Would you like to make homemade ravioli? Ravioli is one of the simplest stuffed pastas to make, as there's no complicated folding or twisting required. Read on to learn how to make ravioli that will leave your family and friends begging for more.
The Lost Ravioli Recipes of Hoboken
This video features a cooking writer telling the story of how she discovered how to make her family's traditional ravioli recipe. Although she is telling stories throughout the clip, she also provides tips and techniques about how to make ravioli. On the video, she demonstrates how to knead and roll out pasta for ravioli with a long pasta rolling pin.
Introduction
Ravioli is a square stuffed pasta, that looks like a small pillow. It can be stuffed with almost anything you like. Common fillings include cheese, meat, and spinach. Less common fillings include squid, mushrooms, crabmeat, and squash. This ravioli recipe is for a traditional cheese filled ravioli, and makes approximately 140 pieces.
Step 1: Make the Ravioli Filling
You want the filling ready before you make the pasta, as you don't want the pasta to dry out before using it.
Ravioli Filling Ingredients
- 1/2 cup chopped parsley
- 1 1/2 cups ricotta
- 1 cup grated parmesan
- 1 egg yolk
- Salt to taste
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
How to Make Parsley and Ricotta Filling for Ravioli
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl with a fork.
- Set aside.
Step 2: Make the Pasta
Ravioli Pasta Ingredients
- 3 eggs
- 1 2/3 cups flour (more may be needed)
- 1 tablespoon milk
How to Make Pasta for Ravioli
- Mound the flour on the countertop.
- Make a deep well in the center of the flour, and break the eggs into the well.
- Add the milk on top of the eggs.
- Beat the eggs with a fork.
- Slowly widen the circle, incorporating the flour into the egg and milk mixture.
- When the eggs are no longer runny, begin working the flour in with your hands.
- Don't add all the flour at once. Work it in gradually, stopping when the dough is no longer sticky.
- Add more flour if needed.
- When you have a firm ball that is no longer sticky, you're ready to begin kneading.
- The pasta dough should be kneaded for 8 minutes, until smooth.
- The dough can be rolled out by machine, or by hand, into paper thin sheets.
- Do not let the pasta dry before using it- you want it to be soft so that you can seal it.
Step 3: Assemble and Cook the Ravioli
- Trim the pasta into rectangles that are four inches wide.
- Place teaspoons of filling 1 inch in from the outside of the rectangle, leaving two inches between each dot of filling.
- Fold the rectangle, bringing the far edge over and matching it to the other edge, creating a long tube.
- Use a fluted pastry wheel to seal the edges of the rectangle.
- Then take the wheel and cut around each mound of filling.
- Separate the ravioli and lay on a towel to dry.
- Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
- Bring a large pot of water to the boil, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the ravioli, and cook for 3-5 minutes. The ravioli will rise to the surface when done.
- Serve with tomato sauce and grated cheese.
