Pasta Dough for Ravioli

By á-2641

Main Meal

Ingredients

• 2 cups all purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1 tsp. salt
• 3 large eggs, plus 1 for egg wash
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• Cornmeal for dusting

Details

Servings 24

Preparation

Step 1

In mixer fitter with dough hook, combine flour and salt. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and continue to mix. Drizzle in 1 tbsp of olive oil and continue to incorporate all the flour until it forms a ball. Sprinkle some of the flour on work surface, knead and fold the dough until elastic and smooth, this should take about 10 minutes. Brush the surface with the remaining olive oil and wrap the dough in plastic wrap; let rest for 30 minutes to allow the gluten to relax.

Cut the ball of dough in 1/2, cover and reserve the piece you are not immediately using to prevent it from drying out. Dust the counter and dough with a little flour. Press the dough into a rectangle and roll it through a pasta machine, 2 or 3 times, at widest setting. Pull and stretch the sheet of dough with the palm of your hand as it emerges from the rollers. Continue tightening until the machine is at the narrowest setting; the dough should be paper-thin, about 1/8" thick (you should be able to see your hand through it). Dust the sheets of dough with flour as needed.

Beat 1 egg with 1 tablespoon of water to make an egg wash. Dust the counter and sheet of dough with flour, lay out the long sheet of pasta, and brush the top surface with egg wash, which acts as a glue. Drop tablespoons of your favorite filling on 1/2 of the pasta sheet, about 2" apart. Fold the other 1/2 over the filling like a blanket. With an espresso cup or fingers, gently press out air pockets around each mound of filling. Use a sharp knife to cut each pillow into squares and crimp the edges with the tines of a fork to make a tight seal. Dust the ravioli and a sheet pan with cornmeal to prevent the pasta from sticking and lay them out to dry slightly while assembling the rest.

Cook the ravioli in plenty of boiling salted water for 4 minutes; they'll float to the top when ready, so be careful not to overcrowd the pot. Lift the ravioli from water with a large strainer or slotted spoon. Bath the ravioli in your favorite sauce to light coat and serve.