A Note Before You Start
Mrs. Edgerton generously agreed to share this treasured family recipe with me which goes back 4 generations! I had a delightful conversation with her in the hopes I’d have all the pertinent details needed to make these delicious ravioli. Back in the day, the women making the pasta rolled it out by hand (no pasta machines for these ladies!) and this is how Mrs Edgerton has always done it. No need to go to the gym after prepping this recipe!
Ingredients
Ingredients: For the Fresh Pasta
6 cups of sifted all purpose flour
3 tsp of salt
2 whole eggs plus 1 yolk
2 TBSP of olive oil
1 & ½ cups of lukewarm water.
Ingredients: For the Meat Filling
1 package of defrosted frozen chopped spinach
¾ lb of ground beef (80% lean)
1 cup of ricotta cheese (optional)*
1 egg
½ clove of garlic minced
1 TBSP of freshly grated parmesan cheese
¼ c of freshly chopped parsley
½ tsp of salt
½ tsp of pepper
1 TBSP of bread crumbs
Ingredients: For the Sauce
1 35 oz can of whole, peeled imported tomatoes
12 oz of tomato paste
½ cup of light olive oil
¾ cup of diced yellow onion
1 clove of minced garlic
6 oz of tap water (more if sauce thickens too much)
2 TBSP sugar
Salt & pepper to taste
1 tsp of dried, crushed oregano
Preparation
For the Fresh Pasta:
Step 1: Mix the flour and the salt together in a large bowl.
Step 2: Mix the eggs and the yolk, with the olive oil and add to the water.
Step 3: Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture and knead together. Cover and let it rest until you’re ready to use.
Rolling Out the Pasta Dough:
Step 1: Uncover the pasta dough and place on a floured work surface. Cut the ball into 6 equal portions. Remove one portion and cover the other five with the clean dish towel.
Step 2: Using a rolling pin, place a portion of the dough on a floured surface and roll out to approximately ⅛” thick. “Eyeball it” as Mrs Edgerton says. You're going for a rectangular shape that is just a little over 3” wide. Square off the rolled out dough so you have a rectangle. Then cut the rectangle in half horizontally to get 2 long strips each about 1 ½ ” wide. Cover the strips if not filling immediately so they don't dry out.
For the Filling:
Step 1: Ring out any excess water from the spinach.
Step 2: Mix all of the ingredients together in a large bowl.
Assembling the Ravioli:
Step 1: Place 2 tsp of filling every inch along the long rectangular dough strip starting ¼ of an inch in from the end.
Step 2: Put the remaining strip of the dough on top of the filling and gently seal each mound with your hands to seal the top and bottom dough together. Cut into individual squares and if needed, press the edges with the tines of a fork to ensure a proper seal.
Step 3: Place the finished ravioli on a parchment lined sheet pan dusted with flour and cover while you make the rest of the ravioli.
Step 4: Continue in this manner with the rest of the dough portions.
For the Sauce:
Step 1: Warm the oil in a large dutch oven and add the diced onions. Cook gently until translucent (about 10 minutes).
Step 2: Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste and water to the garlic and onions and simmer for 20 minutes.
Step 3: Add the canned whole tomatoes, sugar and the salt and pepper and simmer for 2 hours
Step 4: Add the oregano the last 20 minutes of cooking.
Cooking the Ravioli:
Step 1: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling add a tablespoon of salt CAREFULLY as the salt will make the water bubble up. Adding salt after the water comes to a boil, prevents the salt from pitting the bottom of your pan.
Step 2: Cook the ravioli in batches for approximately 10 minutes. Cooking time will depend upon the thickness of your pasta dough. Remove the cooked ravioli with a slotted spoon and place on a sheet pan lined with a fresh piece of parchment paper, and cover until they are all cooked. Once all are cooked they can be placed in the simmering sauce. Warm for 3-5 minutes and serve!