Raviolis

Homemade raviolis are a favorite around these parts but two deviations from the regular recipe made tonight's the best yet. One was using the ricotta we made the other day (see labels: cheese making. It's easy!). No seasonings or other additions were necessary. That cheese stands on it's own. The other change was in what I used to cut the ravioli. I usually use a mold for this, but this time I simply laid my sheet of dough down, plopped some spoonfuls of cheese on, folded the other end of the sheet over it, then cut them using a jar lid. This seemed to seal the edges better and there was no pesty dough sticking to the mold. For those I know who swear that we live with more stuff than we need, you win this one. But I'm keeping the ice cream maker.

Raviolis!

Equipment: stock pot, rolling pin, jar lid, pasta roller (stainless steel, atlas type)


Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• water for boiling  
• cheese filling of your choice. I used homemade ricotta. In the past I've done ricotta and romano or feta and have added many herbs and even nuts. Go crazy.
• Your favorite sauce recipe
• Parmesan or romano

How to:

• Begin by heating your water on the stove. You want your water to come to a nice rolling boil.
• On cutting board, clean counter or in bowl, make mound with 1-3/4 cups of your flour. Use your fingers to dig an impression on top of mound (looks like a volcano).
• Put the oil, sea salt and cracked eggs in the depression.
• Mix well using your hands, then knead on cutting board or counter. If it seems too dry, add water, a teaspoonful at a time until you have a nice consistency. 
• Use remainder of flour to flour your work surface. Cut dough in half and roll out one half to an oblong shape. Set other half aside with a damp cloth covering it.
• Run through pasta roller Beginning on setting 2 and working to 5. 
• Remove from pasta maker and re-knead. I find this step critical, mostly for my sanity, as the workability of it is drastically improved by this.
• Roll again into an oblong shape and put through pasta maker a second time, this time beginning with 2 and ending with 6. Don't be tempted to go thinner. Your cheese will escape!
• You should now have one very long sheet of pasta, about five inches wide. Lay it out on your floured work surface. Plop down your cheese by the spoonful every 2-3 inches (Just eye it with this. The size of your jar lid determines the size of your raviolis and you only want the cheese in the center, with room at the edges for pinching). Now fold other half of sheet over, use jar lid to cut, fingers to pinch edges. Set aside as you go. You may want to sprinkle a bit of flour on them to keep from sticking together.
• Repeat rolling cutting and stuffing steps with the other half of your dough.
• Boil your raviolis at a rolling boil until they are all doing flips. You can take one out to try, but it's usually about ten minutes. Don't overcook, there is some carryover cooking.
• Strain and dump out water and add raviolis back to pot along with sauce, heat and serve with a sprinkling of parmesan or romano.

                                 
                                           The finished product

Enjoy!

XO, Debbie