Homemade Ravioli

So I have to confess. I tried making this already and the results were not so good. But this time they were awesome! I went to a ravioli making class a couple weeks ago at Williams Sonoma. They do free demonstration classes every Sunday. This was the first time I ever went to one. They showed us 2 different ways to make the ravioli. They showed how to make them by hand with a stamp and with the ravioli maker for the kitchen aid mixer. I ended up purchasing a stamp and making them by hand. They also showed us how to make fresh pasta dough and to run it through a pasta machine.  It actually surprised me that this was not an all day process. I would say it took me about 2 hours of active cooking to make them. I can do that on a Sunday every once in awhile. The only thing that was tough about this recipe was finding the ingredients that they used in the class to make the ravioli. They used "00" flour, which I had never heard of and semolina flour. I found the semolina flour in the store but had went on a hunt for the "00" flour. Phil found it for me at an international market that is in our area. But you certainly can use just plain flour to make the dough.

 I could not believe how good the raviolis came out. They had the perfect bite to them and the cheese was really creamy. I am excited to try new fillings next time!

Homemade Ravioli
Recipe adapted from Williams Sonoma

Pasta:
1 cup Semolina flour
2 1/3 cups "00" flour, divided
4 eggs
2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons olive oil

Filling:
3 cups ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon parsley
1 teaspoon salt
Fresh ground pepper

Favorite pasta sauce
1 tablespoon salt

In a stand mixer mix all ingredients together, reserving 1/3 cup of flour. Mix for about 30 seconds. Dough will become a pea like consistency.

Add reserved flour at this point if dough seems too sticky. Continue to mix for about another minute until dough forms a ball.

Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and knead a couple more minutes.

Shape the dough into a disk and cover with  a large bowl and let rest for 30 minutes.

Flour a pasta machine lightly. Turn the dial to the highest number.

Cut the disk of dough like a pie into about 8 equal pieces. Take one of the pieces and form it into a disk.

Pass the dough through the pasta machine. Then fold the dough in half and pass through the machine again.

Continue this until you get to the second to last setting on the machine.

Lay finished dough on a lightly floured surface and continue with the remaining dough until all dough is formed
into sheets.

Now make the filling.

Mix all filling ingredients into a bowl until well combined.

Take a sheet of pasta and lightly fold in half lengthwise to mark the center. Then unfold and lay flat again.

Beginning about 1 inch from one of the short ends, place a teaspoon full of the filling about one inch apart in a row down the center of one side of the fold.

Using a pastry brush, lightly brush water around the filling.

Fold the dough over the filling.

Using a ravioli stamp, place stamp over the center of each piece of filled dough and stamp out the ravioli.

Continue until all dough is used.

You can now either freeze the ravioli or use is fresh.

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add 1 tablespoon of salt. Add ravioli and cook until they float.

Serve with your favorite sauce.

This recipe is linked on:   Foodie Friday, Show and Tell Saturday, Strut Your Stuff Saturday,  Kitchen Fun with my 3 Sons,  Foodie Friday, Rediscovering Lost Arts From Our Mothers,  Mix it Up Mondays, Melt in your Mouth Mondays,  On the Menu Monday,  Show me Your Plaid Mondays