I’d like to go out on a limb here and say that homemade ravioli is the ultimate comfort food. Here’s my argument: You’ve had a glass of wine. You’ve made it through the labor of pasta making (albeit quite easy). You use your fork to break open a soft, delicate pocket of dough. Out pours creamy ricotta, mascarpone and freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano. You find yourself overcome with content. More than content: extreme happiness!
In my humble opinion, there is nothing more satisfying or comforting than 3 or more cheeses.
Especially after you’ve made a complete mess of the kitchen. Maybe there’s flour all over the floor and bits of dough in your hair. But taking that first bite makes it all okay. It’s an experience worth having. Invite a good friend over for wine, cheese and a heck of a lot of fun rolling out pasta. It’s a night you won’t soon forget. I say this from experience.
Often, when I lived in Long Island, I’d frequent North Shore Farms for their fresh ravioli and Italian bread. Unquestionably, the first time I broke into one of those babies is forever engraved in my memory. It was incredibly creamy. None of that thick, grainy ricotta you sometimes encounter. Surely, I was making noises at the table. Yummy sounds, if you will. I was completely floored by these ravioli. This recipe is the closest I’ve been able to come to that unforgettable experience. And it does not disappoint.
I always use Bon Appetit’s pasta dough formula– there’s no reason to reinvent a perfectly good wheel. I love it because it’s versatile enough to be used for ravioli, spaghetti, lasagna and everything in between. Pair this with my favorite parmesan marinara and a glass of red.
Three-Cheese Ravioli
Ingredients
Pasta Dough
- 3 large eggs beaten
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- semolina flour for dusting
Filling
- 1 cup ricotta
- 1 cup mascarpone
- 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat eggs with the whisk attachment. Switch to the dough hook and add flour, olive oil and salt. Blend on medium speed about 3 minutes, until to comes together in a beautiful, shaggy mess. It might need some help coming together, so don’t be afraid to add 1 tablespoon of water and use your hands.
- Once it’s roughly the shape of a ball, continue to knead on medium speed 10 minutes. Wrap in plastic and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. While dough is resting, make the filling.
- In a small bowl mix all three cheeses with a spoon. Mix in a pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper and taste, adjusting as needed. Parmigiano is already salty, so be cautious with the salt. Refrigerate filling until ready to use.
- To roll out the dough, divide the ball into quarters with a bench scraper or knife. We’re going to work with one piece at a time, so keep the other sections wrapped in plastic while working. Prepare your work surface with a good dusting of semolina.
- Secure the pasta sheet attachment and set to Setting 1. Use a rolling pin to flatten out the first quarter into a rough rectangle. Feed it into the roller (lowest speed!) and catch with the other hand as it passes through. Dust in a little semolina. Fold it like a letter, turn 90 degrees, flatten a bit with a rolling pin and insert again. Repeat this pass (on Setting 1) 3-4 times.
- Reduce the width to Setting 2 and pass your sheet through. There’s no need to fold anymore. Continue passing through once on each setting (3, 4 and 5). I find setting 5 is the perfect thinness. Note: Go through each setting consecutively and don’t skip numbers– no one likes torn dough.
- Remove filling from the refrigerator and scoop into a piping bag fitted with a 1/2″ plain tip. Pipe about 1 heaping tablespoon of cheese onto the lower half of your pasta sheet. Pipe another about 2″ apart. Continue down the row until you have about 6, or as many as you can fit.
- Dip your finger into a little water and run it along the edges and around the filling area. Fold the top half of the pasta sheet over the filling on the bottom half. Use your fingers to gently press the air out and seal firmly around the filling. Cut out the ravioli with a stamp (or a knife, if you don’t have one).
- Repeat this with the remaining sections of dough. Place finished ravioli on a semolina-dusted baking sheet. Be sure to sprinkle them well top and bottom to prevent sticking. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a gentle boil (a few good handfuls!) over medium-high heat. Lower to a simmer and drop in ravioli. Cook 2-3 minutes until perfectly al dente. Drain and serve with your favorite sauce.
