Lorene’s Ravioli

Filling

3½ pounds ricotta cheese

2½ cups grated Romano or parmesan cheese

½ bunch fresh flat parsley, finely chopped

5 large eggs

Salt and pepper to taste

Dough

9 cups all-purpose flour

1½ teaspoon salt

3 cups boiling water

1 jumbo egg, beaten

For the filling: Blot the ricotta with a paper towel to get as dry as possible. Transfer to a large bowl and, with an electric mixer, combine with Romano (or parmesan), parsley, eggs, salt and pepper until smooth; set aside.

For the dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer with the kneading attachment, beat flour, salt and boiling water. Mix 30 seconds or so and then add the egg. Mix until ball is formed. Add more flour, if needed. Cover dough with wet cloth or plastic wrap to keep from crusting.

Remove a fistful-size piece of dough and, if using a pasta machine, run dough through at lowest setting, then again at next setting and continue two more times until dough is roughly 1/8-inch thick. (If making by hand, use rolling pin until desired thickness is achieved). Dough will be in the shape of a long oval.

Place dough on floured counter and spoon heaping teaspoons of cheese filling in middle, about 2 inches apart down the length of the dough. Fold dough over, covering cheese, so there is enough dough to separate and completely cover each ravioli. Cut ravioli apart using a knife or a ravioli cutter. Use the tines of a fork to seal the sides of each ravioli if you do not have a ravioli cutter.

Use immediately, or place ravioli in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze. When solidly frozen, bag in resealable bags freeze up to six months.

To cook: Bring very large pot of water to a rapid boil, add a pinch of salt and desired number of ravioli. If cooking fresh ravioli, boil until they float to the top & dough becomes a bit transparent. Test by breaking a corner of dough off one ravioli and taste. If cooking frozen ravioli, cooking time will increase. Doneness is always measured by the ravioli rising to the top and boiling until dough is cooked through. Serve with desired sauce.

Makes about 100 ravioli.