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1
In a bowl mix together: 1 cup ricotta cheese, 2 garlic cloves, chopped fine, 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil or softened butter, 1 egg, 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, 2 tablespoons mixed chopped herbs such as marjoram, basil, thyme, savory, parsley, or sage, Salt, Fresh-ground black pepper.
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2
Taste the mixture for salt and correct as needed.
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3
Roll out: 1 recipe Fresh Pasta (page 89).
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4
To make ravioli, roll out the pasta fairly thin and cut into sheets about 14 inches long.
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5
Keep the stack of well-floured pasta sheets under a towel to keep them from drying as you work with one sheet at a time.
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6
Pipe or spoon 1 tablespoon of the ricotta and herb filling along the lower third of a sheet of pasta.
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7
Keep about 1 1/2 inches between each blob of filling.
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8
Spray very lightly with a fine mist of water.
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9
Fold the upper half of the pasta over the lower half; then, starting at the fold, gently coax all the air out of the ravioli, pressing the two layers of pasta together with your fingertips.
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10
When the sheet of ravioli has been formed and pressed, use a zigzag rolling cutter to cut off the bottom edge and to cut between each portion of filling.
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11
Separate the ravioli and lay them out on a sheet pan sprinkled with flour; make sure they arent touching each other or they will stick together.
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12
Cover with a towel or parchment paper and refrigerate until ready to cook.
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13
Keep refrigerated right up to the time of cooking to prevent the filling from seeping through the pasta, which can cause the ravioli to stick to the pan.
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14
Wash and stem 1 bunch of chard or spinach.
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15
Cook in butter until soft.
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16
Cool, squeeze out all the excess water, chop well, and stir into the ricotta mixture.
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17
Reduce the amount of chopped herbs to 2 teaspoons.
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18
For a different sauce, cook a few whole sage leaves in butter over medium heat until the butter is slightly brown and the leaves are crisp.
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19
Sauce the ravioli with Simple Tomato Sauce (page 264) instead of melted butter.
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20
Serve in bowls with a ladle of hot broth poured over.
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21
For cannelloni use 1/2 recipe pasta; roll and cut the sheets into rectangles about 4 by 3 inches.
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22
Cook in salted boiling water until done, cool in cold water, and lay the rectangles out on a cloth.
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23
Pipe or spoon a couple of tablespoons of filling lengthwise along one third of a rectangle of pasta.
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24
Gently roll the pasta to form a large straw.
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25
Place the cannelloni, seam side down, in a buttered baking dish.
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26
Cover with 1 1/2 cups Simple Tomato Sauce (page 264) and bake for 20 minutes at 400F.
