Basic Ravioli With A Butter-Sage Sauce

Serves: 4

Kirstin Bosco

1 January 1970

Based on User reviews:

70

Spice

37

Sweetness

30

Sourness

39

mins

Prep time (avg)

6.1

Difficulty

Ingredients:

3 cups

Ricotta

3

Eggs

1.5 cups

Chicken Stock

2 tbsps

Water

Directions:

1

For the filling: Add the ricotta, Parmigiano and eggs and sprinkle with salt in a bowl

2

Adjust seasoning if needed

3

Put the filling in a pastry bag and reserve

4

For the pasta: Set the pasta roller on the widest setting (#1)

5

Start with half the pasta dough; keep the other half covered until ready to use

6

Using your hands, flatten the dough as much as you can to facilitate it going through the pasta roller

7

Run the dough through the roller, twice dusting it in between rolls if it feels sticky

8

Fold the dough into thirds and turn it 90 degrees (a quarter turn) and run it through the pasta machine 2 to 3 times

9

Move the roller to the next setting (#2) and run the pasta through

10

Dust lightly with flour if the dough feels sticky

11

Continue to run the dough through the machine reducing the opening (or moving the setting to the next larger number) in between every roll

12

Stop when you get to the correct thinness, this will usually be around number 5 or 6 on the dial, but every machine is different, you will have to be the judge of your own pasta thickness

13

To assemble the ravioli: Lay out the dough on a flat surface

14

Brush the lower half of the dough (the part that is closest to you) lightly with water

15

This is the glue that will hold the ravioli together

16

Use the glue sparingly, if you use too much the pasta will slide and not stick

17

Pipe 1-inch balls of filling onto the pasta that has been brushed with water, leaving about 2 inches between each ball

18

Fold the top half of the pasta down over the filling to meet the bottom edge

19

Using your index fingers, poke around each filling ball to seal the ravioli shut, AND to make sure that there are no air bubbles

20

Using a fluted round cutter or a fluted pastry wheel or even a drinking glass, cut out each ravioli

21

Transfer to a sheet tray dusted with semolina or polenta and reserve until ready to use

22

To cook the ravioli and make the sauce: Add the butter to a large saute pan and bring to a medium heat

23

Add 1 cup of chicken stock and season with salt

24

Shake the pan to incorporate the butter and stock, and simmer until the stock has reduced a bit and the sauce looks velvety and is the consistency of heavy cream

25

If the sauce thickens too much, adjust the consistency with chicken stock

26

Add the sage and season with salt

27

Add the ravioli to the pot of boiling water and cook for 3 to 4 minutes

28

Carefully remove the ravioli from the cooking water and put them immediately into the sauce

29

Bring the sauce to a boil, shaking frequently to be sure that the ravioli don'(TM)t stick to the bottom of the pan

30

Transfer the ravioli to a serving platter

31

Mangia Bene! Put the flour on a clean, dry work surface

32

Make a hole (this is also called a well) in the center of the flour pile that is about 8 inches wide (bigger is definitely better here)

33

Crack all of the eggs and the yolk into the hole and add the olive oil, salt and water

34

Using a fork, beat the eggs together with the olive oil, salt and water

35

Using the fork, begin to incorporate the flour into the egg mixture; be careful not to break the sides of the well or the egg mixture will run all over your board and you will have a big mess! Also, don't worry about the lumps

36

When enough flour has been incorporated into the egg mixture that it will not run all over the place when the sides of the well are broken, begin to use your hands to really get everything well combined

37

If the mixture is tight and dry, wet your hands and begin kneading with wet hands

38

When the mixture has really come together to a homogeneous mixture, THEN you can start kneading

39

When kneading it is VERY important to put your body weight into it, get on top of the dough to really stretch it and not tear the dough

40

Using the heels of your palms, roll the dough to create a very smooooooth, supple dough

41

When done, the dough should look VERY smooth and feel almost velvety

42

Kneading will usually take from 8 to 10 minutes for an experienced kneader and 10 to 15 for an inexperienced kneader

43

Put your body weight into it, you need to knead! This is where the perfect, toothsome texture of your pasta is formed

44

Get in there and have fun! When the pasta has been kneaded to the perfect consistency, wrap it in plastic and let rest for at least 1 hour

45

If using immediately do not refrigerate

46

Roll and cut the pasta into desired shape

47

How smooth and supple!