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Writer's pictureLaura

I have been given a cooking Challenge - Ravioli

So as per a request I have received a challenge to make meat Ravioli, Its been a long time since I made ravioli, never mind fresh pasta, so long that I required a practice run before the main event 😅 (yes this was a request the 2 Spanish chefs in training I zoom cook with)

So here is how I do it, its not perfect but its pretty good. I have given a few different filling options as not everyone likes meat.

4 - 6 servings


The Pasta Dough

400g Plain Flour ( 00 grade/Pasta flour if you can get it)

4 eggs


Beef and Mozzarella Filling

150g Beef mince or beef sausages with skin removed

100g Grated Mozzarella (finely

1/2 small onion finely chopped

60 Fresh bread crumbs

70ml white wine

Parsley

1 egg

Salt &Pepper


The Pasta Sauce

1 small onion

1 clove garlic

400g Passata

2tbsp Olive Oil

1/2 tsp Dried basil

salt &pepper

sugar *if required*


Garnish *Optional*

Hand full of fresh basil

Parmesan flakes



Utensils

rolling pin

large flat work surface or large bowl

medium bowl

fork

round cookie cutter (4"/10cm Diameter)

vegetable knife

Pot

straining/ slotted spoon

bee wraps (cling film alternative)




The Method


1) Pour the flour on to your clean worksurface, making a well in the middle. Crack all your eggs into the well. With clean hands, poke the eggs with your fingers to break the yolks and mix into the flour until an elastic dough is formed, you can add more flour if dough is too sticky ( don't worry if not all the flour in incorporated, , it will depend on the size of your eggs,)


2) Kneed the dough for around 1 min, it should be quite stiff to kneed. Divide the dough into 4 pieces, wrap each quarter in a bee rap and allow to rest for 30 minutes in the fridge


3) while the pasta is resting you can make you your filling and pasta sauce, to make the meat filling, place all your ingredient into a bowl and mix with a fork to form a meaty paste or you can use a blender, adding all the ingredients and pulsing till combined


4) the Pasta sauce, Chop your garlic and onion and saute in the bottom of your pot with olive oil till the onions are golden, add the passata, salt, pepper and dried basil and simmer for 5 minutes. Taste the sauce and if the tomatoes are a little tart add a pinch of sugar


5) After the pasta dough has rested for 30 min, take a quarter at a time on a lightly floured surface roll out to around 1mm thick (or as thin as you can make it). Using a cookie cutter cut as many circles as you can ( or you can cut squares using a knife ) kneed together any cuttings, and repeat rolling and cutting till all the dough is used up,


6) to fold the Ravioli place a teaspoon of filling in the centre of the circle, wet the edge with your fingers, fold in half and pinch the circular edges to make a seeled half moon ( like perogies or gyoza) * if you want the knot shape pintch the 2 half moon points together to form a knot

** i will include a picture guide shortly*


7) Fill a pot 3/4 full of salted water and bring to the Boil. Once Boiling drop in small batches of the ravioli (5/6 at a time) into the water and when they begin to float they are ready to be transferred in to the sauce


8) When all the ravioli are cooked stir into the sauce, plate up and garnish with Parmesan or fresh basil, and serve hot


***


I made pasta in years, not since I was a Girl Guide leader why back when, and I always thought that I didn't make it much because it can be a bit messy, or take over a large counter space when working. Yesterday evening I realised how wrong I was ...... Hand rolling pasta is hard work or should I say a real workout 😶


I did a dry run making this a few days ago as well it had been so long that i had to make sure I could actively explain what I was doing over zoom. Some times I just do, when i cook but that is not the easiest way to learn a new recipe from so I always do a little practice either by cooking the dish or a variation a few days before or by having a little imaginary cooking session. you might laugh at the in head practicing, but its a tool I use all the time especially in dance ( I don't have a dance practice partner, so i dance a lot on my own) you might see me sitting absentmindedly flapping my hands, trying to learn a piece of choreo or a new step/variation, or to prep for a class. my hands become my feet case your wondering 😘


Alternative Fillings if your not for the meat


Spinach and Ricotta Filling

150g Spinach

150g Ricotta

60g fresh Bread crumbs

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1 egg

salt & pepper


to a small food processor add all ingredients and blitz till combined.



Roast Pumpkin and Garlic Filling

1 Small Pumpkin or Gourd

3 cloves of garlic ( peeled)

olive oil

20g cornflour

1/4 tsp Nutmeg

salt & Pepper


Peel and chop the pumpkin into small chunks, and place on an oven tray with the garlic and a good drizzle of olive oil , season with nutmeg salt and pepper. Bake in a preheated at 180C for 20min until the pumpkin is soft.

put the cooked pumpkin and garlic into a food processer with the cornflour and blitz till smooth.

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