Homeade Ravioli

If you haven't tasted homeade pasta...it is a must! It can be quite hard to manage and the process can take a long time also. I have found that this recipe is great because it allows for homeade pasta dough that doesn't take a long time to put together and also allows for creative cooking as well. You can fill these soft little pillows of heaven with any combination of filling that you desire.

Dough:

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup boiling water

Filling:

1 cup ricotta cheese

1 egg
1/2 cup finely shredded store-bought rotisserie chicken (optional)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Basic Marinara Sauce:

3 T. olive oil

1/2-1 onion, chopped

3-4 garlic cloves, chopped

1 tsp red pepper flakes - less for milder sauce

1/4 cup red wine

1 lrg can crushed tomatoes

1/4 cup packed basil leaves, chopped (fresh)

salt/pepper to taste

For the dough: In a large bowl, combine the flour and water. Stir to combine with a wooden spoon until dough comes together into a large ball. You may have to use hands to form bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 10 minutes.

For Filling: combine all filling ingredients in a medium bowl and stir to combine.

To form the raviolis, cut the dough in half, working with half at a time. Make sure you work surface is clean and lightly dusted with flour. Roll out dough until about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Place rounded teaspoons of filling about 1 inch apart and 1 inch from edge. Fold dough over the filling and press down around filling to secure the dough. With a small round cookie cutter, cut the dough in round ravioli shapes. Seal edges if need be. You don't want any loose filling. Place on cookie sheet until ready to boil. Drop into boiling water and cook for about 5-7 minutes. They will float to the top. Place in serving bowl with sauce.

To make sauce:

In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil and saute onion until soft and translucent. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 1-2 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper. Add wine and crushed tomatoes. Turn heat down to a simmer and let cook for 15-20 minutes. Add basil. Toss with raviolis.