Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Homemade Ravioli

MEAT MIXTURE

½ LB Meat                                                                     
1 Tbsp. butter
1 ½ TBSP onion                                                              
Salt & Pepper
½ Ricotta Cheese                                                           
1/3 cup Parmesan Cheese
1 Egg Yolk

  • Sauté onion in butter over medium heat 1 – 2 minutes.
  • Add meat and cook until meat loses its raw red or pink color.
  • Transfer to a food processor and pulse a few times to chop.
  • DON’T ALLOW TO PUREE
  • Put mixture in a bowl, add remaining ingredients.
  • Combine well and fill ravioli.
  • Serve with spaghetti sauce and cheese.

CHEESE FILING

1 8 oz container of ricotta cheese                                   
4 oz of shredded mozzarella cheese
½ cup of Parmesan cheese                                             
1 egg
½ tbsp. chopped parsley                                                 
Salt & pepper

  • Combine ingredients in bowl, fill rounds of ravioli dough.
  • Serve with favorite sauce.






DOUGH

2 cups all purpose flour                                                   
1 tsp. salt
2 TBSP unsalted butter
½ cup boiling water

  • In a food processor, place the flour and salt.
  • Add butter and pulse until the flour has the texture of rough cornmeal.
  • With the machine running, slowly add the water.
  • Gather the dough into a ball, place on a floured surface.
  • Knead lightly just until the dough is smooth.
  • Divide in half, keeping one half covered, while you work with the other.
  • On a well floured surface, roll out the dough to 1/8” thickness.
  • Using a round 3 inch cutter, cut out dough rounds.
  • Using a tablespoon place mounds of filling on half of the rounds.
  • Place an unfilled round on top of the filling, and press the edges of the dough together firmly between thumb and forefinger.  Moisten edges with a little water if they are not sealing properly.
  • Place rounds on a surface that has been dusted with cornmeal. 
  • Cover with a towel or plastic wrap.
  • Repeat procedure with remaining dough.
  • Completed ravioli can be refrigerated a few hours before cooking.
  • They can also be frozen by placing them on a cookie sheet and freezing until firm.
  • Then store in a plastic bag for 2 to 3 months.

Cooking Ravioli

  • Cook ravioli in salted water until they rise to the top.  3 – 4 minutes for fresh ravioli, or 9-10 minutes for frozen.