Egg Yolk Ravioli

I just ordered a pasta roller attachment for my kitchen aid mixer and I'm really excited to use it! I've seen the idea of putting an egg yolk in a ravioli a few times like on iron chef and it always looks delicious. I wanted to do a dinner time version of Juevos Rancheros which is a sunny side egg dish with beans, tortilla and spicy tomato salsa. I decided to do the egg ravioli with a cheesy filling and serve it with marinara sauce with extra red pepper flakes for more kick. The runny egg yolk combined with the marinara and the sauce was super rich and delicious!

Ingredients:

Basic Pasta Dough
1 tbs olive oil
2 cups All Purpose flour
3 large eggs
punch of salt

Filling:
1 egg yolk per ravioli
1 cup ricotta
1/4 cup grated parm
zest of 1 lemon
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tbs chopped fresh herbs ex: thyme, chives, basil, parsley, etc.

Directions:

To make pasta dough:
1. mound flour into a pile on a clean surface like granite or a wood cutting board.

2. In separate bowl whisk eggs, oil, and salt with a fork.

3. Make a well in the middle of the flour mound and pour in the liquid mixture. Using the fork slowly mix flour into middle of dough.

4. Once liquid mostly incorporated with flour, go ahead and use your hands to knead the dough. You want to knead it for a bit until the dough is no longer sticky. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and let rest in fridge for 1 hr. Don't skip the resting period!!!

Making the Filling:

1. Combine cheese, lemon, and herbs in a bowl and set aside. Make sure to season with salt and pepper.

Roll Out the Dough:

1. Divide the dough into 3-4 sections to make it easier to work with. Make sure to have extra flour out if dough starts to get sticky during rolling.

2. Using the pasta roller on its widest setting and at low speed, feed pasta through rollers. Roll again at this setting. Turn knob down one notch and repeat. Keep making the dough thinner until it is the thickness you desire. With the kitchen aid roller I liked #5 for ravioli and #4 (slightly wider) for spaghetti and other noodles.

Tips I found while rolling pasta: make sheets as wide as possible for easier filling later, do this by tri folding the dough into the right size on know 1 (thickest setting). Use back of hands to handle dough or you'll rip it. If you make any mistakes just ball up the dough, go back the widest setting, and try again.

3. Once you have a few pasta sheets rolled out place them on a lightly floured service. Pull out cheese filling, eggs, and an egg wash (1 egg whisked with 1 tbs water) for sealing.

4. starting from one end of the dough, place a large spoonful of the cheese filling in the middle of a noodle. Make a well to hold the yolk. Crack and egg and use your hand to separate the white and yolk. Place yolk in well of cheese mix. Repeat this as many times as possible on one sheet. Try to make each mound about 1-2 inch apart.

5. Once all mounds are done, spread egg wash with a pastry brush or your finger around the mounds.

6. Line-up another sheet of pasta over the mounds. Work slowly, getting all the air out so they don't explode later. Use your fingers to seal everything really well. Cut out ravioli with as much extra pasta outline you want. You can use a knife, ring cutter, or fancy flutted edge roller.

7. Cook the egg ravioli in boiling salted water for 3 minutes. cook a minute or too longer if you like a more well done yolk.

8. Toss cooked ravioli in a separate pan with marinara sauce and cook another 30 seconds. Plate and top with extra parmesan cheese or to be extra fancy-crispy bacon and make it a play on breakfast!