Use A Ravioli Machine

The love affair most of us have with pasta dishes has led to pasta-makers being a common appliance in many homes around the world. Now there is a fresh and tasty alternative to dried pasta that can be ready in a snap. Much like making the noodles themselves, making ravioli without some mechanical help is considered a rather difficult task. Fortunately, there are some simple-to-use ravioli making machines available to do the hard work for us.

Instructions

Roller-Based Makers

1. Assemble your machine on a sturdy counter top at a height at which you are comfortable working. Attach the ravioli attachment to the pasta machine. Be certain it is fully supported.

2. Test the dough in the sheet roller to make sure it won't stick. Sprinkle the dough with flour if it seems too sticky.

3. Insert two equal-sized sheets of dough into the rollers, turning the handle to make sure they are feeding into the hopper. Spoon your ravioli filling between the two sheets, avoiding stuffing or compressing. Turn the handle again to seal the first portion of ravioli. Add more filling and repeat until your sheet is used up.

4. Compensate for any mistakes in the first batch. If you had sticky ravioli sheets, you'll need more flour sprinkled on the next batch to prevent sticking. Broken raviolis mean the next batch should be given less filling, while limp ravioli needs more.

5. Set your ravioli sheets to the side to slightly dry. Use a knife or scissors to cut the ravioli pockets out of the sheet.

Cutting Sheet Makers

6. Roll your dough into two large sheets, more than large enough to cover the cut-and-seal plate. Sprinkle flour onto one side of one of the sheets.

7. Take the floured sheet and lay it over the cut-and-seal plate floured-side-down. Press the forming plate carefully down onto the sheet to form pockets for the filling.

8. Brush water lightly onto the dough sheets, being careful not to get any water in the pockets themselves. Use a small spoon to add filling to the pockets. The dough is very fragile at this point, so take care not to deform, overstuff, or break pockets.

9. Place the second sheet over the filled pockets. Use a rolling pin to apply light pressure, starting at the center of the sheet. Increase pressure as you roll the pin out to all sides, until the ravioli shapes become noticeable. Upturn the plate and agitate to shake loose raviolis.

Tags: cut-and-seal plate, dough into, make sure, next batch, ravioli sheets, sheet over, your ravioli