Authentic Ravioli and Tomato Sauce
Equipment
- Stand mixer with dough hook
- Pasta machine
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 12 large eggs
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 Tbsp. water
- All-purpose flour, as needed
- 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
For the cheese filling:
- 3 lbs. ricotta cheese
- 1 lb. mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
For the meat filling:
- 4 lbs. ground meat (beef, pork, veal)
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 6 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 (10 oz.) package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and drained
- ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- Ground nutmeg, to taste
- 2 large eggs
- ¾-1 cup breadcrumbs (optional)
For the sauce:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 lbs. bone-in pork roast, cut into 4-6 pieces
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 tsp. fresh basil, chopped
- ⅓ cup red wine
- 3 (28 oz.) cans tomato purée
- 2 ½ (12 oz.) cans tomato paste
- 30 oz. water
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Grated Parmesan cheese, to taste
Instructions
For the dough:
- Using a stand mixer with a dough hook, beat eggs, salt, and water. Gradually add flour until mixture forms a ball.
- Knead dough on a floured surface, gradually adding more flour as needed so that the dough is still soft but not sticky.
- Transfer to an oiled bowl, cover with a towel, and let rest for at least 1 hour. When dough has rested, cut off a portion while leaving the remaining amount covered.
- Press the dough into a rectangle and roll it through a pasta machine at least two times at the widest setting. Reduce setting and process the dough two more times, and then repeat the step. The dough should be about 1/8-inch thick, 12-18 inches long, and 3-4 inches wide. Keep dough dusted with flour as you work.
- Lightly dust a work surface and lay out pasta. On half of the sheet, drop tablespoons of your favorite filling about 2 inches apart. Fold the other half of the dough over the filling.
- With your fingers, gently press out air pockets around each mound of filling. Use a sharp knife or ravioli cutter to cut out pillowed squares, and crimp the edges of each ravioli to seal. Lightly dust a baking sheet with flour and arrange ravioli in a single layer.
- Repeat with remaining dough and filling. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook batches of the ravioli until they float to the top (about 4 minutes) and remove with a slotted spoon.
For the cheese filling:
- To make cheese filling, simply mix all ingredients together in a bowl.
For the meat filling:
- Start by browning meat in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add in onion and garlic and cook until soft. Add in spinach, parsley, salt, and pepper.
- Remove from heat and let cool.
- Add in cheese, nutmeg, and eggs.
- If filling is loose, add breadcrumbs as needed.
For the sauce:
- In a large pot or saucepan, add oil and heat over medium-high heat.
- Add in the pork roast pieces and garlic and reduce heat to medium low, cooking until the pork is brown on all sides.
- Add basil and increase to medium-high heat. Add red wine and allow it to cook off.
- Add in the tomato purée, tomato paste, and water and stir vigorously. Bring to a boil uncovered, stirring to prevent burning.
- Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 3-4 hours, stirring regularly.
- Once done, add salt, pepper, and cheese to taste.