Homemade Cheese Ravioli

What is your favorite Italian pasta dish?

My family and I love homemade cheese ravioli ever since I learned how to make Homemade Pasta. It all started with a birthday present from the world's greatest sis that I have. Knowing how much I love to cook and my obsession with kitchen gadget, my sis decided to buy me a pasta maker.

Needless to say, mom's first request was for me to try making homemade ravioli at home. When mom was young, her family used to get homemade ravioli made by Italian grandmothers running home-based food business out of their kitchen. That is way before FDA and state food production regulation come into place. Sadly, those home businesses were gone forever and no gourmet pasta place in town has been able to impress mom with their ravioli since.

That is until I tried making ravioli at home with homemade pasta dough. The process is tedious but well worth the effort. Mom said she loves the ravioli as it is not starchy and you can really taste the cheese filling in the ravioli. Best part is, it costs a lot less than buying ravioli at the gourmet pasta place and taste just as good if not better.

Homemade Cheese Ravioli
(Makes 48 large ravioli - Serves 5-7 per person as dinner entree)

For the pasta dough
1 homemade pasta dough recipe

For the cheese filling
24 oz ricotta cheese
1 large egg, beaten
3 Tbsp grated romano cheese
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp chopped parsley (optional)

Water
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt

Directions

Step 1: Prepare the pasta dough. Refer to the previous homemade pasta dough recipe here.

Step 2: Combine all the ingredients to make cheese filling in a large bowl. Have a dish of clean water ready on the side.

Step 3: On a piece of freshly made pasta dough, place 1 1/2 teaspoon of ricotta cheese filling for each ravioli. One sheet of pasta dough should yield about 6 raviolis. Cheese filling should be placed on the top side of the pasta sheet. Please be sure to leave enough room to form edges around the ravioli.

Step 4: Using your finger, dab water around the edges and the space in between the ricotta cheese filling on the dough.

Step 5: Fold the pasta over to enclose the ravioli filling.

Press on the pasta dough around the cheese filling to seal the edge.

Step 6: Cut the ravioli into individual pieces.

Step 7: Crimp the edges of the ravioli with the back of a fork to seal.

Step 8: Set ravioli aside and continue till all filling and pasta dough are used.


Step 9: In a large pot, bring water to boil. Add 1/2 tsp water and 1 tsp of olive oil to the water.

Step 10: As soon as water comes to a boil, drop ravioli into the water gently. Bring water back to a boil. Let cook for 5 mins. Remove ravioli from pot using a slotted spoon.

Step 11: Serve ravioli with Homemade Marinara Sauce or your favorite pasta sauce.

Note: If you have a ravioli mold at home, the process is a lot simpler. Just place a sheet of pasta on the mold. Fill the cheese filling into individual filling cup. Top with another sheet of pasta. Using a rolling pin, roll over the pasta dough. Tap the ravioli mold. The ravioli will fall right off. You get to make a dozen every time.