Homemade Ravioli

Making your own ravioli, or pasta is definitely not an easy weeknight meal, but when you have a little extra time it is well worth the effort. The secret to making pasta at home is a little TLC and patients in the kitchen. The fun part  about ravioli is you can fill it with whatever you want! This time, I chose two different fillings: Beets with Goat Cheese and Ricotta with Basil and Italian Parsley. To finish it off, I made a pistachio pesto to add a fresh, rich bite. 

Flour, Salt, Eggs, Olive Oil

Kneed & Form Into A Ball

Roll Out Into Sheets

Beet & Goat Cheese Filling

Ricotta, Basil & Italian Parsley Filling

Homemade Ravioli

Beet & Goat Cheese Ravioli with Pistachio Pesto

Homemade Ravioli:

• 2 cups flour
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Mix the flour and salt together and create a well in the flour. Crack the eggs into the well and using a fork, start mixing the eggs and flour until you have incorporated all of the flour. Kneed the dough and form it into a ball. Brush the dough with a little olive oil, cover with saran wrap and allow it to rest for 30 minutes or so. Next, roll out the dough, using flour as needed, until you have thin sheets of pasta. Mix together any combination you choose for your filling. If you choose something that needs to be chopped (such as beets, in my case) make sure it chop them to bite size pieces. Take a small spoonful of filling and line the pasta sheets, leaving about a 1 inch border in between each scoop. Make an egg wash by beating 1 egg with a little water. Use this to brush the sides of the ravioli. This will act as the "glue" to hold the filling in. Fold the sheet of pasta over the filling and press down on all sides to make sure there are no air bubbles. Last, cut the ravioli into squares. To cook: boil water and add ravioli a few at a time into the pot. When they rise to the surface they should be just about cooked (approx. 3 minutes).

Pistachio Pesto:

• Roasted, unsalted pistachios
• Basil
• Italian Parsley
• Garlic
• Pecorino, finely grated
• Scallions
• Olive Oil
• Salt to taste 

I saw this recipe in a magazine and it called for mint, which I was really excited about. Unfortunately, when I went to the store, they were fresh out of mint, so I had to improvise. It turned out delicious, but I am anxious to make it again with mint next time!
Combine the pistachios and garlic in a food processor and pulse. Add the basil and italian parsley and while the machine is running, drizzle in olive oil until the consistency is close to a paste. You don't want to over process it because you still want texture to your pesto. Transfer the pesto to a bowl and stir in the pecorino and scallions. Add salt to taste. If you need more olive oil, add as needed.