I’m attempting to make one thing that challenges me every week, and I kicked the year off with ravioli. Making pasta from scatch was something that had long interested me, but seemed too difficult to take on. Not true!
I’ve come to realize it’s really this simple: 1 egg + 1 cup of flour = 1 serving. If you can get that combined right, have the patience to let it rest, and have a big of elbow grease, you can have pasta within an hour. In this case I had some leftover pizza toppings that I thought might combine into something worthwhile – some cooked and crumbled Italian sausage and some homemade ricotta cheese, with a touch of salt and herbs.
The full recipe is below but the gist was as simple as rolling out the noodle (thinner than you think as you’re doing it), filling, covering, rolling again, and cooking. And fresh pasta takes no time to cook at all. In the pan with some melted butter and a splash of pasta water created a very tasty, and otherwise simple ravioli.
Would I do it again? Heck yeah. Now to break out the sheeter and make some actual noodles.
Italian Sausage & Ricotta Ravioli
Homemade pasta isn't about complex ingredients, it's about attention to detail and technique. In fact, all you need is one egg and one cup of flour for each person you want to feed. With the right effort, pasta will come out the other side. What you fill it with is up to you - here, I used leftover Italian sausage and homemade ricotta. Because homemade ravioli goes best with leftovers. Waste not, want not!
Prep Time1 hr
Cook Time15 mins
Resting time30 mins
Total Time1 hr 15 mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: pasta, ravioli
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 505kcal
Author: Rick Tanton
- 1 Egg, large
- 1 cup Flour All-purpose or 00
- 2 Italian sausage
- 1 cup Ricotta cheese
- 1 tbsp Butter, unsalted
Place the flour in a pile on a cutting board and create a well in the middle. Crack the eggs in the well, and using a fork, gently whisk the flour and eggs, gradually pulling flour in to the eggs.
Lightly flour a new board - or clean and dry your current one - and overturn the blended flour and eggs on to it. Gently knead about 10 minutes until it becomes consistent in colour and texture. Don't be afraid to add a bit of water if the mix is too crumbly. Once complete set the dough on a clean surface, cover with a bowl, and leave to sit for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes lightly flour a new surface, pull off an egg-sized ball of dough, and begin rolling it out. Turn a quarter turn consistently as your roll. You're done when you can see your hand through it. Most people leave it too thick, so be sure it's thin enough to read a magazine through!
Lay the dough over a ravioli mold and lightly press into place. Fill with your selected filling (in this case, cooked Italian sausage and ricotta).
Place another layer of dough on top, then using your rolling pin, roll over top until it both seals and cuts.
Remove the ravioli and carefully remove any loose edges or hangers-on until you have complete, perfect little squares. Place in salted, boiling water.
Have a pan with melted, unsalted butter at the ready - fresh egg pasta cooks in well under a minute. Once it rises to the surface of the boiling water remove with a slotted spoon and place in the buttered pan. Add a touch of the salted pasta water, toss, and serve.
