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FRESH RICOTTA RAVIOLI

jennifer bologna

April 2020 | The Honest Spoon

 

I figure these days, with the scare of COVID19, most of us are on lock down. That said, most of us also have a bit of extra time on our hands. If there was ever a time to try something new- the time is now! While a bit time consuming, fresh ravioli are definitely worth it!

Here's what you'll need:

One FRESH PASTA recipe

One CLASSIC TOMATO SAUCE recipe (or sauce of your choice)

Fresh Ricotta

Fresh Parsley

Large Egg

Grated Romano Cheese

Salt & Pepper

RICOTTA RAVIOLI [VEGETARIAN]

| Serves 4-6 |

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE PASTA:

FOR THE RICOTTA FILLING:

  • 1 1/2 Cup Fresh Ricotta

  • 1/2 Cup freshly grated Romano cheese

  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper

  • 1 egg

Before you get started I have a few tips! First, this may seem complex, but it's not! It's going to take a bit more time, but the results are worth it!

  1. In order to work efficiently, Prep your ricotta mixture first. Then, lay out a clean table cloth or large kitchen towel and sprinkle with flour (so your ravioli don't stick to it). Get your items ready and set up your work station in a manner that is efficient for you.

  2. You will need to have at least two sheets of pasta ready to make your first set of ravioli. Work quickly, and make sure to sprinkle each past sheet with a bit of flour so they do not stick together! Cover any pasta sheets with a clean kitchen towel to avoid the drying out.

  3. If you don't have a ravioli cutter, no problem! Use a sharp knife or pizza cutter and cut clean squares. You can use an edge of a fork to crimp the edges shut.

HOW TO ASSEMBLE THE RAVIOLI:

METHOD:

  1. Prepare you paste sheets by working from the thickest setting to the 2nd thinnest setting. On my machine- this is a number 2, with number 1 being thinnest. (I used the Imperia Pasta Maker Machine in my Fresh Pasta post) .

  2. Lay your pasta sheets on a lightly floured surface. Evenly spoon a teaspoon of ricotta filling onto the pasta. Repeat down the line of the pasta sheet leaving about three inches in between the ricotta mixture.

  3. Using a simple egg wash, create a moistened rim around your ricotta.

  4. Lay a sheet of pasta over the ricotta. Be sure to gently press the pasta all around the ricotta. Try to eliminate any air pockets.

  5. Cut to shape. If cutting by hand, I recommend a pizza cutter. Crimp your egg sealed edges with a fork. Set aside. Tip: if creating several ravioli in one strip feels intimidating, cut the square in advance- aim for 3x3. Match up tops and bottoms and assemble (see below)

  6. Repeat until you've used up your fresh pasta.

  7. Boil in salted water for 4-5 minutes

  8. Strain and serve with desired sauce. Suggestions below!

SERVING SUGGESTION:

1. Serve with fresh tomato sauce. You can find my classic recipe here.

OR

2. Heat 1/2 C extra virgin olive oil, 4 tablespoons butter, and 3 mixed garlic cloves in a sauce pan. Add a sprinkle of red pepper flakes. ** Heat the oil and butter first- until the butter is just melted. Add the chili flakes and garlic until its heated through completely- do not let it brown! drizzle over pasta.