Ravioli is one of those foods that I have always loved, but rarely eat because it is so freakin’ expensive to buy! Luckily for me, Tool Lady decided several months ago to try out making it at home. We’ve experimented with a few different recipes and are experimenting still, but one thing’s for sure, homemade ravioli is not only cheaper than the store bought kind, it’s also healthier and tastier (it does take some time, though…full disclosure)!
Pasta (used for ravioli) recipe (straight out of The Joy of Cooking):
3 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose, stone-ground, organic flour
5 large eggs (or 7 egg whites)
1 teaspoon salt (optional)
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil (optional)
~ Beat the eggs well
~ Create a mound of flour on your counter and create a well in the middle of it
~ Add your eggs, olive oil and salt into the well
~ Using your fingertips, slowly incorporate the flour into the eggs and blend everything into a smooth, not too stiff, dough (if the dough is too crumbly, add a little bit of water and mix well)
~ Knead the dough until satiny and very elastic
~ Divide the dough into 4 pieces, cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest for 30 minutes
~ After 30 minutes, roll out your dough one piece at a time and cut out your ravioli pieces (we’ve used cups for round pieces and a pizza cutter to get square pieces…we like the round ones best and they seem to hold more filling.
~ Place a small mound of filling in the center of your ravioli, place another piece on top and crimp them together with a fork…or if you have a fancier tool, use that 😉
~ Place your completed ravioli on wax or parchment paper on a cookie sheet and put in the freezer until frozen through
~ Once frozen, put your ravioli into plastic (sandwich) baggies, label and put them back in the freezer.
Now, for most recipes, Tool Lady pretty much makes things up as she goes. So, while she followed the recipe for the dough, all of the filling was done quite randomly/by taste. These descriptions will give you a starting off point, but the beauty of making your own ravioli is that you can put whatever you want inside!
Spicy sausage and ground beef (about a half pound of each) sauteed with fresh garlic, salt & pepper and then mixed with a bit of spinach. An egg was added to this mixture right before filling the ravioli. We’ve never done it this way before, but Tool Lady read that it will act as a binder, so when it’s time to actually eat the ravioli, the filling won’t fall apart so easily.
Spinach and artichoke (about a cup of each…spinach from our garden, blanched and frozen and artichokes our of a jar, marinated in oil and…) with some Parmesan cheese and a bit of cottage cheese mixed in for…well… cheesy goodness 🙂 Another egg was added to this mixture as well.
Butternut Squash (3 small, from our garden) baked at 375 degrees with a little butter, then smashed up with a little more butter and some nutmeg and cinnamon.
Cheese (Italian blend) and Fake Cheese (AKA dairy free cheese for Fish Girl).
To cook, simply boil some water, add a pinch of salt and simmer your ravioli for about 10 – 15 minutes. The key word here is simmer…if you boil them, they will fall apart. Pull them out and top with your favorite pasta topping (we especially love to top them with spaghetti sauce, sprinkle a bit of cheese on top and then stick them in a hot over for a few minutes!
Enjoy!!!
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Thank you for directions, made my first batch today. Will have them for supper, can hardly wait. I will be making a large batch with my mom & daughter soon, now that I got it down. The first ones look a bit funny shaped. LOL
So glad it was helpful! We really do need to make another batch 🙂
1st Man – I hear you! I sit at a desk too many hours out of the day, too! Absolutely freeze them! They hold up perfectly! We make so many so we can just pull them out and throw them in some boiling water. By them time they’re ready (about 15 minutes), your sauce is hot and you’re ready to eat! Magic!
Kelly – You’re welcome! Enjoy! 🙂
That looks awesome, I just wrote the recipe down, thank you for sharing 🙂
Oh my, that looks delicious. I’m a pasta addict, I could eat it every day (of course with my metabolism and 9hr day office job, that miight not be a wise idea, ha). I will have to have 2nd Man try this. He makes pasta on occasion but we’ve never tried ravioli. And what better fall dish that butternut squash! Yum!! One question, can these be frozen? Or are they better made and eaten while fresh? I’d love to make a big batch and keep some in the freezer at the farm for quick meals. Thanks for sharing!
Allison – YES! It’s so worth the time it takes!!!
Kelly – We just roll it out by hand, so sometimes it can be a but thick. We’ve learned that the more you handle the dough, the harder it is to handle, so work with it quickly and then let it rest. Hope that helps…at least a little 😉
Ngo – OH! That sounds fantastic! I will HAVE to try that combination! Thanks!
Oh, I love homemade ravioli! Spinach, mushroom, and ricotta is a favorite filling here.
YUM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I will have to find some time to give this a try!
YUM! I made homemade butternut squash ravioli once. It was yummy but not quite right. I didn’t have a pasta roller and couldn’t get the pasta quite thin enough. Any tips?
I bought the pasta roller for my kitchenaid, love it. You can also get a hand crank one for pretty cheap. You will notice the difference.
Brilliant! Sometimes I resist spending the money, but the extra time it will save (plus the quality of what we’re eating) should more than make up for it! Thanks for the reminder 🙂