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1
Heat a large saute pan over medium heat.
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2
Add the 1/4 cup of butter and let melt (it should foam but not darken in color).
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3
Add the onion and chopped sage and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is tender, about 4 minutes.
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4
Add the beets and water.
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5
Cover, bring the liquid to a simmer, and cook, adjusting the heat as necessary, until the beets are tender enough to mash easily with a fork, about 25 minutes.
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6
Remove from the heat and let the beets cool before chopping them finely with a knife or in a food processor.
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7
They should be fairly smooth.
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8
(If they are too wet, drain them in a colander or a sieve lined with a clean cloth.)
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9
Transfer to a large bowl.
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10
Add the 3/4 cup of the Parmigiano-Reggiano, the ricotta, egg yolks, orange zest, salt, and pepper, as needed, and stir with a wooden spoon until blended.
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11
The filling should be firm enough to mound when dropped from a spoon.
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12
If it is soft enough to run off the spoon, add some bread crumbs to help it hold together.
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13
Reserve in the refrigerator while you prepare the pasta dough.
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14
Lay one of the pasta sheets flat on a lightly floured work surface.
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15
Using a pastry brush, lightly wet one side of the dough with water.
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16
Spoon the filling onto the wet side of the dough, mounding about 2 tablespoons of the filling for each raviolo.
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17
There should be about 2 inches between the mounds so that you can cut individual ravioli.
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18
Place a second pasta sheet on top of the first one.
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19
Press the dough together to seal the sheets together along the edges and around the filling, creating little pockets of filling.
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20
Using a fluted or plain biscuit cutter, cut out round ravioli.
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21
As you cut out the ravioli, place them on a plate or baking sheet sprinkled with flour to keep them from sticking.
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22
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.
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23
Add the ravioli and stir to submerge and separate them.
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24
Cook, uncovered, until the pasta is just tender to the bite, 5 to 6 minutes.
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25
While the pasta is cooking, melt the 1/2 cup butter with the whole sage leaves in a small saute pan over medium heat until the butter begins to brown.
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26
Drain the ravioli in a colander.
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27
Shake gently to remove excess water.
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28
Transfer the drained pasta to a large heated serving bowl and top with the butter-sage sauce.
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29
Serve at once, sprinkled with poppy seeds.
