non-aggressive, light sauces. We recommend asparagus tips tossed in melted butter with good-quality extra virgin olive oil and Parmesan, cream of Parmesan and Taleggio cheese, or béchamel sauce aromatized with fresh mint and lemon rind.