Cookaholics Bulletin Board

Have I mentioned recently how much I enjoy this board? I appreciate all of you who keep it running!

--Lisa

Use less filling than you think you should.

Not when it comes to praise, though! Thanks, Lisa!

I took a ravioli making class from Chef Jen Jasinski ( one of the chefs on Top Chef Masters current offering). Her biggest tip was to seal securely and get all of the air out. When I make ravioli now, I make more than enough and freeze on sheet pans, than bag and use when needed. It works really well.
I will try Amy's recipe since the one I have is just egg,flour and water. Curious to see what the butter does.....sounds yummy.

Darcie,

I use a number of tools for ravioli, depending on what kind I'm making. For fast production of small square ravioli, I use a tray like this one and a hardwood rolling pin:

http://www.amazon.com/Norpro-Ravioli-Ma ... B000BBGV0G

for larger ravioli, I often use a fluted pastry crimper for the edges:

http://www.amazon.com/Stainless-Steel-P ... pd_sbs_k_5

I also have some spring loaded tart cutters which are good for round ravioli, Or mezzalune

http://www.fantes.com/images/9719pasta-cutters.jpg

dumpling presses are also good for sealing half-moons.

I haven't found any way to make tortellini except completely by hand.

I was wondering if the trays worked well. I haven't been successful with just a fluted roller (probably not pressing them closed enough). So thanks for that - I might keep an eye out for one on sale.

You also gave me an interesting idea with the tart cutter. I have a large spring loaded cutter for crustless sandwiches. It must be 3 1/2" across. It might be fun to make 3 or 4 mammoth ravioli with some kind of special filling for dinner one night.

--Lisa

Lisa,

The trays do speed things up about 2X to 3X over making the ravioli one at a time. Make sure to get a tray with the plastic bumpy top piece; that piece is needed to make little hollows for filling (even though W-S's tray doesn't have one). As a warning, though, they have a slightly higher casualty rate than ravioli completely folded with the fingers.

If you make gigantavioli using the big tart cutter, make sure that you press out all air before you seal them. One cool thing you can do with really big ravioli is:

1. roll out the pasta dough to really really thin (like setting 7 on the kitchen aid).
2. put a basil leaf between two layers
3. roll the layers together
4. cut the ravioli with the basil leaf centered

I just saw this Giuliano Hazan pasta class . I am thinking of doing it as a reward for finishing my next onerous task.

Has anyone ever done any of the FC classes?

Is ravioli making anyway similar to making empanadas? I realize the dough is different, but I am asking about the sealing process. Even though my pies are ugly, and I say away from cut-out cookies, I can do empanada dough and do them easily and make them pretty in all sizes. I can also fill store bought wontons to fry without issues. So I am trying to get a feel as to the ravioli difficulty level. TIA

How do you properly get the air out of the ravioli when you use the trays?

The gigantavioli (great name) sounds like a lot of fun. I hadn't thought about decorations, but you could do a lot with very thin dough.

Last night I came across Uova da Ravioli which is a even bigger ravoli - up to six inches - with a barely cooked egg yolk in it. You roll out the bottom sheet, mark your ravioli size, pipe two or three circles of your ricotta mixture, and put a fresh egg yolk in the circle. Add your top sheet, squeeze out all the air, cut out, crimp/press the edges. Then simmer for 2 mins and then add to a pan with browned butter for another min.

Sounds like an incredible first course on top of some lightly steamed ravioli.

This thread is not good for my diet.

--Lisa

I have made the uova da raviolis. The ones I make, from an old bon appetite recipe, have some spinach ricotta filling piped in a ring with the egg yolk in the center. They were deliscious!