While making yogurt yesterday I figured while I was at it I would make some cheese as well. And that plan turned out to be a good one, for I used it tonight for dinner. Homemade Ravioli was on menu. Its really quite simple and a wonderful feeling when you make an entire dish from scratch.

The Pasta

First get your pasta ready. If you are unsure how to make pasta I wrote the article Preparing Fresh Pasta some time ago to help you along.

The Filling

Ingredients

1/4 pound Ricotta cheese, drained. Learn to make your own here.

2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated

1 lightly beaten egg

dash of black pepper to taste.

If you are making your own cheese it is important to drain it well. The excess liquid will cause your raviolis to break when cooking them off. I would even drain store bought ricotta as well.

You can add some extra flavor in the filling as well, but watch your moisture content. Tonight I cooked down some spinach before hand and added it in chopped. Your fresh pasta should only need a minute or so to cook off, so if you plan on using a meat product of something that needs to be cooked, make sure it is before mixing it into your filling.

Procedure

Once your pasta is rolled out spoon you filling to desired size onto your pasta, leaving roughly 2 inches in between. Now, around your filling spread a thin layer of egg wash (you could also use water). This will act as an adhesive and seal your filling in tight. Lay another equal size sheet of pasta over and smooth down the sides. When sealing your filling in make sure you work from the middle outward to prevent air pockets from forming.

Once your filling is sealed cut into squares are fork the sides to make it look all fancy and professional. Cook off in boiling water for 1-3 minutes until finished and enjoy!

Mmmhmmm, Pasta. The meal that joins me regularly on my weekly menu. Pasta is such a beautiful thing, tasteful, substantial, and simple. In my opinion there is only one thing slightly better than pasta, and that is fresh pasta. Today I want to share just how simple these favorite foods of mine are to make.

So let’s talk about pasta. Where shall we begin? Ribbons, Tubes, Spirals, There are so many varieties. Most of us can identify the basic shapes and corresponding names, but there are hundreds of varieties. But are there? In terms of shape, yes there is, but we can categorize pasta in a few ways to make identifying slightly more manageable.

From the basics, Pasta is unleavened dough of flour mixed with a liquid. The type of flour can be from almost any grain: wheat, buckwheat, rice or a combination of grains. The liquid is usually egg and/or water. Another categorical stipulation may include coloring and flavorings added in the dough from pureed vegetables, herbs or other ingredients.

Making Basic Pasta Dough

Amount

4 pounds

Ingredients

Flour: 2 lb 8 oz Semolina

Liquid: 15 eggs

1 fl oz Olive oil (optional, for flavor)

Flavor: 1 Tbsp Salt

I like to use Durum/Semolina flour. It creates finer, stronger, smoother, colorful pasta, but in result makes a more difficult dough to work with by hand. A ½ semolina ½ all purpose flour dough works well.

Since making fresh pasta is a little time consuming, I usually make more than necessary and store the left over in the freezer. A basic ratio for pasta dough is roughly ¾ cup flour for every egg used.

Procedure

1. Mound flour on a clean surface and make a well.
2. Pour eggs (liquid) and flavoring into well.
3. Gradually incorporate flour into eggs with a fork.
4. Knead dough on a floured surface until silky smooth and resilient, a firm yet pliable texture. Knead for 7-10 minutes.
5. Wrap the dough to prevent a crust from forming and let rest for 20 minutes.
6. After the dough has rested, roll it into flat sheets. I recommend if you plan on rolling by hand that you work with small amounts at a time to prevent it from drying out.
7. Once rolled, I like to lay down a pinch or two of corn meal, and let rest to ensure uniformity. If a finger print can be made, the dough is still too wet.
8. Cut into any desired shape.
9. Boil in water (allow 1 gallon for each pound of pasta) until firm but tender.

Enjoy!