"Sometimes I get so excited about cooking/feeding people I over do it and make too much food. These simple ricotta ravioli were made Sunday in anticipation of a pasta feast - but I also made approximately 50 other things that day - so they’ve patiently waiting in the fridge for their moment. Now here I am, making ravioli before 8am because I can’t stand to see them go to waste 😬 At least it looks like I’ll have a tasty lunch!"
Ricotta Ravioli
4
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Prep time 1hr
Cook time 5mins
Serves or Makes: 4
Recipe Card
For the Egg Pasta Dough
ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour, or 00 flour
- 2 eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 large pinch salt
For the Ricotta Filling
ingredients
- 16 ounces ricotta
- 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, or a mix of romano, pecorino or mozzarella
- Salt and black pepper, To Taste
- Lemon, zested, optional
- 2 teaspoons parsley, and basil, optional
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, optional
Method
Step 1
Make the dough: Pile the flour and salt into a mound in a large bowl or on the counter. Make a hole in the center of the mound, a little larger than your palm, and pour in the eggs and yolks. Using a fork, slowly incorporate the eggs into the flour, tapping the edges of the flour mound to add more as needed. When the dough becomes too dry to mix, dump out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, at least 5 minutes. If the dough appears dry, mist the dough with a spray bottle or dampen your hands. The dough should get smoother as you knead.
Step 2
Wrap dough tightly in plastic wrap and let rest at least 20 minutes or up to 1 hour at room temperature, or in the fridge up to 24 hours. If refrigerating, bring dough back to room temperature before rolling it out.
Step 3
Make the filling: Combine all ingredients together in a bowl. Adjust seasoning to taste. Put in a piping bag to fill the ravioli.
Step 4
To assemble: Remove one quarter of the dough, leaving the rest wrapped in plastic. Roll out dough to the width of your pasta machine. With the machine on the widest setting, roll dough through it, catching it with one hand as you roll it through with the other. Make a letter fold and turn the dough so that one open end faces the machine, then pass through the widest setting again. Repeat once more.
Step 5
Continue rolling the pasta through the machine without folding, adjusting the rollers to a smaller setting each time, until the dough is about 1/16 inch thick. You want your dough to be translucent enough to see the grains of your table or the headline of a newspaper through.
Step 6
Cut your sheet of dough into 10-12 inch long sections. Make a cut down the middle of that section, so you end up with two long narrow strips of dough that are both 10-12 inches. Pipe filling in lines along one strip of dough, about 1 tablespoon for larger ravioli. Leave 1 1/2 inches between each. Place the second sheet of dough evenly over the bottom sheet to cover fillings. Gently press with your fingers around each filling to seal it, making sure to press all the air out. If the dough is floury, gently mist the bottom sheet of dough with water to help seal them.
Step 7
With a ravioli stamp, cookie cutter, pastry wheel or sharp knife, cut out ravioli. Use a fork or a finger and thumb to further press down around the edges and firmly seal. Repeat the process to shape remaining dough. Set aside in the refrigerator until needed.
Step 8
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Working a few at a time, cook ravioli in the boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes until they start to float. Stir with a wooden or plastic spoon so they don’t stick to the bottom of the pot or two each other. Use a slotted spoon to remove from water and add to a hot pan filled with sauce.
Step 9
Mix ravioli, pasta water, sauce and a little butter together until the sauce has thickened. Top with herbs and cheese and enjoy!