Meatless Monday: Cheese Ravioli

Pasta nights in our house are usually the outcome of a busy day, or a day when I just don't feel like cooking. It's easy, it's hearty and it's not much of a fight to make sure the kid's plates are clean at the end of the meal.

This time, however, it was not the case.

I have been thinking about trying to make my own pasta for quite some time now, but the fact that we do not own a pasta press scared me off of the prospect just a little. When I did decide to do it anyway, I opted for little homemade raviolis, since they seem to be the easiest to make. I have made homemade dumplings, like potstickers, before.. and these seemed to be somewhere along those lines.

Ricotta & Pesto Ravioli (Serves 4-6)

Dough:
4C, All-Purpose Flour
4 Eggs
1 tsp, Salt
1/4C, Cold Water

Filling:
1 container, Ricotta Cheese
1 Egg
4 Tbs, Parmesan, grated
4 Tbs, prepared Basil Pesto
Salt & Pepper, to taste.

+1 Egg, beaten.

Combine the ingredients for the flour and knead until well combined. (About 5 minutes). Separate dough into 4 equal balls, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Meanwhile, combine the ingredients for the filling. Here's where you can get creative with your own combinations. I used ricotta and pesto, but the options are endless.. different cheeses, veggies like sundried tomato or spinach.. mm.

Once the dough has chilled, roll the balls into 4 equal-sized sheets. This is where a roller would have come in handy. I think the raviolis would have been just that much better had I been able to get the dough thin enough. That, and it was quite a workout, all that rolling!!!

Place the sheets out on your work surface, and start spooning out the filling, about a tablespoon at a time, onto them. You'll be able to fit between 12-16 spoonfuls onto the sheets, depending on how thin you were able to roll out the dough.
Brush beaten egg onto the second sheet, and then place it over the first and the filling. Use a fork to seal around the outside edge. While you're doing this, throw on a large pot of salted water and bring it to a rolling boil.






I then used a pizza cutter to cut the excess from the sides and in-between each spoonful of filling. Then used a fork once again to seal the edges all the way around. Once finished, you'll end up with a cute little ravioli.




Place these little pieces one by one into the boiling water, and cook them until they float up to the surface. It should take between 5-7 minutes.
Drain them well, and top them with your favourite sauce. Homemade or otherwise! I used a tomato sauce, and served them piping hot with fresh bread and a salad.

Enjoy!