Handmade Ravioli

I've always wanted to make my own pasta, but I never took the time to figure out what equipment I needed and how to do it.  So I finally went out and bought a pasta maker attachment for my kitchen aid!  Luckily, one of my coworkers is married to a woman from Italy who has made her own pasta before.  She was generous enough to show me how to make my own ravioli!  I got this recipe from her.  The techniques she taught me were the same ones her grandmother taught her.  The recipe below makes 8 servings.

Image by Jason Hedlund

Ingredients:

Dough:

3 cups (400g) unbleached all-purpose flour

2 eggs

100 ml warm water

1 3/4 tsp (10g) salt

Filling:

1 lb frozen spinach

8.8oz Ricotta cheese

1 egg (use 2 if mix is too stiff)

6 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper to taste

sage leaves

butter, melted

grated Parmesan cheese for topping
balsamic reduction or just balsamic vinegar

Directions:

1.  Pile flour onto a wooden surface (cutting board).  Make a well in the flour and crack eggs into the well.  Add the water and salt.  Slowing stir the liquid ingredients into the flour and work dough for about 10-15 minutes (by hand).  If using a stand mixer, it will take less time.  

2.  Make a round ball and wrap in plastic wrap.  Let rest at room temp for 30 minutes.

3.  While dough is resting, mix together thawed spinach, ricotta, egg and Parmesan.  Salt and pepper to taste.

4.  Lightly flour the wooden surface.  Cut dough ball into 8 equal chunks.  Take one chunk slightly flatten it enough to pass through the pasta maker, make sure to set the gap very wide for the first pass.  Fold dough over and pass through roller at largest setting and repeat.  Then adjust the gap to one notch smaller, and pass the dough through again.  Repeat this process until the dough is at the desired thickness.  The dough strips should be about the width of the pasta maker and several inches long when finished.  Make two dough strips at once.

5.  Lay one layer of dough on wooden surface.  Distribute the filling in small spoonfuls on top of the dough.  Space them about 1" apart on the dough.  Then place the 2nd dough strip on top of the filling piles.  Starting at the middle of the dough strip, press the top and bottom dough layer together against the table.  Make sure to press firmly to seal each ravioli.  Working around each ravioli, press all edges.  Try to press out all air bubbles and make sure there is no filling or flour on your seal spots.  

6.  Using a knife or pasta cutter, cut around the edges of each ravioli to achieve the shape desired.

7.  Cook raviolis in salted boiling water for about 8-10 minutes.  Make sure it is a gentle boil as it is easy to break the dough seal.  When raviolis are done, remove them with a slotted spoon carefully onto a plate.  Serve with melted butter, a few sage leaves and grated Parmesan.  You can also use a sauce for the ravioli, but my teacher recommended not using a strong flavored sauce because that would take away from the taste of the raviolis.       

9.  If you want to freeze the ravioli, place them on a parchment lined baking sheet in freezer and cover with plastic wrap.  Once frozen, place in a tupperware or ziploc until you want to use them.

Jason and Beth's Rating: 9/10

Nutrition:
350 calories
17 fat (11g saturated)
130mg cholesterol
850mg sodium
36 carbohydrates
2g fiber
3g sugar
13g protein