Pasta:
2 c. all-purpose flour
2 c. semolina flour
1 pinch salt
6 large eggs
2 Tbsp. Basil Olive Oil
Ravioli:
Beef and Spinach filling
1/4 lb. lean ground beef
1 Tbsp. Butter Olive Oil
1 clove garlic (used Imperial Black Garlic)
1/2 c. chopped spinach, cooked and squeezed dry
1 Tbsp. chopped Italian flat leaf parsley
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 Tbsp. Romano cheese, freshly grated
1 dash nutmeg
Pasta
Thoroughly sift together all-purpose flour, semolina flour, and pinch of salt. On a clean surface, make a mountain out of flour mixture then make a deep well in center. Break the eggs into the well and add olive oil. Whisk eggs very gently with a fork, gradually incorporating flour from the sides of the well. When mixture becomes too thick to mix with a fork, begin kneading with your hands. Knead dough for 8 to 12 minutes, until it is smooth and supple. Dust dough and work surface with semolina as needed to keep dough from becoming sticky. Wrap dough tightly in plastic and allow it to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. Roll out dough with a pasta machine or a rolling pin to desired thickness. Cut into your favorite style of noodle or stuff with your favorite filling to make ravioli. Bring water to a boil in a large pot, then add 4 teaspoons salt. Cook pasta until tender but not mushy, 1 to 8 minutes depending on thickness. Drain immediately and toss with your favorite sauce.
Ravioli
Beef and Spinach Filling
Brown beef in Butter Olive Oil with the whole clove of garlic. Remove garlic and let meat mixture cool. Mix spinach, parsley, eggs, cheese, and nutmeg into cooled meat until well blended. Set aside filling until needed.
Drop about 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoonfuls of filling about 1 1/2 inches apart all along the dough. When the sheet of dough is fully dotted with dabs of filling mixture, cover filling with other sheet of dough. Using your fingers, gently press dough between each dab of filling to seal it. Cut ravioli into squares with a (zig-zag edged) pastry cutter, or very sharp knife.
Allow ravioli to dry for one hour before cooking.
Drop ravioli into 6 to 8 quarts of boiling, salted water and cook for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until dough is tender. Remove cooked ravioli from pot carefully with a skimmer or a large slotted spoon, and drain well. Place drained ravioli on a serving platter in layers, alternating layers with your favorite sauce and a sprinkling of grated cheese between each ravioli layer. Serve hot.
Note: try the Ravioli drizzled with Butternut Squash Seed Oil or Roasted Pumpkin Seed Oil
*Tested in Pasta Cooking Class
