Pasta3 cups flour 3 tbsp semolina flour 2 eggs 1 cup cold water (approximate)
Ravioli Filling1 batch homemade ricotta (see link to recipe below) 10 oz spinach or a frying pan full 4 green onions, whites and greens, chopped 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese 1 egg freshly ground pepper (to taste) Wilt spinach then squeeze out any excess water. Chop coarsely. (You can use frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well-drained.) Mix together in a large bowl with the other ingredients. Season to taste and use to stuff ravioli, cannelloni or large pasta shells. |
Assembly and Cooking
- Divide pasta dough into eight chunks and cover with a clean towel. Working with one chunk at a time, roll thin or run through a pasta machine from setting "2" to "5".
- Generously sprinkle a ravioli mould with flour to make the removal of the pasta easier and lay the dough on top, pressing into each indent. If you don't have a ravioli mould, lay the bottom layer on the counter.
- Fill each dent with ricotta spinach filling, being careful not to overfill. If doing without a mould, place about a teaspoon of mixture in rows on the dough.
- Beat one egg with a little water and brush the edges and between each ravioli with the mixture. This will hep seal the dough and keep the ravioli from opening up while boiling.
- Place a second layer of dough on top, being careful to avoid bubbles of air. Press into the dents. If not using a mould, be sure to press around each bump of filling to seal and get rid of air pockets.
- Use a rolling pin to "cut" the edges of each ravioli (if using a mould) or cut between each piece of pasta (if you don't have a mould.)
- Tap the mould on the counter to release the ravioli. Place on a lightly floured cookie sheet and cover with a clean towel until ready to cook. You can freeze the pasta at this point.
- Continue until you've used up the dough and filling.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. While stirring to prevent sticking, add ravioli to the boiling water in batches, making sure not to overcrowd the pot. Cook for about five minutes and drain.
- Toss with olive oil or your favourite pasta sauce. We used a quick sauce made with oven roasted tomatoes, garlic, basil and cream, and topped with more parmesan cheese.
Easy Homemade Ricotta CheeseThere are different ways to make ricotta cheese, but this is simple and I usually have the ingredients on hand. I've only made this a couple of times, but found it became an immediate favourite. The recipe is from Chatelaine Magazine and can be found here . After I made this a few times, I began to puzzle over how I was going to use the whey left over after making the cheese. Because it contains lemon juice, I didn't want water plants with it, so I decided to use it in my bread. The results were delicious!! Here's the bread recipe: No-Knead Bread |