Handmade Ravioli with Fresh Ricotta

If you invest in a pasta roller, fresh pasta is easy to make. It takes time, but the texture of fresh-made pasta can’t be matched by the dried variety, particularly in ravioli. That said … if you don’t have time to make pasta, but still want to make your own ravioli, you can use wonton wrappers, which are easily found in the refrigerated section of your grocery store.

Recipe by Catherine Neville (originally developed for Feast TV )

Serves 8

Fresh Ricotta Filling

  • 2 quarts whole milk

  • 1 cup heavy cream

  • ½ tsp sea salt, plus more for seasoning filling

  • 3 Tbsp lemon juice, plus more if needed

  • fresh herbs of choice

  • ½ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for garnish

  • ½ cup Pecorino Romano

  • freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Pasta Dough

  • 3½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading

  • 4 eggs

  • 2 Tbsp water

  • 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more for garnish

  • ½ tsp kosher salt

Egg Wash

  • 1 Tbsp water

  • 1 egg

| Preparation – Fresh Ricotta Filling | Line a large sieve with a layer of cheesecloth and place it over a large bowl.

In a 6-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, slowly bring milk, cream and salt to a rolling boil, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching. Add lemon juice, then reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring constantly, until mixture curdles, about 2 minutes.

Pour mixture into lined sieve and let it drain 1 hour. After discarding whey, stir in herbs, cheeses and pepper to taste along with more salt. Set aside.

| Preparation – Pasta Dough | Mound flour on a clean countertop. Make a well in center of flour and add remaining ingredients. Using a fork, beat eggs together and then begin to incorporate flour slowly, starting with inner wall of well. Once dough begins to come together, knead it for roughly 15 minutes, dusting with more flour as needed until dough becomes elastic and barely sticky. It will be dense. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.

| Preparation – Egg Wash | In a small bowl, whisk water and egg together. Set aside.

| Assembly | Remove pasta from plastic and cut off a small piece, press it into an oblong shape and then pass it through a pasta machine, starting with largest setting. Pass through each setting, from thickest to thinnest, twice until the dough is thin and delicate, about 1/16-inch thick.

Mound ricotta filling at regular intervals on 1 sheet of pasta, then brush egg wash on edges of pasta around the filling and lay another sheet of pasta on top. Using a ravioli cutter, cut out each ravioli and then use your fingers or press tines of a fork along edges of discs to seal.

Bring a pot of salted water to boil and reduce to a simmer. Drop ravioli into water and cook for a few minutes, until still al dente but filling is heated through. Use a spider or slotted spoon to gently remove ravioli from water and place on serving platter. Drizzle with high quality olive oil and top with Parmigiano-Reggiano, herbs and pepper and serve.

Catherine Neville