Last week we were lucky to enjoy a couple of cool and rainy days. After three and a half blistering hot weeks with temperatures around 100º F, a cloudy wet weekend was truly a treat. The ice maker had been working overtime, and I was beginning to run out of ideas for cold foods. It had been too hot to consider anything that would require any effort or heat to produce. Finally a chance to play in the kitchen. I wanted a project. Time to make ravioli!
Home made ravioli is such a treat, and actually not that difficult (unless it is 100°, and no AC) and fun to make. The pasta itself is very basic with few ingredients. Making different fillings is also quite simple, and allows you to customize your pasta to your personal tastes. I made two different fillings for my ravioli, one with spinach and the other with crab. Another thing I enjoy about making the ravioli is that they are easy to freeze, so the fruits of my labor can be enjoyed several times with minimal effort.
Lay out the sheets of pasta on a lightly floured surface. Using a spoon or a cookie dough scoop, place the filling in piles in the center of the dough. Be sure to space them far enough apart.
Cover the filling with a second sheet of pasta, working the dough around the mounds to eliminate as much of the air pocket as possible.
The pasta can be cut using a ravioli cutter, or with a knife. If you cut the shapes by hand use a fork or finger to crimp the edges together. I used different shape cutters to easily identify the two fillings.
Work the scraps of the dough back into a ball and roll again. (The dough can be worked several time before it becomes to dry to use). The ravioli are easy to freeze. Cover a sheet pan with parchment paper and place it in your freezer. Move the ravioli onto the paper and freeze for several hours before transferring into storage bags. The frozen ravioli will thaw quickly and can be either boiled or baked to serve.
- 1 pound basic pasta dough
- Filling of your choice
- 1 cup spinach chopped (fresh or frozen, thawed and drained)
- 4 ounces ricotta cheese
- 1 egg
- pinch of nutmeg
- 8 oz crab meat (lump or imitation)
- 4 oz ricotta cheese
- 1 egg
- 1/8 teaspoon tarragon
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Roll out pasta dough on a lightly floured board to about 1/8” thickness with a rolling pin or pasta machine.
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Lay out the sheets of pasta on a lightly floured surface. Using a spoon place the filling in piles in the center of the dough. Be sure to space them far enough apart.
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Cover the filling with a second sheet of pasta, working the dough around the mounds to eliminate as much of the air pocket as possible.
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The pasta can be cut using a ravioli cutter, or with a knife. If you cut the shapes by hand use a fork or finger to crimp the edges together. I used different shape cutters to easily identify the two fillings.
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Work the scraps of the dough back into a ball and roll again. (The dough can be worked several time before it becomes too dry to use).
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Chop spinach and mix with ricotta. Whisk egg in a separate bowl. Add egg and nutmeg to spinach and mix well.
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Chill for thirty minutes.
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Flake the crab meat and mix with ricotta. Whisk egg in a separate bowl. Add egg and tarragon to crab and mix well.
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Chill for thirty minutes.
Ravioli are easy to freeze. Cover a sheet pan with parchment paper and place it in your freezer. Move the ravioli onto the paper and freeze for several hours before transferring into storage bags. The frozen ravioli will thaw quickly and can be either boiled or baked to serve.
