Classic homemade ravioli

Method

• step 1

  Tip the flour onto a worksurface and make a well in the centre. Add the beaten eggs and, using a fork, gradually draw in the flour to make a stiff dough. Once nearly all the flour is mixed, gather together with your hands and knead for 5-10 mins or until smooth. Cut into six pieces, wrap each in clingfilm and rest for 30 mins.

  

• step 2

  Pick the small to medium-sized parsley leaves and remove the stalks – they will stretch when rolled in the pasta. Mix together the ricotta, remaining egg, the parmesan, mozzarella and cheddar, season and spoon into a piping bag. Leave to one side.

• step 3

  Using a pasta machine, take one piece of dough and lightly dust with flour. Roll out gently with a rolling pin until it’s as thick as the widest setting on your machine. Pass the dough through the machine, doing this a few times to get the dough smooth and stretchy, lightly flouring the dough each time. Move to the next thinnest setting and pass through a few times. Dust the worksurface and lay the dough in front of you lengthwise. Fold the top and bottom edge towards the middle. Pass through the machine on the non-folded side, repeating until you have a smooth rectangular dough. Now you can begin getting the dough to the thinnest setting. Pass through each of the settings on the machine once or twice until you get to the thinnest setting, making sure to lightly flour often. The dough will now be very long so make sure you have flour and space on your worksurface to put it down.

• step 4

  Lay the parsley leaves over half of the rolled out pasta sheet. Fold the other half over the leaves and gently roll to secure with a rolling pin. Pass the pasta through the machine again on the thinnest setting, making sure you don’t do it more than twice otherwise the leaves may begin to break the pasta.

  

• step 5

  Lay out the pasta on the floured worksurface. On one half of the sheet, pipe a small mound of cheese filling (about 1 heaped tsp) every 5-6cm along the sheet of pasta – each should make roughly six ravioli. Stop at halfway. Brush around each mound with a little water, then fold the remaining half of the pasta over the top, gently resting on top of the fillings. Working from one end, gently enclose the fillings, making sure not to trap any air into each mound. Press down around the filling, making sure it is fully sealed, then repeat. Use a 6cm round cutter or trim and cut into rounds or squares. Transfer the ravioli to a lined baking tray, lightly dusted with flour. Gently press again around all the edges to make sure they are fully sealed. Leave to dry for 30 mins, repeating with the remaining dough.

  

• step 6

  Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, turn down to a simmer and cook the ravioli in batches for 5-6 mins. Drain and serve, drizzled with the oil and parmesan to garnish.