Homemade pasta is great for a lot of reasons. There’s the satisfaction in knowing you spent hours making something you could have easily bought, the rustic irregularity of it all, and the poufs of flour that inevitably cover everything in your kitchen (if you’re anything like me, that is). Have I convinced you yet? Yeah, I didn’t think so.
If you plan on making a batch of homemade ravioli or tortellini, you’ll want a team. And a pasta maker. Definitely a pasta maker. If you have neither of those things, you want several hours, arms of steel, huge counters, a great rolling pin, and the patience of a pasta-loving saint. Of those things, I really only have a great rolling pin, and that’s pretty minor. So I cheated. And it was worth it.
Enter wonton wraps. Available in your grocery store’s produce section (refrigerated and usually with the tofu) for about $3, or less at your local Asian grocer, these handy little pre-fab squares of dough make homemade ravioli a breeze. All you have to do is peel them apart, fill, seal, and boil. The texture isn’t quite the same as pasta dough (more wonton dumpling-y, of course), but for the amount of time you’ll save, it’s worth it.
This time I wanted something ricotta/spinach/parmesan/tomato this time, but I’ve had great success using roasted squash and/or sweet potatoes. And of course you can really use anything you want, I’m not going to stop you. But please, try it this way at least once before you die.
Super Easy Homemade Ravioli
Sauce
1 tbsp olive oil (pomace) (USA / Canada)
1 onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (800mL) can diced tomatoes
1 (150mL) can tomato paste
2 tsp sugar
½ tsp black pepper
1 tbsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp dried thyme
1 bay leaf
Raviolis
1 package wonton wrappers
500g ricotta cheese
½ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp black pepper
Zest of 1 lemon
1 cup steamed spinach, chopped
Water, for sealingHeat the olive oil (pomace) (USA / Canada) in a heavy-bottomed sauce pot. Sauté the onions and garlic until the onion is translucent. Add the tomatoes and tomato paste, the sugar, and the herbs. Let simmer while you work on your ravioli.
Mix together the ricotta, Parmigiano-Reggiano, eggs, herbs, and lemon zest. Dab a teaspoon of the cheese mixture into the centre of each wonton wrap, top with a pinch of spinach, and seal with damp fingers. Set aside on cookie sheets and keep working. This filling is just enough to finish off a package of wrappers, so you can freeze the leftover ravioli for later. Just be careful when they’re frozen; they’re quite delicate and will shatter if encouraged.
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil while you taste the sauce and adjust the seasonings to taste. Boil the ravioli you plan on eating right away for about 2 minutes. Spoon out onto a wire rack set over a clean dishtowel so they can drain a bit, and then serve up with a big scoop or two of sauce. Enjoy!
