Hand-sealed ravioli built on a tender egg-yolk pasta dough and filled with a four-cheese blend.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Keyword Fresh Pasta
Ingredients
Rav Dough
360g"00" flour2 well-packed cups, unsifted
5gkosher salt1 teaspoon
100gwhole eggs½ cup — about 2 large eggs
90gegg yolks⅓ cup — 5 to 6 yolks
6gEVO1½ teaspoons
Four Cheese Filling
8ozricotta cheese
4ozcream cheesesoftened
½cupshredded mozzarella cheese
½cupshredded provolone cheese
1egg
1 ½teaspoonsdried parsley
Instructions
Make the Filling
Add all filling ingredients to a bowl and blend well until smooth and evenly combined. Set aside.
Mix the Dough
Place the dry ingredients on a clean work surface, forming a mound about 8 to 10 inches in diameter at its base.
Using the bottom of a measuring cup, create a well 4 to 5 inches wide, with at least a half inch of flour on the bottom of the well.
Using a fork to stir the middle of the well, slowly pour in the liquid ingredients, trying to keep the integrity of the walls during this first step.
Combine the dry and liquid into one mass and knead until fully incorporated. The dough will be dry. If necessary, use damp hands or a spritz bottle to "glue" the loose flour to the mass.
Knead and Rest
Drive the heel of your dominant hand into the dough. Push down and release, then use your other hand to pick up and rotate the dough on itself 45 degrees. Repeat for 8 to 10 minutes total.
Wrap the dough tightly with plastic wrap. Let rest for at least 30 minutes at room temperature before using. Egg dough must be used within 24 hours to avoid discoloration as the egg yolks oxidize.
Roll and Fill
Cut off a portion of the dough and re-wrap the remainder immediately. Roll the dough through a pasta machine, progressing through each setting until thin enough to see your hand through it.
Lay the pasta sheet on a lightly floured work surface. Portion small mounds of filling (about 1 teaspoon each) across half the sheet, spaced with at least a half-inch of clean dough between each mound and the edges.
Brush the surrounding dough lightly with water or egg wash.
Seal and Cut
Fold the other half of the sheet over the filling, or lay a second sheet on top. Press firmly around each mound of filling, working from the center outward and pressing air toward the nearest open edge of dough.
Seal the full edge with real pressure using your fingers or the tines of a fork. Cut into individual ravioli using a knife, fluted cutter, or cookie cutter.
Arrange the finished ravioli in a single layer on a semolina-dusted sheet pan.
Cook
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a gentle boil (not a hard rolling boil).
Drop the ravioli in and stir gently. Cook for about 2½ minutes (closer to 3½ minutes if cooking from frozen), until tender.
Remove with a spider or slotted spoon directly into hot pomodoro sauce. Fold gently to coat and serve immediately.
Notes
Dough is built almost entirely on egg yolks rather than whole eggs, which produces a more tender, more pliable dough than the fettuccine dough used elsewhere in this unit — necessary since this dough has to fold and seal around a filling without cracking.
Refrigerate uncovered ravioli in a single layer for same-day use (about 4 hours); for longer storage, freeze — see the full post for blanch vs. no-blanch freezing methods.