I spent Christmas with my mom and my brother. It was a miraculous few days because we were almost entirely without technology; the internet, phones, even the radio were all out of commission. The result was a luxuriously simple holiday.We made a big Indian feast on Christmas eve (to enjoy all of the chutneys I'd made), and on Christmas day we went for a big hike and then my brother, David, and I made raviolis.
It was my first time making raviolis and they were so simple and turned out deliciously!
We used a pasta maker and a little ravioli crimping tool but I'm sure you could just roll the dough out and use a fork to crip the edges. The dough is simple and the filling is as well.
For the dough:
2 cups flour, plus more for rolling
1/2 tsp salt
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons olive oil
Combine the flour and salt on a flat work surface; shape into a mound and make a well in the center. Add the eggs and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to the well and lightly beat with a fork. Gradually draw in the flour from the inside wall of the well in a circular motion. Use 1 hand for mixing and the other to protect the outer wall. Continue to incorporate all the flour until it forms a ball. Knead and fold the dough until elastic and smooth, this should take about 10 minutes. As our directions said: Good dough never sticks to your fingers.
Brush the surface with the remaining olive oil and wrap the dough in plastic wrap; let rest for about 30 minutes to allow the gluten to relax.
Meanwhile make the filling by combining in a bowl and mixing well:
1 cups ricotta cheese
1/2 cup crumbled chevre, at room temperature
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 egg, beaten
Dust the counter and dough with a little flour. Press the dough into a rectangle and roll it through a pasta machine, 2 or 3 times, at widest setting. Pull and stretch the sheet of dough with the palm of your hand as it emerges from the rollers. Reduce the setting and crank the dough through again, 2 or 3 times. Continue tightening until the machine is at the narrowest setting; the dough should be paper-thin, about 1/8-inch thick (you should be able to see your hand through it.). Dust the sheets of dough with flour as needed. You can also make these by rolling the dough with a rolling pin, but it's just a little trickier..
Beat 1 egg with 1 tablespoon of water to make an egg wash. Dust the counter and sheet of dough with flour, lay out the long sheet of pasta, and brush the top surface with the egg wash, which acts as a glue. Drop the filling on 1/2 of the pasta sheet, about 2-inches apart. Fold the other 1/2 over the filling like a blanket. With a ravioli press or your fingers, gently press out air pockets around each mound of filling. Use a sharp knife to cut each pillow into squares and crimp the 4 edges with a fork or the ravioli press to make a tight seal. Dust the ravioli and a sheet pan with cornmeal to prevent the pasta from sticking and lay them out to dry slightly while assembling the rest.
Cook the ravioli in plenty of boiling salted water for 4 minutes; they'll float to the top when ready, so be careful not to overcrowd the pot. Lift the ravioli from water with a large strainer or slotted spoon.
We made a simple mushroom sauce to go on top.... just sauteed mushrooms and onions, a little flour, cream, white wine....I wanted white truffle oil (as I usually do!) but there was none to be had.
