Homemade Ravioli

The first time I remember making homemade pasta when was our Aunt Annie came to visit us in Germany.  She was Yugoslavian and she made everything...including her own noodles for soup.  It was such a fun day of making the dough, rolling it out and letting them dry on cloth covered tables.  A huge ordeal for soup, but once we sat down to dinner and had our first bite of deliciousness...I knew it was worth every step.


Nothing beats a family dinner...and spending time together in the kitchen preparing for a meal is one thing I don't think I will ever tire of.

This last weekend we had time to make homemade ravioli which we all LOVE.  Best of all, my hubby was able to roll out the dough nice and thin.  {Another reason to adore him!}

The last time we made ravioli, they were a bit too dry and the recipe did not include salt, so, this time we used a different recipe that actually had oil in it and we added SALT.  It was perfect!

Usually, if I am making the majority of the meal from scratch, I skimp in other places.  This time the sauce went into the crockpot and simmered away until dinner at 6.

Crockpot Spaghetti Sauce

1 large  Prego Spaghetti Sauce

1 lb. of hamburger...fry in a bit of olive oil and add salt and pepper, thyme and oregano to taste

2 cloves of garlic

1 bay leaf

1 carton of fresh mushrooms

Place all ingredients in crockpot on high for about 6 hrs.  You may want to turn it to low for the last couple of hours once the meat is tender enough for you.

This recipe is doubled.

Homemade Ravioli
adapted from Diana Gray


Cheese Filling:

16 oz. ricotta cheese

8 oz. cream cheese, room temp

1 cup shredded Swiss cheese

1 cup shredded 3 Cheese Italian

1 tsp. salt

1 clove of garlic, minced

Prepare cheese filling by combining all of the ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.



Pasta Dough:

3 cups flour

4 eggs

4 Tbsp. olive oil

1/2 tsp. sea salt

*Place all of your ingredients into a Kitchen Aid that has the dough hook attached.

*Let the ingredients come together in a ball.  I added 2 Tbsp. of water for the right consistency.

*Allow the bread to knead for a few minutes.

*Cover dough with Saran wrap and let it sit for about 20 minutes.

*Divide dough into four parts.  Be sure to cover dough the dough you are not using with Saran wrap.

*Roll each ball into about a 12"x16" rectangle. If you are not using a Roulpat, you will want a bit of flour on the rolling surface so that the dough doesn't stick. You want this dough rolled out pretty thin.  Some people use a pasta attachment, but we do not need one more gadget.  :}  SO, my hubby used his muscles to get it nice and thin.

OKAY, this feels like the longest post ever!

*Once you have one rolled out, go ahead and get the second one rolled out.  That way you will have a top and a bottom.

I used a small scoop for the filling.  Just place a scoop about every inch...until you run out of space.

*Then, cover the mounds of cheese filling with the top.

*Use your fingers to press the dough around each mound.

*Since I had a dough pastry roller...that I use when I make crackers, we used that to cut and seal the edges.

I lined them on the SILPAT and went ahead and froze the ones we would not be using for dinner.  Once they were frozen {about 20 minutes}, I put them into baggies for another night.

Cooking Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add ravioli and allow to cook until it floats to the top and is tender.

WHEW!  Now, that I have explained this, it feels like it is entirely too difficult.  It really isn't, but I would not blame you if you  decide to run to the store and buy ravioli  or go to the Olive Garden for their Lobster Ravioli...even a can of Chef Boyardee sounds great about now.   I must say, once we sat down and had our first bites...it was worth every step and the fun memories of spending the afternoon listening to our favorite music, enjoying a dance or two and having the afternoon to look forward to a family dinner!

Shared with:  comfy in the kitchen

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