Cheese Ravioli
Ravioli is the pasta that started me on my pasta making journey and will always have a special place in my heart. These simple cheese ravioli are easy to “fancify” but are also the weeknight staple you can pull from the freezer after a long day and have ready in minutes. Cheesy, light, and filled almost to bursting, enjoy these little pasta pillows time and time again.
Ingredients
For Pasta
1 c tipo “00” flour
1 c semolina flour
4 eggs
1 tablespoon olive oil
pinch of salt
For Filling
24 oz container ricotta cheese
1 egg
basil/oregano/parsley chopped approx large 1 handful
2 cup grated parmesan/mozzarella/provolone/asiago (I typically buy six cheese blend at the grocery store)
seasoning
salt & pepper to taste
red pepper flakes
Cooking Directions
Begin by making your pasta dough. Take one cup of semolina flour and one cup of “00” flour and place them on your counter. Make a well in the center of the flour.
Add the four eggs, a drizzle of olive oil, and a pinch of salt. Begin stirring the eggs in the well with a fork, slowly beating the egg and incorporating the flour. As the flour becomes incorporated a dough will form.
As the dough begins to form, use your hands to shape it into a ball and begin to knead, making sure to include all the flour.
Knead the dough until smooth and elastic. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and rest for a minimum 10 minutes.
In a large bowl mix all filling ingredients. Transfer the mixture to a piping bag or a large gallon zip lock bag with the corner cut off for piping.
After the dough has rested, roll it out into long rectangular sheets. I use my kitchenaid roller attachment and roll sheets out to the #6 thickness, but this can also be done by a hand crank pasta roller or using a rolling pin. I divide my dough into four using a bench scraper and keep the dough I’m not using wrapped in the plastic. Begin by forming the balls into rectangles, lightly flouring, and then pass through the roller or roll it out. You want a thickness that will hold the shape and the filling but not be too thick and chewy.
Set the sheet along the mold or out on the counter, I recommend a mold like this, but definitely check your local kitchen shop too. Pipe a quarter sized amount of filling onto the sheet before slightly wetting along the edges where the sheets will meet to form our cheesy pasta pillows.
Fold the other half of the pasta sheet back upon itself to encapsulate the cheese filling and form the ravioli. Gently press down with hands to smooth and then cut out by pressing a rolling pin on the mold or by hand cutting and crimping. Lay ravioli on parchment paper dusted in “00” flour in rows.
To cook, boil in salted water for 3 min. Remove from water and plate. I recommend trying these ravioli with my short rib ragu or just a simple marinara. A spoonful of sauce and dusting of cheese and you're eating well. Enjoy!
Substitutions and Tips
Use any and all herbs and cheeses. The best part of this pasta filling is that it is light and fresh regardless of what you use, just make sure the herbs are fresh and the cheese is plentiful.
“00” flour and semolina flour create the most delicious pasta and can be found at your local Italian grocery store or some larger grocery chains. All-purpose flour can also be used but I wholeheartedly recommend going to your local Italian market to buy your flour-you never know what else you might find!
This recipe makes approximately 4 dozen ravioli if you don’t reuse the dough scraps. You can probably get about 6 dozen ravioli out of this recipe using the scraps and re-rolling them out..
Freezing pasta is easy and in my opinion the best way to save your pasta pillows for later eating. Lay the ravioli in rows on a flour dusted piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet, with parchment paper between layers. Freeze for a minimum 30 minutes before transferring the ravioli in plastic bags and placing in the freezer. Pop frozen ravioli in boiling water just as you would if cooking directly after making them.
Wine Pairing
After a long day at work there is nothing better than collapsing onto the couch, cradling a bowl of steaming ravioli and sauce, and pouring that first class of Italian red. I think I’ve actually dreamed of this exact scenario after a particularly rough day. The wine in said dream was this fantastic sangiovese from Italy, Montesecondo. Sangiovese is a classically Italian grape and is grown through much of Tuscany where it is incredibly popular. This full bodied red has deep beautifully rich dark fruit, tannins that will delight your taste buds and aged in concrete, it has a very grounded mouthfeel. Drinking this takes me immediately back to sitting outside a trattoria in Italy, having some pasta and wine, and watching the world go by. It’s a phenomenal wine to enjoy no matter what sauce you make for your ravioli.
