ravioli tutorial and garlicky-kale ravioli recipe

Homemade vegan ravioli with a garlicky kale filling

I'm not big on culinary gadgets. I don't like clutter and strive to only buy things I will actually use. Both how often I may use something is another story. As I was redoing my kitchen, I rediscovered a few cooking gadgets that I needed to get reacquainted with and put on the dinner rotation. Victim #1: my ravioli tray

Making ravioli is simple once you've done it once or twice. And it's fun, too, giving you plenty of room to improvise fillings and play with various pasta flours  [yes Virginia, you can make gluten-free ravioli]. Just in case you are suffering from Ravioli-phobia – an intense, irrational fear of making ravioli – I thought I'd help cure you with immersion therapy via a tutorial.  Don't worry. Since I can be a somewhat lazy [read: hungry!] cook, I make my pasta sacreligiously in the food processor.You'll find recipes for both the pasta and garlicky kale filling below the tutorial.

This is my ravioli maker. It came with a tiny rolling pin that helps you fuse together the 2 sheets of pasta. This is just one style: there are many others

First, whiz together the flour and salt in food processor. With processor running, drizzle in olive oil, then add water 1 T at a time until a dough ball forms. Let dough ball spin about 15 times.

Lightly flour your surface [I like to use a silpat mat]. Roll out your dough. Not too thin – about 1/8-inch thick. Remember, it needs to stand up to boiling.

Make sure the dough is slightly larger than your ravioli tray [If you're using a stamp you have nothing to worry about].

Trim any excess dough with kitchen scissors.

Fill each cavity with about 1 tsp of filling. If you overfill, your ravioli will burst. Overfilling is the biggest mistake that novices make, so err on the side of restraint.

 Add the second layer of pasta and seal either with a rolling pin or your fingers.

Trim the excess pasta from the edges. If you pressed hard enough with your rolling pin, it should just peel away.

Flip your ravioli tray and voilà! This is the trickiest part. You may have to "help" persuade the ravioli to leave the pan by prodding them with a butter knife.

 Use a pastry cutter to separate the ravioli.

Place ravioli on a cookie sheet until you're ready to cook them. You can also freeze the ravioli on a cookie sheet and then transfer them to an airtight bag. [If freezing, use ravioli within 1 month.]

If you're not cooking the ravioli right away or are not freezing them, cover with tea towel and refrigerate until you're ready to roll.

Homemade pasta cooks quickly – in about 3-5 minutes.

Boil the ravioli in plenty of salted water. They will float when they are cooked, about 3-5 minutes. Drain well and top with your favorite sauce. I drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil, plenty of fresh ground pepper, and a dollop of garlic-chive vegan cream cheese [Lookey, lookey! Coupons here.] But you could also use marinara sauce, pesto, or your favorite cream sauce. The sky's the limit.

Vegan Ravioli Dough

• 2 cups flour [ I used part doppio zero (superfine Italian flour) and part semolina,  but you can use any kind you like]
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 T olive oil
• Water, as needed. Up to about 1 cup

Makes enough for about 30-40 large ravioli, depending on your tray size

Whiz flour and salt in food processor to combine. With processor running, drizzle in olive oil, then drizzle in water 1 T at a time until a dough ball forms. The amount of water you need will depend on humidity, weather, climate, etc.

When the dough ball forms, let it spin around about 15 times. Then gather it all up and roll according to my tutorial above.

Garlicky-Kale Filling

• 2 T olive oil
• Up to 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste
• 8 garlic cloves, minced
• About 8 cups kale, trimmed and finely chopped
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• Salt, to taste

Makes enough to fill 30-40 large ravioli, plus a little leftover for the chef to snack on [Cook's reward!]

In a large saute pan, heat oil and red pepper flakes over medium. Add garlic and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, add kale and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in nutritional yeast. Adjust seasonings, Enjoy as is, or use to stuff ravioli.