One thing I like to do when I’m stressed out is make ravioli from scratch. It takes all day, it’s repetitive, it keeps my hands busy, it’s hard but not too hard to do while enjoying a glass of wine or two. And the reward is ravioli.
This is about to become a ravioli account.
This is about to become a ravioli account.
We start with the pasta. I use a mix of semolina flour and Italian 00 flour. The semolina adds flavor; the 00 adds elasticity. It’s also great for pizza dough. 
I use a stand mixer for this, which I know is a bit controversial. But it saves time, effort and is less messy!
Anyway, next come the eggs. I use four cups of flour and start with six whole eggs. Add a pinch of salt, too, and two tablespoons olive oil.
Leave the hard work up to the mixer and the dough hook. Maybe pour a glass of wine. Dough seems too wet? Add some flour. Too dry? Add another egg. It’s not a science.
Today’s batch was a little wet, so I sprinkled in semolina until it felt right — a little tacky, but smooth. Then I give it a few hand kneads, to form a nice smooth ball. Rub it with a little olive oil. Then, let it rest for 30 minutes.
Ok, so now the pasta is resting. If ravioli seems like a little much to take on right now, you can just roll that dough out and cut it into pappardelle or tagliatelle or lasagna sheets etc etc. But today is a day for ambition, and so, it is time to make the ravioli filling.
I always make the same filling, spinach and ricotta. Usually I use frozen spinach because it’s way easier; the grocery store was totally wiped clean, so I grabbed the last two boxes of fresh baby spinach. I’ll wilt that down in a pan.
A few minutes later, here’s what that looks like. I’ll cook down a second batch too.
Chop it up. Now it is time for my least favorite kitchen chore, wringing out the water from the spinach. I hate this. But you don’t want the filling too wet.
Add some ricotta to the spinach. I usually use part skim; the store only had whole milk. I’m sure it will be fine!
Add grated Pecorino Romano cheese, a sprinkle of nutmeg, salt and pepper. I’ll also add an egg to bind.
And that’s the filling!
Ok, time to attach the pasta rolling attachment to my stand mixer. You could do this with a rolling pin if you don’t have one, or you could get a hand crank roller. But I like this attachment!
Cut off a hunk of dough that’s about an eighth of the ball. We’re going to put it through the roller on the first setting for a couple of runs.
Keep going, moving up the setting. I go to six for ravioli. Thin, but sturdy.
Ok. Now you’ve got a long thin sheet of pasta. Luckily for me, I also happen to have a very handy gadget: a ravioli tablet! This will let me make 10 ravioli at a time.
Here’s how it works. You drape a sheet of pasta over the tablet.
Then you add the filling in the little wells.
Drape another sheet on top.
Then, we get rolling.
You wind up with lovely little uniform ravioli!
If you don’t have this ridiculously niche kitchen gadget, you can still make ravioli. Maybe you have a little ravioli stamp lying around?
If not, that’s ok! You can just lay one sheet down, plop on little lumps of filling, put another sheet on top, seal with egg wash or water or nothing, and cut with a knife or pizza cutter. Use your fork to seal edges. This is great for making bigger ravioli.
Well, time to keep going. This recipe makes A LOT. I’ll freeze most of it, and will probably make a plate for my neighbor. Usually I only make ravioli for company — once I had a 20-person Room 9 dinner party and made them! But it’s a fun project. Happy Sunday cooking!
113 ravioli later, and I’m done! I lost a few — tore the pasta open on a couple (and then ate them raw, YOLO), one fell on the floor and Toby ate it.
Ok, now what? I store in the fridge covered in semolina until I’m ready to cook, and I freeze what I’m not going to cook today.
What about sauce, you ask?
What about sauce, you ask?
Today, we’ll have the ravioli with a meat sauce my husband Andrew made earlier this week — tomatoes, homemade meatballs, hot Italian sausage, simmer day, you get the idea.
Perhaps you do not have a handsome husband who has made you a pot of sauce according to his family recipe!
Perhaps you do not have a handsome husband who has made you a pot of sauce according to his family recipe!
I’m not about to give up the meat sauce recipe. Usually we make it at the same time as the ravioli, which makes the kitchen... hectic.
But it’s very easy to make marinara at home! Or do the classic Marcella Hazan tomato and butter sauce!
But it’s very easy to make marinara at home! Or do the classic Marcella Hazan tomato and butter sauce!
Fan of vodka sauce? Might I recommend this version via Ina Garten? foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-ga…
Another way I really like to serve these ravioli is with a sauce I basically ripped off from Eataly’s pasta restaurant. Butter, shallots, white wine, lemon juice, lemon zest, a bunch of crushed pistachios on top. Great for spring time.
ANYWAY. @NY1 could really use a cooking show right now, I am just saying.
PS: I also made bread.
