Adventures in Pasta Making!

One of my favorite cuisines to eat and to cook is regional Italian. Specifically, I adore fresh pasta. I think it's a great canvas for delicious, simple flavors that Italian cooks are known for. Recently I've been educating myself, trying to learn more about pasta. I've attempted to make fresh pasta from scratch several times over the last few years and I can't seem to get it quite right. But, a few nights ago, I ventured back into the world of fresh pasta. I think I'm coming a lot closer to getting it right. Well, I'm closer than I've ever been. I'll say that much.

I chose to make ravioli this time around. My dad prefers meat fillings, while my mother and I prefer cheese fillings. So I made some of each. I used sweet sausage, herbs and spices, and a bit of marscapone cheese for the meat filled ravioli. For the cheese filled ravioli I used ricotta, parmigiano reggiano, marscapone, herbs and spices, 1 egg, and a bit of seasoned breadcrumbs to thicken the mixture. For the dough, I tried to take a traditional approach so I followed the directions that came with my pasta machine (which is from Italy). The recipe called for 500 grams of flour and 5 whole eggs. I worked the dough and let it rest for about 30 minutes before rolling it out, cutting it, and filling it.

All-in-all, it was a great experience and the ravioli tasted awesome. I was very proud of myself! I know I'm giving you the "Cliff's Notes" version of my little adventure, but I'm not really prepared to share a recipe with you. I'll leave the pasta recipes to the professionals, for now. I'm still learning. BUT! I do have pictures to share, so here you go!




<3 Elle