Meat Ravioli

Chris got into the mood to make homemade meat ravioli, while we knew that this recipe wasn't going to be a quick one, it did take about 2 hours for total prep time. It's well worth it, you could easily make this recipe also and flash freeze them for a later time. In this recipe I am going to give you the ingredients and directions for the dough, meat filling and sauce. First we will start with the dough. You could use a pasta machine to thin the dough, but instead we used a rolling pin.

Dough Ingredients:
2 cups unbleached flour
3 large eggs

Dough Directions:
1) Pour the flour onto a work surface, shape it into a mound, and scoop out a deep hollow in its center.
2) Break the eggs into the hollow.
3) Beat the eggs lightly with a fork for about 2 minutes as though you were making an omelet.
4) Draw some of the flour over the eggs, mixing it in with the fork a little at a time, until the eggs are no longer runny.
5) Draw the sides of the mound together with your hands, but push some of the flour to one side, keeping it out of the way until you find you absolutely need it. Work the eggs and flour together, using your fingers and the palms of your hands, until you have a smoothly integrated mixture. If it is still moist, work in more flour.
6) When the mass feels good to you and you think it does not require any more flour, wash your hands, dry them, and run a simple test: Press you thumb deep into center of the mass; if it comes out clean, without any sticky matter on it, no more flour is needed.
7) Put the egg and flour mass to one side, scrape the work surface absolutely clear of any loose or caked bits of flour and of any crumbs, and get ready to knead.
8) Return to the mass of flour and eggs. Push forward against it using the heel of your palm, keeping your fingers bent. Fold the mass in half, give it a half turn, press hard against it with the heel of your palm again, and repeat the operation. Make sure that you keep turning the ball of dough always in the same direction, either clockwise or counterclockwise, as you prefer.
9) Roll dough out into about a 16th of an inch thick. Use ravioli cutter or use a bottom of a small glass to cut the dough.

Filling Ingredients:
3/4 of a pound of turkey ground meat
3/4 of a pound of mild Italian sausage
A quarter of white onion
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/2 of a cup of Parmesan cheese

Directions:
1) Cook the meat thoroughly, add onion, salt, pepper and cheese at the end.

Sauce Ingredients:
2 cans of tomato sauce(really up to you on how much sauce you like)
A dash of crushed red pepper
A dash of oregano
A dash of Italian seasoning

Sauce Directions:
1) Mix all ingredients together and simmer on low, till ravioli is done.

To form the ravioli:
1)Place small balls of filling (about one rounded teaspoon each) in a line one inch from the bottom of the pasta sheet. Leave one and one-quarter inches between each ball of filling. Fold over the top of the pasta and line it up with the bottom edge. Seal bottom and the two open sides with your finger. Use the tip of a fork to press down on sides of ravioli to seal it together.

To cook the ravioli:
1) Bring 4 quarts water to boil in a large stockpot.
2) Add salt and half the pasta. Cook until doubled edges are al dente, 4-5 minutes.
3) With a slotted spoon, transfer ravioli to warmed bowls or plates; add sauce of choice.
4) Put remaining ravioli in boiling water and repeat cooking process.
5) Serve immediately.


*Recipe adapted from The Way The Cookie Crumbles*