Fresh Pasta
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Cuisine: Italian
Serves: 4-5
Ingredients
  • 3 cups of unbleached all purpose flour plus ½ cup (set on the side and use if the dough gets too sticky)
  • 5 eggs
Instructions
  1. Set the flour in a mound on a work surface and make a well in the center.
  2. Break the eggs into the well and beat lightly with a fork.
  3. With a fork work the flour from the sides of the well into the eggs until the eggs are no longer runny.
  4. Draw the sides of the mound together with your hands and start kneading the dough until you have a smoothly integrated mixture.
  5. If the dough is sticky, sprinkle with extra flour and knead it in. Test the dough by pressing your finger into the center; if it comes out clean, without any sticky on it, it is ready.
  6. Gather the dough in a ball, cover with a dish towel and let it rest for 15 to 30 minutes.
  7. Divide the dough into 6 equal parts.
  8. Set the thickness adjusting dial of the pasta machine to the smallest number, this is the widest opening.
  9. Flatten one of the pieces of dough with a rolling pin or with your hands until it is thin enough to go through the machine's cylinders.
  10. Run the dough through the machine.
  11. Fold the dough in half. If dough is sticky dust flour and spread with your hand.
  12. Feed the dough through the machine once again
  13. Repeat 3-4 times until it feels smooth. Making sure the flattened pasta is wide enough to cover the ravioli mold.
  14. Move the thickness adjusting dial to the next number this way closing down the opening between the machine's rollers.
  15. Dust with flour if necessary. Be cautious not to over do it because the pasta dough needs to be a bit sticky to help seal the ravioli.
  16. Run the flattened dough through the machine once.
  17. Repeat these steps until the thickness adjusting dial is on the second to last number. The max in my pasta machine is 7 so I take it all the way to 6.
  18. Liberally flour the ravioli mold.
  19. Fold the flattened dough in half and cut. Make sure that the pieces are about 1 inch wider and longer on all sides of the ravioli mold (check picture above).
  20. Place one sheet of pasta over the ravioli maker. Gently press the pasta into the depressions of the mold to form cups. The mold I use has a metal form with domes that you press into the dough over the metal mold to create the depressions. You remove this metal form once the depressions are made. Press gently because you can break the dough.
  21. Place part of the spinach filling in a plastic bag and cut ¼ inch from the tip.
  22. Squeeze about a whole teaspoon of filling into each pocket. The amount will vary depending on the mold you have. Put only enough to be able to seal the edges of the pasta.
  23. Place the other sheet of pasta over the ravioli filling. This will be the bottom of the ravioli.
  24. Using a rolling pin press the two layers of pasta together. Use pressure to cut the pasta into individual ravioli. Peel off excess dough from around the ravioli.
  25. Turn the ravioli maker over and give the mold a shake. The ravioli should easily fall out of the mold. If they don't tap the edge of the mold against the counter-top or another firm surface.
  26. If the pasta edges cannot be separated by hand, use a fluted pasta wheel or knife and separate each raviolo.
  27. Examine each raviolo to be sure it is properly sealed around the edges.
  28. Cover a cookie sheet with wax paper and sprinkle with cornmeal.
  29. Arrange the ravioli in a single layer on the cookie sheet.
  30. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.
  31. Cook the ravioli in a stockpot of boiling salted water until the pasta is al dente. You will know it is ready once the ravioli start floating, about 5 minutes.
  32. Drain and spread out into a large serving bowl.
  33. Serve with your choice of sauce. Great sauce suggestions are vegetarian marinara sauce or an Alfredo sauce.
  34. Gently toss to coat.
  35. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan and serve.
Notes
The kneading of the dough is the most important step when making pasta using the machine. Make sure you knead it at least 5 minutes or until the dough is smooth.

Ravioli can be frozen. Place the cookie sheet into the freezer. Once the ravioli have frozen, you can remove them from the plate and put them into freezer bags.
Recipe by Belmondo Foods at https://www.belmondofoods.com/homemade-spinach-filled-ravioli/