Ravioli are little pillows of pasta filled with meat, vegetables or cheese. They're popular with children as well as adults, and can be bought dried along with other pasta, frozen in bags, or packed fresh in the refrigerated section of the supermarket. However, many cooks prefer the taste of home-made ravioli.
Instructions
Make the Pasta
1. Combine 24 ounces of pasta flour, 15 eggs, 1 ounces of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of salt in a mixing bowl.
2. Use an electric mixer with the dough hooks to combine the ingredients, adding the flour a little a time. Stop adding flour when the dough can't absorb any more.
3. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
4. Remove part of the dough and rewrap the rest while you use a rolling pin or pasta machine to roll out the dough.
5. Cut the dough with a biscuit cutter or round cookie cutter. You can also cut the dough into squares. Cover the squares or rounds with damp paper towels until you're ready to fill them.
Make the Filling
6. Decide on the filling you want such as pureed spinach, cheese, or cooked Italian sausage. Add herbs and spices as desired.
7. Process the filling in the food processor.
8. Drop small amounts of filling on half the ravioli rounds or squares.
9. Wet your fingers and wet the edges of the rounds or squares, then place another round or square on top and press the edges together with your fingers until they are sealed.
10. Dust each ravioli in flour before placing them on a platter. You can also place the ravioli in a single layer on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet.
Cooking the Ravioli
11. Boil salted water in a large pot.
12. Drop the ravioli in the boiling water a few at a time, being careful not to overcrowd the pot.
13. Remove the ravioli when they float to the top and place the cooked ravioli in a colander to drain.
14. Serve with the sauce of your choice.
Tags: adding flour, rounds squares, your fingers
