Making Homemade Ravioli - Fried with Marinara

I got the notion to make homemade ravioli .... totally from scratch, on New Year's Eve. 


HOMEMADE PASTA

Ingredients:
2 1/3 cup  flour

1/2 tsp      salt

2 beaten    eggs

1/2 c.        water

1 tsp.        extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

In mixing bowl stir together 2 cups flour and salt. Make a well in center.  Combine eggs, water and olive oil. Add to flour. Mix well.  Sprinkle kneading surface with flour. Knead until dough is smooth, 8 to 10 minutes. Cover; let rest 10 minutes. 

For step-by-step photo directions of making the pasta dough, click on my Making Fresh Pasta link.

Then separate the dough (into three or four pieces) and run it through a pasta machine starting on the widest setting.  Run it through each setting once or twice until it's silky, then continually change the settings.  You many need to cut the dough again with scissors if it gets too long.  The thinnest setting I use is the second to smallest one... if it's TOO thin, it won't hold up for a filling.

I filled the ravioli with about a teaspoon of filling, which consisted of:  ricotta cheese, Parmigiano reggiano cheese, spinach (squeeze ALL the liquid out), an egg, salt and pepper and a tiny bit of grated nutmeg.  Using a pastry brush, wet the edges of the pasta before adding the second layer so that it will stick together.  You MUST press out all the air in the ravioli - or they may burst during the cooking.

Freshly filled ravioli

The ravioli can be cooked immediately or frozen in a zip-top bag until needed.  They only need to boil 3 - 4 minutes (they will float) because there are no preservatives in them.

They are great in a brown butter sauce with toasted walnuts, or also breaded (egg wash, then Italian breadcrumbs), fried, and served with marinara sauce and freshly grated parmesan cheese and a little basil.  Yumm!   Click on this link to make Homemade Marinara.

Fried with Marinara

 And of course, the rest of the ravioli can be used in so many ways.  Here is another thing I did with them.

Sauteed with a brown butter sauce, roasted tomatoes and toasted walnuts

Please visit my Recipe Index for more soups and lots of different ideas to cook with/for your family!   Here are a few different things:

• Chicken Monterrey 

• Dark Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Filling 

• Seared Petite Lamb Chops with Rosemary Balsamic Reduction 

• Sesame Shrimp and Asparagus Stir Fry