Homemade Three Cheese Ravioli

By á-25229

Ingredients

• Fresh egg pasta:
• 3 cups unbleached all purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 4 large eggs
• 1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• Cheese Filling:
• 8 ounces goat cheese
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan (plus more for garnish)
• 1/4 cup mascarpone cheese
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Suggested Serving Sauce (or simply use your favourite tomato sauce):
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 20-30 cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 2 Tbsp. 10% cream (half and half) – optional
• 1-2 cups fresh baby spinach
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Freshly grated Parmesan for garnish

Preparation

Step 1

Instructions

For the Filling:

Prepare the filling by combining all ingredients thoroughly and refrigerating until needed.

For the Pasta:

Measure flour into a pile on counter or work surface. Make a well in the middle and break 4 eggs into it. Add salt and olive oil. Start whisking eggs with a fork until well mixed and then gradually start pulling flour from the sides into the egg. Continue adding flour until it is too difficult to work with a fork. Gather up dough and start kneading, kneading in more flour as necessary to make a smooth dough that is not sticky. Knead until dough feels smooth (about 5-10 minutes). Wrap dough tightly in plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for 20-30 minutes.

Cut dough into 4 pieces. Remove one piece and re-wrap the other 3 for later. Process dough though pasta roller, starting with the widest setting, folding and re-rolling several times. Start moving through the thinner settings until setting 5 (on Kitchen Aid roller or for other machines, not the thinnest but a couple notches back).

Lay dough onto floured counter. Locate and lightly mark the center of the dough with a knife. Place 1 rounded teaspoon of filling every 2 inches down the center of one half of the dough. Gently wet the edges of the filled side with wet fingertips. Fold the other half of dough over top, pressing air out from around the filling and pressing lightly along the edges. Using a ravioli or pizza cutter, cut into individual raviolis. Move to a flour-dusted baking sheet while you make more from the reserved dough in the same manner.

To freeze, simply put the baking sheet with the ravioli on it into the freezer for 30-60 minutes until firm and then transfer to a freezer bag.

To serve immediately, cook in salted, boiling water for 3-5 minutes.

For the sauce (if using):

Heat olive oil in frying pan. Add garlic and cook until fragrant but not browned. Remove from heat (to avoid burning garlic). Take cherry tomatoes and squeeze each half into the frying pan, removing juice and seed. Add tomatoes to pan as well. Return to medium-high heat and cook until tomatoes are softened but still hold their shape.

Reduce heat to medium and add cream. Add a couple of Tablespoons of the pasta water to the frying pan. Sprinkle spinach over top of tomatoes and cook just until spinach starts to wilt.

To serve, place ravioli in a large, shallow bowl or plate. Top with tomato/spinach sauce. Add freshly ground pepper and salt, to taste. Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan.