Fresh Ravioli; what can i say? Time consuming and yet so worth it. My pasta maker and ravioli mold the ones you see in these photos were handed down to me by my mother in law. At the time she gave it to me she had one adult daughter and two daughter in laws. But she announced, as she handed it over to her newest and youngest daughter in law,"you are the only one who will use it". And of course she was right!
You can serve these ravioli with almost any sauce. My favorite is just some diced pancetta, mushrooms and garlic sauteed in olive oil.
What you will need
4 sheet pans with 1 inch sides
pasta maker
ravioli mold
pastry brush
parchment paper
Fresh Ravioli
Pasta
2 cups tipo00 flour*
1/3 cup durum semolina flour plus more for kneading and storing
5 eggs at room temperature
2 or more tablespoons of water
1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons of water (use with a pastry bush to seal the ravioli layers)
Filling
2 cups of good quality ricotta cheese (one without guar gum)
1 egg
¼ cup of finely grated Romano cheese
4 oz block of Asiago cheese cut into ¼ inch cubes
Pasta dough
Mix the two flours together in a bowl or large measuring cup. Pile the flour mixture onto the center of a large pastry board or or other work surface. Make a well in the center of the flour with your hands or a large spoon. Lightly beat the 5 eggs eggs and gently pour them into the well. With a fork or your hands work the flour into the eggs. (This can also be done in a large bowl if you don’t have a large enough work surface) . If the dough is dry add tablespoons of water one or two at a time until the dough holds together. Sprinkle some more flour onto your board, shape the dough into a ball on the board and knead for about 10 minutes. The dough will begin to look smooth and elastic. Cover the dough ball with plastic wrap or resealing plastic bag and place it in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
Meanwhile make the filling
Mix the first 3 ingredients together and set aside
Make the ravioli pasta
After the dough has rested remove it from the refrigerator.
Set up a Kitchen Aid pasta attachment or a table top pasta machine and turn the dial to the widest setting. Divide the pasta dough into 10 pieces. Working with the first piece (keep remaining pieces covered with damp towel or in a resealable bag), flatten it into a rectangle shape. Starting with one of the shorter sides of the rectangle, feed it through the rollers.
Fold the dough into 3rds , press lightly on the piece of dough to seal it.
Pass the dough through the rollers on the widest setting again. Repeat this process 3 more times or until the dough is smooth.
Fold the dough one more time so it is the exact width of the rollers. Pass the dough through the rollers again on the widest setting. Now, continue to pass the dough through the rollers reducing the setting each time until you get to the second to last setting. Cut the sheet of dough to the length to the ravioli maker. The extra pieces you cut off can be re-rolled with the next new piece of dough. Place the cut sheets of pasta on to sheet pans covered with parchment paper and sprinkled heavily with semolina flour. Place an other sheet of parchment over the top of the dough to keep it from drying out while you making the rest of the pasta.
Make the ravioli
Place the metal base of the ravioli maker in front of you and lay your first sheet of dough on top.
Then, take the mold piece and gently press down to form depressions in the dough. Work quickly, so that your dough does not dry out and become brittle. If you press too hard and the dough tears, just fold it up and roll it through the machine again.
Place approximately one scant tablespoon of filling in each depression but since each mold is slightly different check to make sure you are not under or over filling the pasta. To avoid getting filling outside the depression I use a very small ice-cream style scooper. Gently wipe away excess filling. With a pastry brush brush the dough very lightly with water and place the top sheet of pasta over the filling. Use a rolling pin to over the top of the mold to cut out ravioli. Turn mold over and gently tap out the ravioli.
Place the ravioli on to sheet pans covered with parchment paper and sprinkled heavily with semolina flour. Place an other sheet pan upside down the top of the bottom pan to keep ravioli from drying until you are ready to cook them.
To cook the ravioli
Bring a large pot of water to full boil and then lower the heat to a gentle boil add a tablespoon of salt if desired but it is not necessary. Add the ravioli and cook until tender. Serve immediately.
* You can substitiue all purpose flour.