Homemade Ravioli

 Every Sunday, most Italian families sit down at a table with an abundance of pasta, gravy, meatballs, bread, cheese, wine, and just about any other kind of Italian food you could think of, my family included! We always have at least three boxes of pasta in our pantry, whether its for our big Sunday dinner or any night of the week. Last Sunday, we decided to try something different, and ditch the boxed pasta for homemade raviolis. These aren't as easy as pouring pasta into boiling water, but they sure do taste good. Even though making the raviolis was time consuming, we have nothing to complain about.


According to the many stories told by my amazing mama, my great grandma Riga used to make homemade pasta every Sunday. We have made homemade raviolis and other pastas a number of times before, but nothing can compare to how much she made. Not to mention it was for more than the average four person family, but for 20 hungry Italians who weren't shy when it came to asking for a second helping. It was a lot of work, but it was worth it!

Make a well by placing the flour on a clean surface and make a hole in the middle. Then fill it with the eggs and gradually whisk the sides of the well into the eggs.

My mom had to finish kneading the dough for me! If you have a stand mixer with a dough hook I recommend that you use that.

If you want to add in the spinach then you can. I did half in half just to try out the two flavors.

Mangia!

Homemade Ravioli

dough:
3 eggs*
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 to 1 cup water

filling:
1 lb ricotta cheese
1 egg
salt and pepper to taste
3/4 cup crushed frozen spinach, optional

pasta machine and ravioli cutter, optional

1. On a clean surface, make a well with the flour
2. One by one, whisk the eggs into the flour until it turns into small crumbles
3. Slowly add in the water and knead until uniform and all one texture
4. Form into a ball and place in a bowl lightly coated with olive oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rest for 15 minutes
5. Combine all ingredients for the filling in a bowl and set aside
6. Take one quarter of the dough and place the rest back in the bowl and cover.
7. Roll out the dough in the pasta machine or by hand with a rolling pin. Make sure to coat any surfaces with flour. If using the pasta machine, gradually roll out the pasta to the 2nd smallest thickness.
8. Cut the long sheet into two pieces and place 1 tablespoon of the filling on one sheet of dough about 1 to 2 inches apart.
9. Place the second sheet on top and seal  the edges. Using a ravioli cutter or a knife, cut the out the pasta into 2 inch circles or squares.
10. Fill a pot with water and bring to a slow boil. Pour in the raviolis gently and cook until they float to the top. 
11. Serve hot with gravy and cheese.

*Update: the original recipe called for 3 eggs which was a mistake in my part. Sorry to anyone who was confused!