Homemade Ravioli (Sweet Potato Filling)

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/pasta-dough-for-ravioli-recipe/index.html

The recipe for the dough that I used was a Tyler Florence recipe.  Believe it or not...I did not even alter it (except I did not bother with the cornmeal I just used flour).  This might be the first time I have ever not deviated from a recipe...

I followed his exact instructions on mixing, kneading, letting it rest, and similar.  I mixed mine in my kitchenaid, let it rest, and then rolled it out by hand.  Yes I know I could mix dough by hand...but let's not get too ahead of ourselves.

I actually enjoyed kneading it and rolling it by hand, which is good because pasta devices can be a bit expensive (especially since I would buy something Cuisinart...)

 Anyway, I rolled it out really thin with my super long Nordicware rolling pin that is basically my new favorite kitchen thing.  My only issue with it is that my limited counter space is constantly an issue on having enough room to roll things.  I am looking in to that this weekend though with possible organizational overhaul.

Anyway back to the pasta.  I boiled cubed sweet potato until it was tender (maybe 30 minutes or more, you technically could microwave it but I refuse).  When it was done I drained it, mashed it, and added a TB of butter and a dash of nutmeg, ginger, and salt.  I let that cool while my ravioli rested.

Then I rolled it out with my previously mentioned awesome rolling pin and used my biscuit cutter to cut rounds.  Ironically, I never make cut-out biscuits, so I guess I should start calling it my ravioli cutter.

 I put a teaspoon of filling on a ravioli bottom, wet the edges with water (that actually was a deviation from T. Florence, eggs are a hot commodity in my apartment and I did not want to use another one just for a wash) and put the top round on and crimped the edges with a fork.  Make sure before you crimp that you press down around the filling edges to get any little air bubbles out.

You could also use wonton wrappers instead of making your own...but where is the fun in that? :)

Anyway I plopped mine on a floured cookie sheet until I had them done.  This recipe would probably make about 20 raviolis of this size at a minimum...why do I say probably? Mostly because I made 8 and then called it quits.  I was a hungry soul, and the rest of the dough will rest happily in my fridge until I decide what to fill or make it into tomorrow.

 Get a pot of salted water boiling and drop the ravioli in two at a time.  They need about 3-5 minutes to cook depending on how tender you like yours (I did four but personally wished I had let them go a little longer).  They start to float a couple of minutes in, so every 2 minutes I dropped ravioli.  This way, the first ones in were floating and the second two were at the bottom of the pan and would not risk sticking.  By the time the two were ready to start floating up, I could pull the first two out because they were done.

Sometimes, I function like a machine. Just never at 6 AM before work.

Anyway, I got mine out with my tea strainer! So handy.  I never use it for tea however...so I guess I will now call it my ravioli strainer.  Funny how that works out.  If you are making a lot you may want to put them on a warm plate, or cover them with foil, something to keep the heat in. 

I served up these babies with my chipotle alfredo sauce that I made two days ago (found here: http://greenzebra9.blogspot.com/2013/09/chipotle-alfredo-sauce.html  ) and some grilled chicken.  I topped it with a lot of fresh parmesan. Cracked pepper and fresh grated parmesan should be required for life!

It may sound like an odd combination, but sweet potato seems to be used in a lot of southwest-type dishes and with chicken and similar.  It tastes rich more than anything when you don't have it loaded with brown sugar and butter.  It held up really well to the sauce.  For the rest of the sauce I have left, I am going to freeze it in smaller containers to pull out and use over the next couple of months.  In theory, it should freeze in an ice cube tray just fine as well (I do that with marinara because I use so little at a time) but I have an excess of tiny containers that need a purpose.

I was stuffed by the time I ate all this, but it was definitely worth it.  This homemade ravioli was absolutely worth the work.  I will probably make it in big batches and freeze it in the future. 

You could add herbs right into the dough even, depending on what you wanted to fill it with.

I am a big fan of learning how to make things homemade.  Even if you only do it once, you learn the work that goes into it and I think it really helps us appreciate food a little more.  Not to mention, I am all for having things with a lot fewer preservatives, as well as being able to pick how much salt goes in something.  And I ALWAYS have flour on hand!

Flavored oils may be another fun consideration for making the dough.  Now that I have made it once, you better believe that my next attempts with have a little more shenanigan flare to them. 

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