Rick Mollica
We got this recipe from an out-of-print, 1955 Italian cookbook that we paid 10 cents for. We've made this recipe so many times that the cookbook pages are completely splattered with tomato sauce.
Dough
- 3-1/2 cups sifted flour
- 3 egg yolks
- 1/2 tablespoon salt
- 2/3 cup water
Stuffing
- 2/3 cup cooked ham, ground or 1/2 cup prosciutto, ground
- 1 cup cooked chicken breast, ground
- 1 cup veal, ground (about 1/4 pound) previously sauteed in olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 egg yolks
- 1/2 tablespoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
- 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
Sauce
- 1 cup tomato paste diluted in 2 cups water or use 1 cup frozen concentrated tomato juice and 2 cups water
- 5 large ripe tomatoes, peeled and diced
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 clove garlic
- 5 tablespoons butter
- 3 leaves fresh sweet basil
- 1/2 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 6 quarts beef or chicken broth or consommé, salted to taste
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions
- Place meats for stuffing in mixing bowl and add egg yolks, butter, cheese and seasoning. Mix into a smooth paste and place in refrigerator until ready to use.
- Place flour on board. Make depression in center an place egg yolks, water and salt in it. With fork gradually beat eggs and water with flour until about half the flour is used. Add remaining flour and knead into a smooth firm paste (about 10 minutes). If dough is too soft add more flour.
- Cut dough in four and roll out on floured board into four very thin sheets.
- Place stuffing on one sheet of dough with a teaspoon at intervals of about 1-1/2 inches. When first sheet is covered with mounds of stuffing cover it with a second sheet of dough. Press around each mold with fingers, then cut ravioli into 2-inch squares with pastry cutter. Make sure that edges of ravioli are firmly closed, otherwise stuffing will come out in the cooking.
- Place ravioli on lightly floured towel, leaving space between each. Sprinkle with flour and let stand for 30 minutes. Turn ravioli after half an hour. While ravioli are drying prepare sauce.
Ravioli can be prepared and filled in advance and kept between sheets of waxed paper in the refrigerator, until ready to cook.
- Place oil, tomatoes, tomato paste or juice,water and garlic in saucepan. Simmer for 25 minutes over medium flame, stirring occasionally, or until sauce is reduced 1/3 its original amount. Remove from stove.
- Strain through a fine sieve and place in clean saucepan with butter, parsley, basil, red pepper and salt and pepper to taste.
- Simmer until sauce is reduced 1/2 its original amount.
- Place ravioli,a 15 at a time, in boiling broth and let cook for 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove with strainer and place in large heated bowl. Sprinkle with 1-1/2 tablespoons cheese and 3 or 4 tablespoons sauce.
- Repeat until all ravioli are cooked, placing each cooked batch on top of ravioli in bowl.
- Serve ravioli in individual dishes. Serve rest of sauce and cheese in separate dishes along with ravioli.
Serves 8.