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OK, you raviolistas out there....

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Mike Filigenzi

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OK, you raviolistas out there....

by Mike Filigenzi » Mon Feb 25, 2008 1:40 am

I made ravioli for the first time today. Can't say they were a raging success. I did well with the filling - it was roasted butternut squash and goat cheese with some sage, sauteed onion, and garlic in it. Nothing not to like there. Pasta was a basic 2 cups AP flour to 3 egg mix. Pulled off egg-sized pieces of pasta dough and ran them through the Atlas to level 6, with the sheets about 4" wide. Plopped a teaspoonful or so of filling every 2" or so in the middle of a sheet, brushed the long sides of the sheet with a little water, and folded over to trap the filling. Cut the ravioli apart in between the filling blobs. I can't say I got very regular-sized ravioli, but that didn't bother me. I ran into problems after that. I tried putting them on a cutting board. When it filled up, I covered the ravioli with a clean dish towel and started another layer. Two problems here. One was that I wasn't careful about separating them and a number of them became permanently welded together. Second problem was that they didn't really dry well like that. When I went to transfer them into the water, some stuck to my fingers enough to put holes in the pasta.

So anyone have practical tips on handling these once they're made? Put them on racks? Lay them on plates in single layers? Go thicker on the dough? I thought the ones that survived the process were very tasty so I don't think I was too far off.

Thanks in advance!
"People who love to eat are always the best people"

- Julia Child
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Larry Greenly

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Re: OK, you raviolistas out there....

by Larry Greenly » Mon Feb 25, 2008 1:49 am

Try placing them on a lightly floured cookie sheet. If you place them in the refrigerator for a while, they'll also dry out a bit. You can even freeze them solid on a sheet and add a minute or two cooking time when dropping them into boiling water undefrosted.
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Bernard Roth

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Re: OK, you raviolistas out there....

by Bernard Roth » Mon Feb 25, 2008 2:34 am

The ravioli need to be placed on a well-floured, non-stick surface like parchment paper. They should not be covered as they dry, or that will cause moisture to condense.
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Bernard Roth
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John Tomasso

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Re: OK, you raviolistas out there....

by John Tomasso » Mon Feb 25, 2008 9:23 am

Never let 'em touch. You've got to spread them out, which brings back memories of every bed in our home covered with ravioli - that's where we used to dry them.
What Bernie says is correct - no need to cover them, and you can also sprinkle the pans with semolina to reduce stickiness.
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Mike Filigenzi

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Re: OK, you raviolistas out there....

by Mike Filigenzi » Mon Feb 25, 2008 9:44 am

Thanks for the tips, everyone! The next batch will be better for them.
"People who love to eat are always the best people"

- Julia Child

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