HANDMADE RAVIOLI: SAUSAGE + RICOTTA IN A RED SAUCE

Ravioli are surely one of the most tasty handmade pasta all'uovo "egg pasta" you can ever make. In Italy we make a distinction between pasta all'uovo (ravioli, tagliatelle, fettuccine) and traditional pasta (spaghetti, linguine). The distinction  basically concerns the use of eggs that make those kinds of pasta more tasty and heavier and we don't consider them as much an "every day meal" as the traditional ones. The flour I've been using is the usual caputo 00 flour that is not as heavy as the American "all purpose" and definitely makes the pasta taste completely different. It's non-GMO and organic, which definitely adds to the health benefits.

​Making ravioli takes a decent amount of time and effort,  and a lot of patience but the result is so good that you won't regret it, especially if you're a true foodie. The traditional ravioli recipe is filled with spinach and ricotta, with a square shape, but you can also make a round shape and fill them with almost anything.  In this recipe I've used with sausages and ricotta, which was amazing and definitely worth trying!

Try pairing a full bodied red wine with this dish, like Chianti Classico. 

If you're up for an afternoon or evening covered in flour, and have some good music, get both ready because we're about to get started! 

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

Ravioli: (Serves 2)

• 2 Cups of 00 flour
• Semolina flour to sprinkle
• 3 Eggs ( 2 whole eggs and a yolk)
• 2 cups of peeled and minced sausages
• Pecorino cheese
• Ricotta cheese
• 1 Big bowl
• Ravioli stamps
• Ravioli cutters
• Cling film or a kitchen cloth
• A rolling pin 
• A big scary knife
• A pasta maker or the kitchenAid attachment for pasta 
• A brush for pastry

Sauce:

• 1 8oz can pure tomato sauce (I use Contadina which has a non-GMO option)
• 1 tomato sliced in small cubes
• Fresh thyme sliced very thin
• 3 spoons of olive oil
• Black pepper
• 1 spoon of sugar
• 3 cups of boiled water
• Pecorino cheese
• Fresh basil
• Salt

WHAT TO DO:

RAVIOLI DOUGH

1. Make the pasta dough. For pasta dough recipe, visit my handmade pasta blog post here! If you're using store bought sheets of pasta dough, you can just skip to the sauce!
2. Pet semolina flour on the dough and keep feeding in the machine till the number 5 of the setting (there are usually numbers 1 to 6 on the side of the pasta maker.
3. Create 4 thin sheets of pasta dough and set them aside. (They will look like kind of like lasagna noodles at first.)

SAUCE

1. In a frying pan, place your can of tomatoes sauce and 2 cups of boiled water.
2. Let the tomatoes sauce cooking intermediate/ high temperature for 10 mins and after 5 mins add a spoon of sugar (very important because of the acidity of the tomatoes sauce).
3. When the sauce gets dry, add a nice amount of black pepper, salt and a handful of fresh thyme.
4. Put the sauce a low temperature and let it cook for other 5 mins.
5. Add half cup of boiled water to the sauce, the cubes of tomatoes and a handful of pecorino cheese.
6. Put it at very low temperature and let it cook for other 10 mins with a sprinkle of salt and black pepper.
7. Your sauce will be cooking while you're making the other elements, so be sure to keep an eye on it. 

FILLING

1. In the meantime cook the minced sausages for 5 mins in a pot without oil (they don't need it because they have their own fat), just a good amount of black pepper, salt, a big spoon of ricotta, and a handful of pecorino cheese (very finely grated). 
2. Add half cup of boiled water to the sausage so that the cheese gets creamy and mix well together.

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

• Take your extra egg yolk and 2 tbsp water and beat it in a bowl till mixed. 
• Measure the space with your ravioli stamps to see how many you can make from one layer. See photos below! Spoon the sausage filling into the center of each space, leaving room around it for the stamp.​ Using the egg mixture, brush the area around the filling lightly. Place a second pasta layer on top of the first layer, like a cute pasta blanket, covering the fillings.

• It's time to use your ravioli stamps (woooo)! Press the ravioli using your stamps. Press them gently and make sure they close properly but be careful to not break them or to have your filling spill outside the ravioli. 
• Sprinkle your ravioli with semolina flour.
• Let them rest for 30 mins before cooking.
• Check your sauce - it should be dry but also very consistent and creamy ( if it's not, add a tiny bit of boiled water and cook it for extra 2 mins. Turn off the heat but put a cover on so it stays warm.
• Grab a pot and once the water is boiling you can put your ravioli in for 3-4 mins ( you can see when they are cooked because they start floating).
• Once they are cooked, drain them, and put them on a plate.
• Place the tomato sauce on them, a pinch of fresh thyme, a pinch of salt and black pepper (cheese if you want).
• Yayyyy you can finally eat and enjoy this delicious meal! Or you can give it to your wife/husband/kids but I suggest you eat it all yourself. ​

Let me know how your ravioli turn out, and if you have any ideas or suggestions, send them my way! Also be sure to follow me on Instagram and Facebook for more cooking ideas and tips!