Someone recently asked about suggestions for making ravioli. My husband =
and I love to make our own. Many a night we have experimented both with =
flavoring the pasta itself, and coming up with creative and yummy =
fillings.
All you need to make the pasta is egg white, (or other egg replacement) =
flour, and water. Dash of salt always goes into mine.
My style is never to measure, so I just start with a couple of egg =
whites, about 1/4 cup of water, and start working in the flour until the =
dough is the right consistency. It should be fairly firm, but not =
overly dry. Like silly putty.
The food processor is where the dough is made Speedy Gonzales style, but =
you can certainly mix it by hand too. Once you get to the right =
consistency, pat it together into a ball and then roll it out with a =
pin. You can make any shapes you want, I usually just keep it simple =
and slice out an even number of squares. Put a little of your filling =
on every other one, leaving lots of space around the edges. (Several =
times at first I overfilled them, which makes a mess, not to mention =
cruddy ravioli.) Then use a spatula to put a 'cover' piece on each one, =
and crimp the edges together well using the tines of a fork. That's it =
- now all you have to do in throw them into some boiling water for a few =
minutes and serve with or without some kind of sauce. They sink when =
you place them in the water, and when they are done they float up to the =
surface.
The basis for my fillings is usually ff ricotta and ff parm, then I add =
whatever else I wish. The filling should be thick pastelike =
consistency. Garlic and onion are staple for me, usually some kind of =
greens, (like cooked spinach) dash of nutmeg, and a ton of fresh cracked =
pepper.
In place of the water for the pasta, I have tried purees of vegetables =
and greens. Beet, carrot, red pepper, basil, spinach, etc, etc.
You can also use spices in the dough, toasted cumin seeds and crushed =
red pepper is fun for a southwest ravioli. Fill with some pureed black =
beans, chopped onion, red bell pepper, garlic, and green chile!!=
ok enough outta me.
Meredith