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Homemade Pasta Dough

 

One egg for every 100 grams of flour, which provides enough pasta for two people. For four, I used two large eggs and 200 grams of type 00 flour. Olive oil makes the dough more elastic and easier to work with. A wooden board is preferable to a marble surface due to its rougher texture, which creates a coarser consistency in the pasta. This, in turn, helps more sauce stick to the noodles.

 

Method

 

On the wooden board, pour the flour, make a hole in the center and add the eggs.

Beat the eggs with a fork and start incorporating a little flour.

Keep beating the eggs using more of the inner edge of the flour until the flour starts absorbing the eggs.

Once the eggs are blended in the flour, start working the dough with your fingertips first to release some moisture. Add a little water if necessary.

Knead vigorously using your whole hand, folding and turning.

When the dough is smooth, shape it into a ball, cover it with a cloth or a bowl, and let it rest for 30 minutes. The gluten will relax and you will have a more elastic dough.

While the dough is resting, prepare the filling.

Squeeze the spinach well before chopping.

Add the ricotta, Parmigiano, and the chopped boiled spinach to a bowl.

Add salt and grated nutmeg.

Mix until creamy smooth, taste for seasoning, and set aside.

After the resting time, divide the dough into four parts.

Take a piece of dough, and leave the others covered so they do not dry out.

Lightly flatten the piece of dough with your hands, pressing it on the floured work surface.

Turning the handle of the pasta machine, start rolling it, going from the lowest number on the wheel (1) that is the widest roller thickness, gradually inceasing one number, until you have a thin pasta sheet (5).

Pass the sheet twice through the rollers at each number.

When the pasta sheet is at the desired thickness, cut it in half.

On one half add a heaping teaspoon of filling, leaving a space of 2 fingers between.

Cover with the other half sheet, press the dough around the filling to remove as much air as possible.

Make the ravioli one sheet at a time, as soon as they are rolled out.

Using a ravioli cutter, cut between the filling and along the top and bottom to create the ravioli. try to keep the size of the ravioli roughly the same

Reuse the scraps to make more pasta sheets.

Lay the finished ravioli on wax paper, well-floured, so they won't stick to the paper.

 

Cooking the Ravioli

 

After the sauce is done, boil some water in a big pot, add coarse sea salt and leave it on medium/high heat until it starts to boil.

Then, carefully, add ravioli to the boiling water. Add them two at a time, paying attention not to splash the hot water from the pot.

While the ravioli are cooking, have a big bowl ready close by. Add some sauce at the bottom, then, when the ravioli are done, use a slotted spoon to drain the ravioli from the water right into the bowl.

You will know they are done when they come to the surface, then let them cook a little longer (1-2 minutes), turning them gently so they cook evenly on all sides, for a total of 5-6 minutes.

Check the edge as it takes longer to cook.

Add more sauce, stir gently, and grate Parmigiano on top.

Serve 5 or 6 ravioli in a bowl, adding more sauce and Parmigiano if needed.