Ravioli (Dough and Choice of 4 Fillings)

Ingredients

Dough

• 3 cups unbleached white flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup water

Ricotta Filling 1

• 1 1/2 lbs ricotta cheese (drained)
• 1/4 lb freshly grated romano cheese (about 1 cup)
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1/4 lb mortadella or ham or prosciutto or salami, chopped fine (optional)
• 1 dash nutmeg
• salt and pepper

Ricotta Filling 2

• 1 1/2 lbs ricotta cheese (drained)
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup freshly grated romano cheese
• 1 1/2-2 tablespoons finely minced fresh italian flat leaf parsley
• 1/4-1/3 teaspoon cinnamon
• salt and pepper

Beef and Spinach Filling

• 1/4 lb lean ground beef
• 1/4 lb ground veal
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2 cup cooked chopped spinach, squeezed dry
• 1 tablespoon chopped italian flat leaf parsley
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated romano cheese
• 1 dash nutmeg

Sausage Filling

• 3/4 lb loose sweet Italian sausage link (or casings removed from links)
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated romano cheese (If you prefer a less sharp cheese, freshly grated Parmesan cheese may be substituted for the Romano)

Directions

1. 1

   MAKING THE FILLING: Ricotta Filling#1: In a large bowl, blend all filling ingredients together until smooth, set aside filling until needed.

2. 2

   Ricotta Filling#2: In a large bowl, blend all filling ingredients together until smooth, set aside filling until needed.

3. 3

   Beef and Spinach Filling: Brown beef and veal in butter with the whole clove of garlic.

4. 4

   Remove garlic and let meat mixture cool.

5. 5

   Mix spinach, parsley, eggs, cheese and nutmeg into cooled meat until well blended, set aside filling until needed.

6. 6

   Sausage Filling: Brown sausage in frying pan, drain fat and allow sausage to cool.

7. 7

   When sausage has cooled, mix in eggs and cheese, set aside filling until needed.

8. 8

   MAKING THE RAVIOLI DOUGH: Sift flour and salt together.

9. 9

   Place flour mixture on a board, making a well in the center of the flour.

10. 10

    Drop eggs into the flour well, using your hand or a fork, break the yolks and beat eggs slightly.

11. 11

    Combine the eggs and flour together, gradually adding enough warm water to make a stiff dough.

12. 12

    Knead dough well, until smooth; cover the dough and let it rest for 15 minutes.

13. 13

    Cut dough in half and roll each half of the dough out on a floured board, into a very thin sheet (about 1/16 to 1/8 inch thick).

14. 14

    FILLING THE RAVIOLI: Drop about 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoonfuls of filling about 1 1/2 inches apart all along the dough.

15. 15

    When the sheet of dough is fully dotted with dabs of filling mixture, cover filling with other sheet of dough.

16. 16

    Using your fingers, gently press dough between each dab of filling to seal it.

17. 17

    Cut ravioli into squares with a (zig-zag edged) pastry cutter, or very sharp knife.

18. 18

    DRYING THE RAVIOLI: Allow ravioli to dry for one hour before cooking.

19. 19

    COOKING THE RAVIOLI: Drop ravioli into 6 to 8 quarts of boiling, salted water and cook for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until dough is tender.

20. 20

    Remove cooked ravioli from pot carefully with a skimmer or a large slotted spoon, and drain well.

21. 21

    Place drained ravioli on a serving platter in layers, alternating layers with your favorite sauce and a sprinkling of grated cheese between each ravioli layer.

22. 22

    Serve hot.