Marguerite DiMinos' Ravioli
From Yankee Magazine
Pasta Recipes
Little cases of dough containing a savory filling — this is the definition given by Webster's Dictionary. But Marguerite Dimino defines ravioli as "the one Italian food that everyone loves." The following is a step-by-step recipe for, as many have called it "the best ravioli in Boston's North End."
Dough:
- 2½ pounds (about 10 cups) unbleached, unsifted flour (Marguerite prefers King Arthur)
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 3 medium eggs
- Boiling water as needed
Make a well in the flour on a pastry board. Add salt. Partially beat eggs before adding to flour. Add eggs gradually, mix with fingers until dough resembles the texture of cornmeal. Sprinkle on the boiling water starting with only ¼ cup, and work well into dough. Add more boiling water as needed until dough is smooth and pliable, but not too soft. Knead dough for about five minutes. Pat with some water, cover, and let sit for about half an hour. Prepare filling and meat sauce while waiting for the dough. You could even make it the day before.
Filling:
- 2 pounds ricotta cheese
- 5 medium eggs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Dash of pepper
- 1 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
- 1 small clove garlic, pressed
- 8 finely chopped parsley sprigs
Blend all ingredients together.
Meat Sauce:
- Oil
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 1 small onion, chopped
- Dash: sweet basil, red pepper flakes, oregano, and bay leaf
- (Remove bay leaf before serving)
- ½ pound lean ground beef
- ½ pound ground pork (beef may be substituted)
- 1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste
- 1 can (1 Ib. 12 oz.) ground peeled tomatoes (kitchen-ready)
- 1 can water (using tomato can)
Put enough oil in pan to coat bottom. Saute garlic, onion, and seasonings over medium heat until onion is lightly golden. Add all the meat. Cook until slightly browned. Blend tomato paste in well; stir a few minutes. Add tomatoes and stir. Pour in water. Reduce heat and allow sauce to simmer for up to one hour, stirring frequently.
To Assemble:
Divide dough into fourths and roll out only one-fourth at a time, keeping the rest covered. Roll dough as thin as possible. Place heaping teaspoons of filling 1½ inches from edge of dough. Continue to place filling in straight rows on the dough, being careful to leave 1½ inches between each spoonful. Fold over the edge of the dough to completely cover the first row of filling. With your fingers, gently press down on dough around the mounds of filling. Using a 2½-inch ravioli cutter, cut around the mounds. A pastry cutter or small glass may be used instead — but be sure to seal the edges with a fork. Continue in this manner until all the dough is used. (The dough that you don't want to use may be frozen in a plastic bag and used at a later date to make more ravioli or even pasta. It may also be kept in the refrigerator up to 5 days.)
To Freeze:
This recipe may very well make much more than you will want to serve at one time. The ravioli can be frozen before it is cooked. Sprinkle flour or cornmeal on cookie sheets and place ravioli in a single layer on the sheets and freeze. This takes about 20 minutes. After the ravioli is frozen it may be placed in plastic bags. This way the pieces won't stick to one another.
To Cook:
Bring 6 to 8 quarts of salted water to a boil. Gradually add the ravioli and cook until tender (15 to 20 minutes) . It is best not to overcrowd the pot, because you will need to continually press ravioli to bottom of pot so that they will cook evenly.
To Serve:
Carefully remove ravioli and let them drain well. Place them in a serving dish and cover with meat sauce and a layer of grated Parmesan or Romano cheese. Continue in this manner until you have used all the cooked ravioli. Serve with a tossed salad, garlic bread, and wine. Enjoy your meal and all the compliments you will receive!
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