I had my first ravioli at our formal thanksgiving dinner and fell in love with this mushroom stuffed ravioli. I always wanted to try at home but thought it would be a lot of work and was not sure what kitchen tools will I need. I didn't want to buy any big kitchen gadgets because, I thought we will not be making this very often. But after eating this recipe, I was ready to do anything to make one at home.
The second time I made ravioli at home, I bought from the store, the same mushroom and tried beef stuffed too. But was not so satisfied, I agree it was tasty enough...but still not homemade/freshly made right!! ( A good reason for me to make it at home from scratch.
The day I made the dough, it was 10.30 p.m. and could not stop myself from making it...Shoj knows about me, that I cannot sleep with this thing in my mind....so he didn't stop me...though I was tired by end of the day...the word Ravioli, made my mind awake from sleep. Shoj was so sweet, he took Anush to bed and he too slept with him.
It's always nice to have a partner who understand you....I know I was crazy and silly...but somethings I can't postpone. ;-)
Finally I gave it a try, and here is the recipe...I made the dough and stuffing and made the ravioli's (uncooked) in the night and kept in the freezer....because it would be totally crazy of me if I made the ravioli recipe in the middle of the night. :))
You might feel that it might be a long process, but it's just the explanation...but it's very simple and worth trying it at least once.
Ingredients:
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For the Dough:
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2 cups All Purpose Flour
3 Large Eggs
1 tsp Olive Oil
For the Filling:
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1 box Mini Bella Mushrooms cleaned and chopped to small pieces
1/2 Red Bell Pepper chopped to small pieces
1 small Onion chopped
2-3 Garlic cloves chopped
1/2 tsp Red Pepper flakes
1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
1 tsp Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
For the Sauce:
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1/2 tsp Olive Oil
1/2 tbsp Butter
1 tbsp Tomato Paste
1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
Salt to taste
1 bottle BERTOLI's Four Cheese Rosa
Method:
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Making the Stuffing:
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1. In a pan, add butter and oil and when the butter starts to melt add the garlic, salt and pepper.
2. Add the red peppers, onions, mushrooms and red pepper flakes and saute it until all the water from the mushrooms is gone and cooked. You can achieve this if you cook it on a medium high flame.
3. Allow it to cool, add the grated parmesan cheese and mix well.
Making Ravioli Dough: (sorry forgot to take pics of making the dough)
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1. In a big work surface, add the flour and make a well in the middle, add the break the eggs in the middle of the flour and add olive oil, using a fork beat the eggs and slowly incorporate the flour into the eggs, when it gets little harder to mix with the fork, remove the fork and knead the dough with your hands.
2. Knead the dough for about 6 mins or until it gets soft and smooth. The texture of the dough should be elastic and soft.
3. Now we have to run a simple test to check on the dough: Wash your hands clean and dry, press you finger in the middle of the dough and your finger should come out clean.
4. Now cover the dough in a plastic wrap and keep it aside for about 30 mins.
5. After 30 mins, knead the dough again for about 1 min.
7. Divide the dough into two equal parts.
6. Roll the dough, make sure the shape is rectangle or it should fit the muffin baking pan as shown. Now you have two rolled out dough sheets, ready to be filled with the stuffing.
7. Now one rolled out dough and place it carefully on the muffin pan and little bit press and stretch to cover it fully and to make little pockets in the muffin cups, for the filling.
8. Now brush egg wash or with water over all the sides the dough, except the cups.
9. Now place the filling in each muffin cups, may be about 1 tsp each.
10. Now carefully roll the second rolled dough on to the rolling pin and carefully place it over the top of the first sheet and press gently with your fingers around the muffin cups.
11. Now take a pizza cutter or any decorative cutter and cut into desired shaped just along the sides of the filling, making sure that you don't cut into the filling.
12. Now remove each ravioli and press the sides properly or fold the sides according your creative imagination.
13. Repeat the above step to all the ravioli's and these can be frozen until cooking the recipe.
Making the ravioli's with sauce:
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1. In a big pot add lot of water and bring to a boil. Add salt and the prepared ravioli's and cook them for about 7-8 mins. Strain the liquid and keep the ravioli's aside.
2. In a sauce pan, add the butter and oil and when the butter starts to melt, add the garlic cloves, tomato paste, salt and pepper, saute it for a min.
2. In a sauce pan, add the butter and oil and when the butter starts to melt, add the garlic cloves, tomato paste, salt and pepper, saute it for a min.
3. Now add the desired about of sauce and red pepper flakes, if you want the sauce to be thick and creamy add more sauce. I added less sauce and added little pasta water, because I know that the ravioli is very filling, so wanted to do a lite sauce, added about 1/4 cup of sauce. Actually in this recipe by mistake Shoj added little bit more red pepper flakes which made it little bit more spicy (actually he came in to help me :), so I ended up adding little whipping cream. You can also add grated parmesan cheese over the top.
4. This recipe is absolutely a crowd pleaser as the ravioli's can be made in advance.
Bon Appetit!!
