Ravioli-Santamaria Style

So basically I'll give you the ravioli recipe according to what I remember. I have made them (according to how I remember...) and they turn out very good. Of course tio Tito or your father, or tia Mirta or your mom may remember them a little different........ they all taste good anyway!!!!!

DOUGH (makes about 24 or so ravioli)
3 cups flour
1/2 tspoon salt
4 eggs
2 tablespoons olive oil

In an electric mixer combine all ingredients, mix until it forms a ball. Continue to knead the dough until elastic and smooth. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest for about 30 minutes.

If using pasta machine: cut the ball of dough in half, cover and reserve the dough you are not using. Dust the counter and dough with flour. Roll it through the pasta machine 2 or 3 times, at its widest setting. Now, keep on passing the dough through and reducing the setting, accordingly, until you reach its narrowest setting. The dough will be very thin. (If it's too thin for your taste....... then leave it a bit thicker!)

Dust the counter with some more flour and place the dough on it. Brush the top surface with either water OR egg wash. Drop 1 teaspoon or so of filling every 1 or 2 inches. Fold the unfilled half over the filling. With your fingers, gently press out air pockets around each mound of filling and form a seal. Using a crimper cutter, cut each ravioli into squares.

Cook the ravioli in plenty of boiling salted water for 10 to 15 minutes. Serve as ravioli soup (with the broth where you cooked the ravioli) with a bit of sauce on top OR without the broth, just regular ravioli with tomato sauce and plenty of cheese on top!!!! ENJOY them!!!

Ravioli STUFFING:
(I'm not sure how many ravioli this amount makes.......! But you all get the idea of what's inside the ravioli!!!)

1 piece of beef roast - the cheapest (about 1-2 pounds)
1 piece of pork - the cheapest as well (about 1-2 pounds)
1 - 2 pounds of spinach, cooked in water and drained OR steamed and drained
some fresh parsley leaves
1 - 2 garlic clove
1 egg

The idea here is to make a tasty tomatoe pasta sauce (with onions, garlic, carrots, etc) and in it cook the whole pieces of meat: beef and pork. Cook for about 2 - 3 hours, in low flame. Take the meat out and let it cool.
When meat is cool put it through meat grinder (using the small hole guide): so you grind the meat, the spinach, the garlic and parsley, forming a paste.
If you don't have a grinder, then use a food processor, mixing everything and forming a paste.
To this paste you add the egg, some grated cheese if you want. If it's too thick add some of the tomatoe pasta sauce you made. Stir, forming a soft paste. It should NOT be too dry.
It could be in the fridge for up to 4 days.
And NOW....... to put it all together and make the ravioli!!

Serve with plenty of the reserved tomato pasta sauce and grated cheese.

Of course tio Pedro (nonno's brother) and tia Nina (my sister) loved to eat the ravioli soup with some red wine in it. I never got the taste of it.......

After all this writing of homemade ravioli....... you've opened up my appetite!!!!! Maybe I'll make them for this Christmas. For me, there's nothing so delicious to all my senses as to eat homemade fresh ravioli....... And the memories they bring back........ it's wonderful!!!

~Carolina