We Luva da Pasta!

Pasta!  Oh lovely Pasta!  We consider pasta one of the gifts of life...especially when you make it from scratch and enjoy each step of the process, until you slip it through your lips...mmmm!  You appreciate a meal so much more when you have a hand in the creation of it, simple or elaborate.  Tonight for us it was somewhere in between...homemade  ravioli with three cheeses and pancetta.  Pasta made from scratch is not difficult at all, you just need to plan to make the dough and refrigerate it about an hour,  make your pasta and let it dry at least an hour.  Then you can proceed with your recipe...we decided to make our own version of a ravioli with what we had on hand, along with a simple tomato sauce that can be used with many pastas.  This is only one of many, many pastas  and fillings we enjoy.  Here we go...

Firstly, we have to have a 'lil snacky-poo while we make the pasta...this is a delicious savory cheesecake leftover from what we made for a party...along with crackers and kalamata olives.  That will calm our growling bellies while we work.

To start the pasta, we assemble our ingredients- 2 1/3 cups pasta flour, eggs, salt, olive oil, and warm water.  Then we pour our pasta flour out on the counter and make a well in the center

Put our 2 beaten egg yolks and 1/2 tsp. salt along with 1 tsp oil in the well 

 Then, stir with a fork and begin to add the water, stirring all along until we get a nice dough. Keep adding the flour as needed, or water as needed, until the dough is no longer sticky and forms a smooth ball. Knead about 5 minutes.

Wrap the ball in plastic wrap and put in the fridge for an hour.  Check with the forewomen to make sure you are doing it right...

(Yep. Proceed.) This next step is optional :-)

While the dough is chilling we made the filling. (This is our own mixture)
First get a pan hot add about 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil, when hot add the pancetta (4 ounces). Cook until browned. 

Remove from the oil and let drain. Then cook 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion in the same pan until tender (around 8 min., medium heat). Place with the pancetta to drain.

While it is draining take a mixing bowl and add 1 cup of ricotta, 1 egg yolk, 3/4 cup each of grated Parmesan and Pecorino Romano, tablespoon of fresh chopped parsley, salt and pepper and the cooked pancetta and onion. Set aside for filling the pasta.

After the dough has chilled and allowed to come to room temperature, divide into 4 parts and begin to roll it out through the pasta roller.

Place it on your ravioli form and begin to fill the pockets...

(You may wish to rub olive oil on the form first for easier removal of the finished ravioli...)

Brush water on the seams of the ravioli, apply the top piece, then roll out to make the pasta squares.

Use a rolling pin to push down on the ravioli form.

By now your help will be excited about the ravioli...

Now the sauce. First get the pan hot that has the pancetta drippings in it, add the garlic (we used 2 crushed cloves). Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes (use a good brand of whole romas or fresh peeled ones) and fresh basil leaves (no need to chop) with a teaspoon of salt and half tsp. pepper. Simmer on low for about 25 minutes, breaking up the tomatoes as it cooks. Taste and adjust seasonings. Remove the basil leaves and garlic chunks.

While the sauce is simmering start the pasta water and then place the ravioli in to cook. Try to time the pasta with the sauce to be done at the same time.

Plate the ravioli, top with the sauce, fresh basil (chopped) and grated Parmesan cheese. We enjoyed ours with a nice wine. 

From the kitchen of Sweet Pickles Farm. Enjoy!