HOW I MAKE RAVIOLI

Ravioli making is simple so long as the basic principles are followed. With these basic principles ANY type of ravioli can be made. Actually, 'ravioli' means a pasta envelope containing various savoury fillings, usually served with a sauce. But sweet ravioli can be made as well. Thus it is necessary to make the ravioli filling first. Whilst I have supplied two recipes (at the end of this post) for making different ravioli fillings - 1000’s upon 1000's of different ravioli fillings are available and can be made!

How I make MY ravioli.

I make ravioli using either one of two moulds. LARGE ravioli are made using a special mould available from Lebanese stores – eg: ‘A1 Bakery’ in Sydney Road, Brunswick or ‘Oasis Bakery’ in North Road, Murrumbeena. This mould was intended for the making of Maamoul (small pastries with dates and nuts) but serve equally well for making ravioli – Fig 1.

Fig 1 – Maamoul mould

The second smaller mould type  is actually a ‘ravioli mould’ available from, for example, the ‘Essential ingredient’ in Prahran, or ‘Chefs Hat’ in South Melbourne – Fig 2.

Fig 2 – ravioli moulds


The very best pasta for making ravioli (other than making it yourself) is available quite cheaply from Asian stores – it is called pastry WON TON SKINS – Fig 3, and it comes in packets of 250 gm; 500 gm; and 1 kg – I use the 500 gm routinely, but if you are making a lot or a little – you can adjust the packet size accordingly. These wrappers are found in the freezer section of Asian stores, and may be refrozen a number of times. The wrappers MUST be defrosted before use, and you use two sheets of this pasta per ravioli – one on the top and one on the bottom.

Fig 3 – pastry Won Ton skins

Basically, it doesn’t matter which mould you use, so long as you proceed in the following manner:-
1). Put a sheet of Won Ton pastry - Fig 4 down on the surface of the mould and carefully mould the pastry around the walls of the mould – the pastry MUST be defrosted for this otherwise the pastry will split thus negating the whole process - Fig 5.

Fig 4 - a sheet of Won Ton pastry

Fig 5 - the sheet of Won Ton pastry adapted to the mould


2). Once the pastry is moulded to the mould surface, you brush around the edges with egg wash - Fig 6.

3). Then sufficient ravioli filling is placed inside the depression to come very slightly above the level of the mould - Fig 6.

Fig 6 - the outside of the pastry is covered with egg wash and the depression is filled with filling of your choice

4). The second Won Ton pastry sheet is taken and used to cover over, initially half the contents of the mould - Fig 7 making sure that half that is covering the ravioli contents in fully adherent to the sheet of pastry below – not a problem if the egg wash has been put on.

Fig 7 - the second Won Ton pastry sheet covering up part of the filling

5). Carefully using your fingers, continue to apply the remainder of the sheet pressing out all air bubbles as you go.
6). When the filling has been fully covered, check that the second Won Ton pastry skin is completely adherent to the first Won Ton pastry skin - and thus you have a ravioli! Fig 8.






















Fig 8 - the completed ravioli

7). I find it best to cook the ravioli in salted boiling water soon after they are made - Fig 9(a) and (b), and then they can be stored for anything up to 2 – 3 days in the refrigerator. The ravioli is ready when it floats to the surface of the water - approximately 2 – 3 minutes.

Fig 9a - broad based strainer

Fig 9b - two ravioli are plunged into boiling salted water at a time


8). Once the ravioli has had its ‘initial’ cook, the ravioli is taken out of the boiling water with the same broad strainer and plunged into cold water to stop the cooking process – Fig 10

Fig 10 - the ravioli are plunged into cold water

9). The ravioli is taken out of the cold water and the final shape given – Fig 11(a), (b) and (c) using a circular cutter, making sure there is at least 1 ½ mm of adherent pasta between the cut surface and the ravioli filling. The ravioli is covered with Rice flour - Fig 12(a) and stored between plastic sheets Fig 12(b). The rice flour dries the ravioli and when they are ready to reheat, can be washed off gently under cold running water.

Fig 11a – circular cutters – choose one to suit the size of the ravioli

Fig 11b - ravioli with a circular cutter in position

Fig 11c - the completed ravioli

Fig 12a - the Rice flour used to dry and store the ravioli in

Fig 12b - ravioli covered with rice flour


10). When ready to re heat, the ravioli are placed inside oiled Chinese steamer baskets - Fig 13(a) and (b) placed above boiling water, and steamed for 10 minutes – Fig 14. The oiling is essential to stop the ravioli sticking to the basket.

Fig 13a – Chinese steamer basket

Fig 13b - the Chinese steamer basket filled with ravioli

Fig 14 - Chinese steamer basket above a pot of boiling water



11). The ravioli are then taken out of the steamer baskets, placed in their appropriate sauce and served. It is as easy as that! Fig 15.

Fig 15 - the completed ravioli in their sauce


Two recipes for making the filling of ravioli:


SWEET ONION AND GOAT CHEESE RICOTTA RAVIOLI WITH SAGE AND BURNT BUTTER – serves 8
Ingredients:
Step 1 – the ravioli
4 medium onions
100 ml olive oil
130 gm ricotta
70 gm goats cheese
white pepper
2 sprigs Thyme - diced
1 egg - beaten with a splash of water for egg wash
Step 2 – the sauce
250 gm Butter
sage

Preparation:
Step 1 – the ravioli
Peel and cut the onions finely, and in a heavy pan, warm the oil and sweat the onions very slowly for 30 minutes or until they are an even, golden colour but are not burnt. As the onions sweat down – they become sweeter and sweeter. Drain and allow to cool. When cold, add the ricotta and goats cheese, some pepper and the thyme leaves.
Step 2 – the sauce
Heat the butter in a small saucepan. Once the butter finishes frothing, it will start to turn a hazelnut colour; remove it immediately from the heat then add the sage leaves. Spoon the burnt butter over the ravioli and serve at once.

PUMKIN RAVIOLI WITH SAGE AND BURNT BUTTER – serves 8
Ingredients:
Step 1 – the ravioli
2 tablespoons olive oil
500 gm pumpkin – peeled and cut into small sections
½ clove garlic – minced
salt and freshly ground pepper
50 gm goats cheese
1 pinch freshly ground nutmeg

Preparation:
Step 1 – the ravioli
Place the pumpkin, garlic, salt, pepper and nutmeg in the olive oil in a saucepan and cook till the pumpkin becomes a puree – normally 30 – 40 minutes. Set aside and when cool - add the goat cheese.

Presentation:
Have the ravioli with burnt butter and sage – see before.

Both these recipes have been adapted from 'Gourmet Traveller'. All stores mentioned in the post above are in Melbourne, Australia.