Circle B Kitchen
Makes about 50 raviolis
Pasta
2 eggs and 3 egg yolks
1 1/2 - 2 cups flour (All-purpose or Italian 00 flour)
1/2 teaspoon salt
Filling
1 ½ cup fresh ricotta cheese
1 egg
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
¼ cup grated pecorino romano cheese
¼ cup grated mozzarella
½ tsp salt
Sauce
1 28-oz can of whole peeled tomatoes (preferable San Marzano)
1 large shallot, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
1 ½ tsp kosher salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
Place the flour on your work surface or in a large, wide bowl and create a well in the center that’s large enough to hold the eggs. Break the eggs into the well and add a couple pinches of salt (I like to whisk the eggs before adding them to the flour).
Using a fork, start beating the eggs, gradually incorporating enough flour to make the dough, being careful not to break the well until you have a sort of solid piece of dough. Begin kneading the dough, only using as much flour as you have to in order to keep the dough from sticking. Clean off your work surface and knead the dough for about 8 minutes or until it’s very smooth and soft. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let rest for about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile make your filling. Combine your filling ingredients in a medium bowl, cover and set aside.
Divide your dough into 8 equal pieces. Remove one of the pieces and keep the rest of the dough pieces covered while rolling out each piece (I sometimes place a mixing bowl over them.) Flatten the piece of dough into a rectangle with your fingers. Starting with the #1 setting on your machine or roller, run the dough piece through and then fold in thirds and run it through again, adding a little flour as you go to keep it from sticking. Repeat this step again and then switch to the #2 setting. Run the dough through on #2 once and then switch to #3. Roll it through to the second to the last setting (#7 on my Kitchen Aid), and then lay it on a lightly floured towel and keep it covered while you do the same with each piece of dough.
When you have your dough pieces all rolled out, place one on a floured board and place a tsp or so of the filling every couple inches on the bottom half of the dough. Brush a little water around the edges of the dough and then fold the top half of the dough over the filling half and run your fingers around each bit of filling to remove any air. Press to seal and then using a ravioli cutter, cut out each filled dough area, placing your ravioli on a lightly flour towel and cover until you’re ready to cook them.
To make the sauce
In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil and add the minced shallot and sauté for a few minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and sauté another minute or so. Run the tomatoes through a blender (I use a hand blender) to create a fairly smooth puree with still a few tomato pieces and add this to the pan along with the salt, a little pepper and the basil. Simmer for about 15 minutes.
Heat a large pot of water to a boil, add a couple tablespoons of salt and your raviolis. It will only take about 3-5 minutes for them to cook. Drain and place in a serving bowl or platter. Top with some sauce and grated parmesan cheese and a little more chopped basil.