Creative Raviolis

So my friend Elly gave me a wonderful birthday gift a few weeks ago – a ravioli mold! I was so thrilled with my new toy since raviolis are a great way to use up leftovers. Today was my day off so I decided to spend my day in the kitchen concocting various ravioli. Ravioli is a popular type of pasta, comprised of a filling, commonly (though not always) meat-based, sealed between two layers of pasta dough. Ravioli are commonly rectangular or circular in shape.

A common vegetarian option includes ricotta cheese and vegetables such as spinach. The filling could be also potatoes, squash or even tofu – pretty much anything goes! There are even some dessert raviolis such as chocolate ravioli or berry filled ravioli. The leftovers I had to work with include…

Here’s Tyler Florence’s pasta dough for ravioli recipe I adapted and used:

5 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 teaspoon salt
6 large eggs
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

In an electric mixer fit in your dough hook.
In your mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt.
Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and continue to mix.
Pour in olive oil.
Continue to mix until a smooth dough is formed.
If the dough is too dry drizzle in a bit of water.
If it is too wet sprinkle in some more flour.
Dust some flour on a work surface.
Kknead and fold the dough until it is elastic and smooth,
This kneading should take about 10 minutes.
Brush the surface of the dough with the remaining olive oil
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap;
Let rest for about 30 minutes to allow the gluten to relax.

To roll out the dough:
Cut the ball of dough in half.
Cover and reserve the piece you are not using to prevent it from drying out.
Dust the counter and dough with a little flour.
Press the dough into a rectangle and roll it with a rolling pin.
Dust the sheets with extra flour whenever the dough gets sticky.
Continue rolling until the dough is paper-thin, about 1/8-inch thick for ravioli.
Use the dough with your ravioli mold and fill.
For an extra seal, use a fork to crimp the edges.
Repeat and oll out the other half.

I plan on freezing these ravioli
for a quick dinner in the future.