A couple of weeks ago, I posted about some gorgeous beet and goat cheese raviolis that I made. Jasper enjoyed those, but what he really wanted was meaty ravioli – so of course I made some for him!
The process is exactly the same, just with a different filling. And let me say, I REALLY like this filling. My favorite mixture of beef, pork, and veal (sold as “meatloaf mix” in most stores) is browned with butter, olive oil, onion, and garlic. Then prosciutto, Parmesan, nutmeg, and an egg are added, along with salt and pepper. The filling is completely cooked (except for the egg) before it goes into the ravioli because fresh ravioli only cook for a minute or two.
I served them with a creamy tomato sauce, yum!
Meat Ravioli
adapted from Food and Wine
Serves 4-8, about 80 ravioli (I double the original recipe because it’s hard to use only 1/2 lb of meat, or 1/2 an onion; and you can always freeze extra ravioli for later)
Pasta:
4 cups flour
6 eggs, beaten
Filling:
4 tsp unsalted butter
4 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb ground pork, veal, or beef (or a mixture)
1 small onion, minced
2 garlic clove, minced
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
4 oz prosciutto, finely chopped
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Pulse the flour in a food processor to evenly distribute and aerate. Add the eggs. Process until the dough forms a rough ball, about 30 seconds. (If the dough resembles small pebbles, add water 1/2 tsp at a time; if it sticks to the side of the bowl, add flour 1 tbsp at a time.)
Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and knead until smooth, about 1 minute. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for at least 15 minutes or up to 2 hours
Make the ravioli filling. In a skillet, melt the butter in the oil. Add the ground meat, onion, and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook over moderate heat, stirring to break up lumps, until the meat is cooked and the onion is tender, 10 minutes. Add the wine and cook over moderately high heat until evaporated, 4 minutes.
Scrape the mixture into a food processor and pulse until the meat is finely chopped. Scrape the ravioli filling into a bowl and let cool. Stir in the Parmigiano, prosciutto, and nutmeg, and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the beaten egg.
Roll out the pasta dough using a pasta roller. Set the thin sheet of dough over the ravioli press. Drop small balls of filling into the pockets. Lay a second rectangle of pasta over the filling layer. Seal the edges by pressing a rolling pin over the top. Flip over, release from the mold (flouring the mold/pasta helps), and cut into squares with whatever cutter you have available.
Boil the ravioli, about a dozen at a time, for 3-4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the ravioli from the pot to plates. Top with sauce of choice and a sprinkle of extra Parmesan.