We’re getting ready for National Ravioli Day! The big event is on March 20th, and…um, well, we were kind of hoping to just open a few cans in the pantry. There were a few years where it seemed like every day was National Ravioli Day around the house, you know? But our kids are getting older, and so we’re going to act like grown-ups ourselves by cooking up a genuine pasta dish. Nothing against our canned favorites, but maybe ravioli deserves to be celebrated as a scrumptious dish of pasta pockets filled with either meat, cheese, or vegetables–that does not come from a can. [photo via flickr]
So check out this great recipe–and if you have a pasta machine, feel free to use it when you’re making the ravioli pastas. Yeah, we won’t think you’re a showoff or anything. Otherwise, you can follow our simple recipe. And it’s okay if you use a jar of marinara sauce if you’re feeling pressed for time. You’re already a big deal just for avoiding the can opener…
Ravioli Pasta
2 cups of flour
2 eggs
1 teaspoon of olive oil
1 cup of water
Cheese Filling
1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese(preferably fresh)
1/2 cup of grated mozzerella
Marinara Sauce
1 can of tomato sauce
1 teaspoon of garlic
1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon of fresh parsley
Directions
Start with the pasta. In one large mixing bowl, combine the flour with salt and create a well shape. Mix in the eggs, olive oil, and water in another bowl. Pour about half of that mixture in the well. Slowly mix well into the flour before pouring the rest of the mixture into the flour to create a dough.
Take the dough and place it on a flat surface. Knead the dough until it’s completely smooth. Sprinkle a little bit of flour to keep it from sticking and shape it into a ball, cover it in plastic, and store in the fridge for two hours.
Afterwards, take the ball out and roll it out super flat with a rolling pin. Make sure it’s thin. Carefully cut small squares out of each piece. You can cut the squares as big or as small as you’d like, keep in mind that smaller squares yield more pastas.
Mix the fresh mozzarella and parmesan in a bowl. Carefully spoon the mixture into each square of dough. Make sure you apply the mixture to at least half of the pieces of dough. After that, carefully lift up the empty pieces of dough and place it on top of the cheese-covered dough, make sure to press hard on each side of the square the secure the raviolis. Coat each ravioli with olive oil and pour them into a large pot of boiling water. Cook for about five minutes or until they float.
In another small pot, pour in the tomato sauce, parsley, and seasonings. Stir until hot.
Take out the raviolis, pour the sauce over them, and garnish with extra parsley! This is a delicious meal that will taste fresher than the canned version.
