Bolognese Ravioli

Making ravioli at home isn't complicated and it's really satisfying. Lola, author of the Loleta blog, tells you how to make ravioli filled with bolognese. A truly delicious proposal!

I love making and eating fresh pasta but my favorite is undoubtedly filled pasta. If we pair it with the most delicious bolognese, then the ravioli become a whole experience. One of the most traditional and well-known sauces of Italian cuisine turned into a filling? Why not?

This is one of those recipes that, being very simple, make eating a true pleasure.

Bolognese is a sauce that, when made at home, captures all the flavor of the tomato and good beef. Patience will do the rest of the magic of this dish. We season with a bit of fresh basil and no one will be able to resist.

Bra Efficient Orange Shallow Non-Stick Casserole, Pallarès carbon steel knife, Kitchen Craft ravioli cutter and Mediterránea glass porron.

Ingredients

For the bolognese:

• 750gr of beef mince ground twice
• 150gr of fresh pancetta, chopped
• 1 small onion or half a large one
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/2 kilo of ripe tomatoes
• Salt and pepper
• A bunch of fresh basil
• 100ml of olive oil
• A piece of Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano

For the fresh pasta:

• 500gr of strong flour
• 200ml of liquid: I use two eggs and make up the rest of the liquid to 200ml with water

Preparation

1. We start by making the pasta dough. For this, in a food processor or with the help of an electric mixer, we beat the ingredients for the fresh pasta until we obtain a smooth ball of dough. With the help of a rolling pin or, ideally, with the Imperia pasta machine (since it ensures a perfect and even flattening), we knead until obtaining thin strips of pasta about 2mm thick. When making ravioli it's important that the pasta doesn't dry out so it will seal well later, so if necessary we will cover the dough with a damp cloth. Set aside.
2. We wash and peel the tomatoes. We remove the seeds and cut them in very small pieces. In a Shallow Casserole or a skillet, add half the olive oil and one clove of garlic. Add the tomatoes and sauté over medium-low heat until the sauce has thickened and the water from the tomatoes has almost completely evaporated. When the tomato is nearly ready, add three tablespoons of chopped basil and turn off the heat. Set aside.
3. While the tomato simmers, we chop the onion and garlic. We place them in a Shallow Casserole and add a little olive oil. We sauté over low heat until the onion is translucent. Then we add the pancetta and let the fat melt slowly.
4. We add the minced meat and work it well so it crumbles. We sauté for a few minutes and then add half of the reserved tomato sauce. We let it cook over low heat until the meat is tender and all the meat juices have evaporated. We adjust the salt and let it cool to room temperature.
5. Now we have the pasta and the filling ready, so let's assemble the ravioli. We take two strips of fresh pasta. On one of the pasta sheets we place teaspoons of bolognese, gauging the distance between each spoonful of filling with the help of the pasta cutter. We cover with the other sheet of fresh pasta making sure the filling is well covered and begin cutting the ravioli using the cutters. We cut all the ravioli and set aside.
6. In a large pot bring plenty of water to a boil. When the water is boiling, cook the ravioli, but not all at once to prevent them from sticking while they cook. Once done (about 4-5 minutes), drain well and transfer to the Shallow Casserole with the hot tomato sauce.
7. I like to add a little bolognese sauce to the tomato sauce so I find some little pieces of meat in the sauce.
8. We add a bit of fresh basil and finish by grating a little Parmigiano or Grana Padano on top.

Kitchen Craft ravioli cutter, Non-stick Shallow Casserole Efficient Orange Bra, Mediterránea glass porron, Zester Microplane grater and Pallarès carbon steel knife.