Ravioli

Ravioli is a favorite dish at my house. My girls always squeal with delight whenever I serve them. It doesn’t matter what kind—spinach, mushroom, cheese, or even lobster. Serve it with a fresh tomato sauce or butter and sage. It is as much a comforting dish in winter as it is a light dish served with fresh ingredients in the summer. It all depends on what you like.

Ravioli have been around for centuries in one iteration or another. Chinese dumplings? Essentially ravioli. Pierogis? Yup, that too. The first known mention of the ravioli we’ve come to know and love was found in 14^th century Italian texts. The Maltese “ravjul” with “irkotta” stuffing is the only older mention. Other versions of ravioli appear in southern France, Turkey, and India. Ravioli are typically square but can often be found round or half-moon shaped.

Your best bet is to make the pasta dough and let it rest. Make sure you roll it out thin enough, but not so thin that it breaks. This is the tricky part of working with ravioli. You’ll be doubling up the pasta because you’re filling the middle. So, it can’t be so thick that the filling almost gets lost in a barge load of dough. But too thin, it could break once it hits the boiling water. And, don’t forget the egg wash. It’s an oft-forgotten step. We’re so eager to get them into the pot that we neglect to stick the ingredients together. Makes a nice mess.

Here’s the recipe:

Special equipment:

Ravioli mold and rolling pin

Dough:

2 c. all-purpose flour

5 eggs

¼ olive oil

½ tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

cold water, if necessary

Filling:

4 oz. fresh mushrooms (Portobello, cremini, shitake, oyster, etc.)

1 TB olive oil

½ tsp parsley, minced

½ tsp thyme

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

Fill the food processor with the flour, salt, and pepper. Pulse a few times to mix thoroughly and sift the flour. Add the eggs and oil. You may need to add a bit of cold water if the mixture is a little dry. Roll out the dough onto a floured surface. Knead for about 5-10 minutes, adding more flour if needed. Wrap in plastic and let it sit for at least an hour before working with it.

Then, after rinsing out the food processor, fill it with the mushrooms. Keep it going until the mushrooms essentially form a paste. Add the remaining ingredients and pulse a few times for good mixture. Set aside.

Unwrap the dough and roll it onto a floured surface. Have more flour on hand, if needed. I use a pasta machine to flatten the dough out, but you can just use a rolling pin if you desire. When ready, place the dough on the mold and press down to make divots. Fill the depressions with the mushroom paste. Egg wash the edges. Place the next piece of dough on top. Roll out, pressing down to make sure the edges fit together and the ravioli have separated. Place the individual ravioli on to a baking sheet with a little extra flour so they don’t stick together.

Cook them in salted, boiling water for 3-4 minutes. Serve with your favorite sauce immediately.