Monday, August 16, 2010

Chicken Ravioli with Red Sauce



My baby girl just turned five a few weeks ago, whyyyyyy do they get older?

Anyway, for the night of her actual birthday I told her that I would make anything she wanted for her birthday. In my mind I'm expecting an answer like "corndogs!" or "macaroni and cheese!". But I should know better. My daughter is actually a bit of a foodie, she loves to watch cooking shows with me, LOVES to help in the kitchen, and loves to learn about different ingredients and techniques.

You should have seen this girl, practically shaking with options, until she finally blurts out, RAVIOLI! But not just any ravioli, chicken ravioli...with red sauce...and I want to make them with you mommy!

I guess we're making ravioli!

Never to fear though because just two weeks prior I had purchased a good old fashion pasta maker at the most magical place on earth (Williams Sonoma Outlet), for dirt cheap, and had actually been chomping at the bit to try it.

Pasta dough itself is actually really easy to make. One cup white flour, one to two cups semolina flour, mixed and made into a well. In the center you pour two eggs that have been beaten with one tablespoon of oil and two to three tablespoons of water. Gently mix it together until you are able to knead it into a dough (this is where the kids come in!).

You can add a few more drops of water if it doesn't all come together. Wrap it up in plastic wrap and let it sit in the fridge for at least thirty minutes. Take it out and divide it into six sections. Roll sheets two at a time. We made the mistake of flouring the dough the first time, don't do it. It needs to be a bit sticky so the rollers will grab it. Roll the dough on the largest setting (ours is seven) two or three times. It will roll out better each time, so don't get discouraged, plus the more you do it, the better you'll get. After that, change the setting to four, and roll it a final time for a thin pasta sheet, it sounds like a lot more work then it really is.

I'll be honest, I didn't measure any of my filling ingredients, but I don't actually think it's very important when making ravioli filling. In my processor I blended about a cup and a half of rotisserie chicken, two cloves of garlic, a big scoop of ricotta, a handful of shredded provolone, a handful of grated Pecorino Romano, and some salt and pepper. It blended and bound together very well, almost into a paste. I only wish that I had added some fresh parsley or basil. Once your pasta sheets are rolled, place about a tablespoon of filling an inch apart.

Brush a small amount of water on dough around the filling to help bind the top layer of dough. Place the top layer on and press dough down, releasing any air bubbles and closing around filling. I spent quite a bit of time making sure it was pressed down tightly. then you can you a knife, or your cute ravioli roller that you bought years ago with good intentions, and cut out your shapes. You can go fairly close to the filling when cutting. Then set them aside to dry. They need to dry for at least ten minutes before you boil them.

Gently place your ravioli in a well salted pot of boiling water. I only boiled a half batch at a time, and they boil for ten minutes. To my surprise not a single one burst during cooking!

The sauce was just a store bought marinara, but ended up being a delicious combo with our chicken ravioli. Despite the fact that this did not taste exactly like the Chef Boyardee that my daughter is used to, she ate all of it and was quite pleased with herself. This was a lot of fun to make with her. Cooking has become a lot of fun now that I get to do it with my kids.

27 comments:

Julie said...

I'm so impressed with your ravioli! The look just delicious. And I'm impressed with your daughter for choosing them...a little chef in the making :)

The Blonde Duck said...

I can't believe she wanted to make them! How cool!

chow and chatter said...

wow looks amazing and you guys look adorable in matching aprons wow cute

Christo Gonzales said...

matching aprons AND matching plate - its all red white and blue - GREAT POST!

Emily said...

Great lookin food and what a great mom!!!

Mom on the Run said...

You are one brave Mama! They look so good. I have never tried to make my own. These looks amazing...Great job!

Sophia Lee said...

This post made me SMILE. There is hope to the future foodie generation, after all. Your daughter is a cutie, and haha, she def chose a good dish! Happy birthday to your dear girl!

Annette said...

Why is it that I have just found this blog now? You have definitely inspired me to make my own ravioli! I can't wait until we dig our pasta maker out of storage to give this a shot. By the way...Happy Birthday Jayda!

MaryMoh said...

Happy birthday to you daughter! She's so sweet and adorable. Must be so fun making those ravioli with her! She will cook great like mommy :D Thanks for sharing. MaryMoh at http://www.keeplearningkeepsmiling.com

Pam said...

Nicely done! I've never made homemade pasta, yours looks amazing. My baby just turned 5 a month ago... they grow up too fast.

Natalie said...

I've had a pasta maker sitting on my shelf for a few months now, gathering dust. I need to try! You've inspired me!

Alissa said...

You amaze me! What fun! You guys are adorable, we all miss you! happy birthday Jayda!

jor said...

Oh my gosh! YOu two are so cute in your matching aprons!! And those look so yummy!

Lara said...

I loved your daughter's dinner choice. I have a house full of foodies too! :)

The ravioli looks amazing. I've always wanted to try my own pasta. I'll have to look out for a Williams Sonoma outlet!

sara cardon said...

Aaaaahhhh! You are so amazing!! Your amazingness knows no bounds!! You've almost convinced me that I too, could make ravioli. Almost.:) It looks fabulous!! And forget the food for a sec, you look so great!! Cute aprons!

Reeni said...

How cute you both are with your matching aprons! I bet you had a lot of fun making these- they look perfect!

Velva said...

You were not just making ravioli, you were really making ravioli. That is so awesome.

Cute matching aprons!

I don't know how kids get older so fast. Certainly, we are not getting older too ? :-) Happy Birthday to your little one!

Krista said...

I have a very similar matching apron pic with my 5 year old foodie. : ) My daughter will be 6 next month and I'm dealing with similar issues. She wants Tuscan Pork Loin (wrapped in bread) for her birthday dinner. After all, it is her fave.

These ravioli look and sound delicious! Good work, mom!

Anonymous said...

Oh lovely!!!!!!!!! You know my friend's 6 yr old son is crazy about ravioli too how funny

Katherine Roberts Aucoin said...

You did an amazing job! I've always wanted to make my own, but have felt too chicken to try. this is something she'll always remember!

Heather S-G said...

They turned out so gorgeous! What fun for her...and you ;). Hope her birthday was a blast!

Erica said...

I love that you have a mini foodie on your hands! How fun is that?? I totally want a pasta maker. Williams sonoma is like the greatest store. Hope you guys are having a nice weekend

Barbara Bakes said...

How sweet that she wanted to spend her birthday cooking with mom. Your pasta looks perfect. Makes me want to go buy a pasta maker.

Anonymous said...

Those turned out really good! I've discovered that I need to use my food processor to get the dough the right consistency - when I try to do it on my counter, the eggs kind of spill all over!

Hope you had a great weekend - and love the matching aprons!

Joanne said...

Aww you guys look so cute together. Ravioli are super fun to make...they look quite tasty!

Angela said...

Awesome! And I love the picture of the two of you. :)

Kathy said...

So cute!!! Love the matching aprons! I have four foodies too, but I call them food snobs!!! ;O)