Ravioli

Ingredients

2 cups/260 grams all-purpose flour

2 large eggs and 1 egg yolk

1 teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Semolina flour, for rolling

1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese (8 ounces), drained (see Tip 2)

1/3 cup grated Parmesan (about 1 ounce)

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Kosher)

Pinch of black pepper

Directions

Make the dough: Place the flour, whole eggs and yolk, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade; pulse until incorporated. With the machine running, add the oil. Add 1 tablespoon of water and pulse until coarse crumbs form. If the mixture feels dry, add water 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing, until the crumbs are moist to the touch.

Dump the dough onto a clean surface dusted with semolina flour, and knead into a smooth ball, 2 to 3 minutes. Wrap with plastic and set aside to rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.

Make the filling: Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmesan, egg, parsley, salt and pepper until well combined. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

After the dough has rested, divide it into 4 equal pieces. Place one piece on a clean surface dusted with semolina, wrapping the remaining dough pieces in plastic so they don’t dry out. Using your palms or a rolling pin, press the piece into an oval about 4-by-6 inches.

Pass the dough through a pasta roller on the widest setting. Fold the long ends toward each other, creating a rectangular piece of dough, then run the dough through the roller again on the same setting. Continue passing the dough through the roller, running it through each setting twice and working up to the thinnest setting, until you can see the outline of your fingers through the dough. If the length of the dough becomes unwieldy, cut it in half and finish rolling the pieces separately. Dust with semolina as needed to prevent sticking.

Lay the dough sheet on the work surface and dust with more semolina, if necessary. Cover with a clean kitchen towel. Repeat rolling with the remaining 3 pieces of dough.

Make the ravioli: When all the sheets are rolled, it’s time to fill the dough. On half the pasta sheets, spoon on 1 teaspoon mounds of filling to form 2 rows, leaving about 1 inch of space around each mound. Top with the remaining half of the sheets, lining them up as closely as possible. Press around the mounds to release any air pockets and firmly seal the sheets of pasta together at the seams.

Cut out the individual ravioli with a pasta cutter or sharp knife, trimming excess dough as necessary. You should have about 40 ravioli; place them on a sheet pan dusted with semolina flour. Refrigerate, covered with plastic wrap, until you’re ready to cook the pasta, up to 12 hours.

Cook the ravioli: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the ravioli, working in batches to avoid crowding, and cook until al dente, about 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a colander to drain, then toss with desired sauce and serve immediately.

Notes

Tip 1: To freeze uncooked ravioli, spread them out on a sheet pan and freeze for at least 2 hours, or until partially frozen, then transfer to a freezer bag or container and freeze for up to 1 month. Cook as directed in step 9, keeping in mind that the frozen pasta may need to cook an extra minute.

Tip 2: To drain ricotta, spoon it into several layers of cheesecloth and gather the cheesecloth around it, twisting it at the top. Over the sink, squeeze out and discard the liquid. Open the cheesecloth and spoon the ricotta into a bowl. (Alternatively, set a fine-mesh strainer over a medium bowl. Line the strainer with a paper towel or a piece of cheesecloth, then spoon the ricotta into the strainer. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably 8, until the liquid has collected in the bowl. Discard the liquid.)