Striped Ravioli

[Michael in FtW]

I want to make striped ravioli this Christmas - thought it would be impressive for when I cook for Mom and my aunts. I've got two books that describe the method differently, one says to cut strips of pasta and lay them side-by-side and roll with a rolling pin to get them to connect then run through the pasta roller, another says to roll out a sheet and lay alternating strips on top and then run through the rollers, and I think I also some some cooking school program where they rolled out a base sheet of white pasta and then liad cut strips of colored dough on top and rolled.

Anyone here ever done this? Which method did you use????

 

[Audeo]

WEEEL, with deepest thanks to Dear Mr. Darkstream for not only helping me with basic pasta and raviolis, the most incredible help he gave me was in learning how to really, really use my pasta machine! Flour is your friend, Michael!!!!

Yes, I have done this and have experimented quite a bit lately with red pasta (made with pureed red bell pepper) and green pasta (made with pureed spinach) in preparation for Christmas morning. I wanted a two-color pasta with four stripes (2 red, alternated with 2 green).

To achieve that, I rolled each color separately and kneaded each via the largest setting four or five times. Then, I rolled each progressively down two more stages. I laid them all out and cut each large rolled strip into long fourths, then arranged the different colored stripes, overlapping the stripes ever so slightly. Next, I used my manual rolling pin to go over them just slightly. (As a side note, I originally tried using eggwash to adhere the stripes, but that really didn't work well at all due to the wetness during rolling, despite any amount of flour. Just make sure you don't flour the dough before cutting and adhering together. Once you've made a couple of passes with your rolling pin, THEN dust well with flour before inserting into the machine.

Beginning a notch wider on the machine, I began to roll, each time flouring and reducing a notch to thin. I went down a total of four thinness settings from the original, then cut the raviolis by a hand stamp, using egg wash surrounding the filling, as well as on the entirety of the top pasta sheet.

And, as I learned from Darkstream, cook the pasta in simmering water....

Good luck! And you might just have a hit on your hands over there for Cinco de Mayo!!!

 

[Michael in FtW]

Thanks Audeo! You've given me the courage to try something new!!!

I saw where Darkstream had mentioned simmering ravioli, never had seen that suggestion before, but then this morning Giada De Laurentiis made ravioli using won-ton wrappers (gasp!) and she simmered them.

I was worried about being able to cut the stips uniformly ... but then the old clicked on and I remembered something Dad gave me 15+ years ago that I had never used. It's tear-drop shaped and has 5 round blades ... and it was called a mincer. Chefscatalog has them ... and it was faster to just used a chef's knife for mincing than digging this gizmo out to roll over something so I never used it. But, it cuts 4 1/4-inch strips - or I can take out 2 blades and get 2 1/2-inch strips. Humm ...

Now, with your idea of reg/green striped ravioli I need to go find where I saw the recipe for a chocolate-filled fried, or was it baked, ravioli.

 

[mudbug]

here ya go, Michael -

Fried Banana Chocolate Ravioli w Chocolate Rum Sauce - mish

Source:Sur La Table, Phoenix, Arizona - The Arizona Republic July 25, 2001
2 bananas, cut into 1/4" chunks
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
4 tbls pecans, finely chopped
1/4 cup chocolate, chopped
20 wonton wrappers
1 egg, beaten
Canola or vegetable oil for frying
Powdered sugar, for garnish
Chocolate Rum Sauce (recipe follows)

Gently mix bananas, brown sugar, graham cracker crumbs, pecans and chocolate.

Fill wonton wrappers with 1 1/2 tsps of filling. Brush edges with egg and fold in half diagonally, sealing edges completely. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Heat oil to 350-375° F. Fry ravioli until golden, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a platter lined with paper towels. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with Chocolate Rum Sauce (recipe follows). Makes 10 servings.

Chocolate Rum Sauce
12 oz evaporated milk
12 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 tbl butter
2 tbl rum

Heat milk and chocolate in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. When chocolate has melted, remove from heat and stir in butter and rum.

 

[Darkstream]

1. I have seen a book that explained how to create striped and other effects, in pictures.
I did not pay much attention because I consider it too Rococco for my taste, except
POSSIBLY for a sweet/dessert ravioli, which I have not dealt with for obvious
reasons.

2. You can achieve a wide variety of effects if you are so minded. I suggest you look
at the web sites dealing with polymer clay techniques.

3. Chocolate Raviolli

4. Comming soon: Making Gnochi Part 1

 

[Michael in FtW]

Thanks mudbug! I'm going to have to try that ...

Darkstream ... the getting fancy really was a matter of an "Identity Crisis" .... I'm making two flavors of ravioli .... spinach and cheese (figured a green and white stripe), and seafood (pink and white stripe). I could do one side one color and the other side white - just figured the stripes would impress the folks. I only get to see Mom twice a year, so it's kind of fun to do something special for her.

 

[Darkstream]

Why not just tint the seafood one a light pink (frequently done to indicate seafood in professional circles for things like mousse, souffle) and leave the other plain?

If you must go Venetian, just make sure that you are good enough at it to be able to make it while you are doing 5 other things at the same time. Practise makes perfect.