MY GRANDMOTHER

Growing up in an Italian family, you learn to love and respect food.  Not just the actual dishes which were being prepared, but also the ingredients which were used to prepare them. I had to be the only kid in the neighborhood on a Sunday at three o’clock in the afternoon in the house eating dinner, because that is what you did on Sunday. Sunday dinner was at my grandparents Willie & Rosie's home.

I remember watching my grandmother turn the most basic ingredients into something wonderful and feed a whole house full of people with little or no effort and simple, basic ingredients such as flour, eggs, fresh ricotta, basil, and parmesan cheese.  She turned these basic ingredients into the most wonderful pasta dish you could ever imagine, and she did it without blinking an eye or even measuring.  She just seemed to know the right amount of what ingredient to use, and it always worked.   Her homemade ravioli were absolutely the best; no one could ever make them like she did.  My mother and Aunt Rosie would make them, but they were never the same nor did they ever taste as good as my grandmother’s.

I also remember my uncles attacking her food even before it was on the table, especially when she made her Sunday gravy. My uncle Joe was famous for stealing her meatballs right out of the pot, and you could always count on her to chase him out of "her side of the kitchen" as she called it.  It gave her immense pleasure to be surrounded by her family, no matter how often she had to chase people out of her side of the kitchen for trying to steal what she was cooking.  Cooking for her family was one of the little pleasures she got out of life, no matter how loud or how much trouble cooking for fifteen people was - she loved every minute of it, and did it as often as she could.  Everyone knew that they were always welcomed in her home and at her table; she always had room for one more.

At a recent family funeral, my mother and I were talking to her cousin Jimmy about how the old traditions and recipes are dying off with the older generation, and how he made sure his daughter Michelle went and watched his mother make her homemade ravioli to ensure that the tradition would not be lost.  I thought that was an incredibly smart thing to do; I did not have a chance to do that.  My grandmother passed away years ago when I was young and before I started to cook or develop my talent.

I put her recipe together from memory - from years of standing in her kitchen watching her make them.  She would always let my sister and I press the edges down with a fork when she got to that point, but not before she was ready.  Until she called you, you could stand there and watch, but don’t touch anything or get in her way.

Today I am going to share my grandmother Rosie’s recipe for homemade ravioli as I remember them being made by her. Every holiday or birthday that came around, you could be sure my grandmother Rosie was making her ravioli, and that we would all be there around the table to enjoy them!

Pasta Dough for Ravioli

Ingredients

·         2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

·         1 teaspoon salt

·         3 large eggs,

·         Water as needed

Directions

Combine the flour and salt on a flat work surface; shape into a mound and make a well in the center. Add the eggs to the well and lightly beat with a fork. Gradually draw in the flour from the inside wall of the well in a circular motion. Use 1 hand for mixing and the other to protect the outer wall. Continue to incorporate all the flour until it forms a ball. Continue as directed above.  Make sure to knead the dough for at least twenty minutes, once all the ingredients are incorporated.  While mixing the dough if it seems dry add a little water as needed.  Make sure to let the dough rest for at least thirty minutes before making the ravioli.

Cut the ball of dough in 1/2, cover and reserve the piece you are not immediately using to prevent it from drying out. Dust the counter and dough with a little flour. Press the dough into a rectangle and roll it through a pasta machine, 2 or 3 times, at widest setting. Pull and stretch the sheet of dough with the palm of your hand as it emerges from the rollers. Reduce the setting and crank the dough through again, 2 or 3 times. Continue tightening until the machine is at the narrowest setting; the dough should be paper-thin, about 1/8-inch thick (you should be able to see your hand through it). Dust the sheets of dough with flour as needed.

Drop tablespoons of your favorite filling on 1/2 of the pasta sheet, about 2-inches apart. Fold the top part of the dough over the filling like a blanket.  Use a sharp knife to cut each pillow into squares and crimp the 4 edges with the tins of a fork to make a tight seal. Dust the ravioli and a sheet pan with flour to prevent the pasta from sticking and lay them out to dry slightly while assembling the rest.

Cook the ravioli in plenty of boiling salted water for 4 minutes; they'll float to the top when ready, so be careful not to overcrowd the pot. Lift the ravioli from water with a large strainer or slotted spoon. Bathe the ravioli in your favorite sauce to lightly coat and serve.

  

RICOTTA CHEESE FILLING

1 large container of ricotta cheese (preferably the fresh one in a metal can), well drained

3 eggs

Grated parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper

In a mixing bowl, thoroughly combine all ingredients. Chill in the refrigerator a few minutes to firm up the filling.