Ravioli for Mother's Day

Mom's ravioli stamp and dough wheel

Mother’s Day inspired me to do something special to honor the memory of the woman who’s always in my heart.

Mom died seven years ago and, this year, rather than focusing on her absence, I decided to make Mom’s favorite meal - home-made ravioli. Not only I used her recipe, but I also used her ravioli stamp and cutter.

Ingredients:

Dough: (makes 60 ravioli)

8 eggs

2 lb. unbleached flour

1 tsp. salt

Place the flour mixture on a pastry board and make a well in the middle. Add the eggs, salt and a small amount of water (if needed). Begin to stir the flour from the outside of the well into the wet ingredients. Continue this process until the dough holds together in a ball. Let it rest for 45 minutes. Using a pasta machine, stretch the dough and roll out into thin rectangular sheets. Dust the sheets of dough with flour as needed.

Filling:

1 ½ lb. ricotta

3 eggs

½ lb. grated Parmigiano or pecorino

1 small mozzarella (shredded)

2 tb. minced parsley

Black pepper

Mix all ingredients.

Lay out the long sheet of pasta.  Drop tablespoons of ricotta filling on 1/2 of the pasta sheet, about 2-inches apart.

Fold the other 1/2 over the filling like a blanket. With fingers gently press out air pockets around each mound of filling.



Use the stamp to cut each pillow into rounds and crimp the edges with the tins of a fork to make a tight seal. Dust the ravioli and a sheet pan with flour to prevent the pasta from sticking and lay them out to dry slightly while assembling the rest.

Cook the ravioli in plenty of boiling salted water for 10 minutes.  They will float to the top when ready.  Lift the ravioli from water with a large strainer.  Bath the ravioli in your favorite sauce to lightly coat and serve.