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Easy Homemade Cheese Ravioli

Rolling fresh pasta dough to make homemade ravioli

Pasta Dough

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons water
  • Pinch of salt

Egg Wash

  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon water

Basic Cheese Filling

  • 1 cup shredded cheese
  • 1 container (8 ounces) ricotta cheese
  • 1 egg
  • Italian herbs, black pepper or lemon zest, as desired

Directions

  1. Place the flour and salt on a clean work surface or in a large mixing bowl.
  2. In a separate bowl, beat together the eggs, olive oil and water.
  3. Gradually mix the egg mixture into the flour until a dough begins to form.
  4. Knead the dough for about 8-10 minutes, adding a small amount of flour if it becomes too sticky. The finished dough should feel smooth and flexible.
  5. Wrap the dough tightly and refrigerate for about 1 hour.
  6. While the dough rests, mix together the ricotta, shredded cheese, egg and desired seasonings. Keep the filling refrigerated until ready to use.
  7. Whisk together 1 egg and 1 tablespoon water to make the egg wash.
  8. Divide the rested dough into smaller portions. Roll each portion on a lightly floured surface with a rolling pin or pasta machine until very thin.
  9. Lay one sheet of pasta on the work surface and brush it lightly with egg wash.
  10. Place small spoonfuls of filling several inches apart, leaving enough room between them to seal each ravioli.
  11. Place another thin pasta sheet over the filling.
  12. Beginning near the filling, gently press out air pockets and firmly seal the pasta around each mound.
  13. Cut the ravioli apart with a knife, cookie cutter or ravioli cutter. Press the edges firmly to make sure they are sealed.
  14. Bring a large pot of water to a gentle boil. Cook the ravioli in batches until the pasta is tender and the filling reaches a safe temperature.
  15. Remove with a slotted spoon and serve with your favorite sauce, olive oil, Parmesan cheese or Italian herbs.
Kid Cooking Tip: Kneading, rolling, filling and cutting ravioli are excellent jobs for kids. An adult should handle raw egg cleanup, boiling water and transferring the cooked ravioli.
Ravioli Filling Safety: If using meat in homemade ravioli, cook the meat completely before adding it to the filling. Keep fillings that contain meat, cheese or egg refrigerated until you are ready to assemble and cook the ravioli.

Easy Ravioli Filling Ideas

Once you learn how to make and seal ravioli, experiment with different fillings. Avoid fillings that are very wet, since excess moisture can make the pasta difficult to seal.

Cheese

  • Ricotta and Parmesan
  • Ricotta and mozzarella
  • Four-cheese mixture

Vegetable

Meat

  • Cooked ground beef and cheese
  • Cooked Italian sausage and ricotta
  • Cooked chicken and Parmesan

Simple Flavor Add-Ins

Make Fun Ravioli Shapes

Homemade ravioli doesn't have to be square. Cookie cutters can turn pasta dough into circles, hearts, stars or other kid-friendly shapes.

My kids especially loved making dinosaur-shaped ravioli. Letting kids knead the dough, roll the pasta, choose fillings and cut their own shapes turns dinner into a cooking activity as well as a meal.

Tip: Whatever shape you choose, leave enough dough around the filling to press the edges together firmly. Press out trapped air before sealing so the ravioli are less likely to open while cooking.

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Recipe, image and content from Kids-Cooking-Activities.com