Ravioli.

Pasta Dough

Ingredients-

1 large egg + 1 yolk
3/4 c. – 1 c. all purpose-flour
Pinch of salt
Water or Oil if needed

Instructions-

Crack eggs into bowl
Add flour and salt
Combine with hands until the dough comes together as a unified mass
Knead for about 10 minutes. Dough should feel smooth
Add oil or water if dough is too dry, add more flour if dough is too sticky.

Wrap dough in plastic wrap and let rest for 20 minutes – 24 hours.

Mushroom Spinach Ravioli Filling

Ingredients-

2 cloves garlic (grated)
1 shallot (grated)
4 c. fresh spinach
8 oz mushrooms (sliced)
Zest of 1 lemon
Nutmeg
Parmesan

Instructions-

Heat olive oil over medium heat, add shallot and garlic. Cook until softened. Add mushrooms and spinach. Cook until mushrooms are no longer raw, and the spinach is completely wilted. Add zest, nutmeg, and about 1/8 c of parmesan. Allow to cool.

Rolling out the pasta dough for ravioli

A pasta machine makes this job a lot easier, but a rolling pin or any hard cylindrical bottle you have around.
Start by splitting your dough in half. This makes a more manageable size. Roll out on the largest setting, or use your rolling pin to flatten it out. Then fold it half and repeat the process 5-6 times. Then you can start to really roll out the dough into sheets. Make your way down the smallest setting by tightening your machine after each pass of the dough. If using a rolling pin, this will be a little more difficult, and you might not be able to get it as thin as a machine. Keep going until it is as thin as you can get it. Then lay out the sheet on a floured surface.

Place dollops of filling towards one of the edges, keeping a couple of finger width in between dollops. Dip your fingers into a small bowl of water, and run it around the filling. Then fold the bottom half over to the top. Press down around the filling to insure a good seal. Use a knife, a fluted ravioli cutter, a cookie cutter, or like I did, a small empty can to cut out around the ravioli. If needed seal edges further with a fork like you would a pie crust.

Transfer to a plate and cover with plastic wrap while you make the rest. You can use any number of fillings. I’ve created goat cheese, beet and homemade ricotta, egg yolk, and these spinach and mushroom ones for today. You can freeze these ravioli to use for a quick dinner another time.

Cooking takes just a couple of minutes. Bring a pot of very salted water to a boil, drop in the ravioli, and wait about 90 seconds to 2 minutes. Fresh pasta takes very little time to cook. Use a slotted spoon to get the ravioli out, and finish in a sauce pan with your choice of sauce.

Goat Cheese Filling

Goat cheese
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
Nutmeg
Green Onion
Parmesan
Water

Egg Yolk Filling

Simply egg yolk, salt and pepper.
Be careful when trying this. I broke about half a dozen yolks. Adding a dollop of ricotta can stabilize the yolk for you.

Homemade Ricotta

1c. whole milk
1/4 c. cream
1 1/2 T. white vinegar
pinch of salt

Heat milk and cream over medium until boiling, stirring occasionally. Add salt, and vinegar and stir until curdled. Transfer to cheese cloth over a bowl. I used coffee filters in a small colander over a bowl. Let it drain, then squeeze out excess whey about 1 hour after draining.