Spinach and Walnut Ravioli

This is a new recipe I created from a craving for spinach walnut Ravioli. These freeze great! Just be sure to flash freezer them on a floured cookie sheet before putting them together in a ziplock bag.

Spinach, Mushroom, Walnut Ravioli (Serve with a fresh salad and homemade baguette)

Filling
1/2-1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
1 lb of cooked chopped spinach/ or frozen thawed and drained very well
1/4 Parmesan or mozzarella cheese
4-5 button mushrooms sliced and sautéed in skillet (no oil needed they make their own liquid)
1/4 of finely chopped nuts I used walnuts, but could use pine nuts or any other nut or omit if desired
1 clove garlic finely chopped

Mix together in a bowl; set aside


Fresh pasta

2 cups of plain flour
2 large eggs
2 tbs olive oil
2 tbs water
1/2 tsp salt


Before you make pasta, fill a large pot with water over high heat to give it time to start boiling while you work on the rest of the recipe.

Mix all the pasta ingredients in a bowl until dough begins to form. The secret I've learned to perfect dough is to work the ingredients together in your fingers, crumbling and pressing the dough the way you would mix shortening into flour when making biscuits. This gives it the right consistency, almost like a pie crust until it can be shaped into a ball and covered with a wet towel to rise for 10-15 minutes.

After it has had time to rest and rise slightly; knead until smooth for 5-10 minutes.

Divide dough into three small balls; work with only 1 ball at a time while the other 2 are left to rest under the damp towel.

Next you will need to use a rolling pin to roll the dough from the first ball flat.

Then you begin rolling it through the pasta machine. Starting on the widest setting #7, moving down one setting after each pass through the machine to #6, then #5 and so on until you reach setting #1.

Lay out flat on the counter and put 1 tablespoon of filling every few inches. Much like an omelet you will only put filling on half of the dough, leaving the other half to fold over top of filling. Use a ravioli cutter to cut into pieces, or simply press edges around filling and use a knife to cut apart.

Repeat process with remaining dough balls….

Cook in salted boiling water for about 5 minutes. Serve hot.

We topped ours with sautéed garlic and roasted pine nuts, but would also be delicious with olive oil, chives, roasted tomatoes or balsamic vinegar.

May your home and efforts be blessed!