Spinach-Ricotta Ravioli

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Combine 1 1/2 cups of the flour and a large pinch of salt on a counter or large board. Make a well in the middle. Into this well, break the whole eggs. Beat them with a fork, slowly and gradually incorporating a little of the flour at a time.When it becomes too hard to stir with the fork, use your hands. When all the flour has been mixed in, knead the dough, pushing it against the board and folding it repeatedly until it is not at all sticky and is quite stiff. Sprinkle with a little of the reserved flour and clean your hands. Cover the dough with plastic or a cloth and let it rest for about 30 minutes. (You can store the dough in the refrigerator, wrapped in plastic, until you’re ready to roll it out, for up to 24 hours.)

   Step 2

   Clamp a pasta machine to the counter; sprinkle your work surface lightly with flour. Cut off about one third of the dough; wrap the rest in plastic or cloth while you work. Roll the dough lightly in the flour and use your hands to flatten it into a rectangle about the width of the machine. Set the machine to its highest (that is, thickest) setting and crank the dough through. If it sticks, dust it with a little more flour. Repeat. Set the machine to its next-thinnest setting and repeat. Each time, if the pasta sticks, sprinkle it with a little more flour and, each time, put the dough through the machine twice.

   Step 3

   Continue to work your way down (or up, as the case may be—each machine is numbered differently) through the numbers. If at any point the dough tears badly, bunch it together and start again (you will quickly get the hang of it). Use as much flour as you need to, but in small amounts each time. Pass the dough through the machine’s thinnest setting, only once. (If this fails, pass it through the next-thinnest once.) Flour the dough lightly, cover it, and set it aside. Repeat the process with the remaining dough.

   Step 4

   Combine the egg yolk with the spinach, ricotta, parsley, garlic, nutmeg, Parmesan, and salt to taste. Cut each sheet into two or more 4-inch-wide strips and follow the directions for the ravioli in step 5 of the preceding recipe.

   Step 5

   Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the ravioli. Cook them for just a few minutes, until they rise to the surface. Drain, sauce, and serve immediately.

2. Cannelloni

   Step 6

   Far easier to deal with: The first three steps remain the same. Cut the dough into rectangles about 6 × 8 or 6 × 10 inches. Boil the sheets a couple at a time, just for about 2 minutes, or until they are tender. Remove them with a slotted spoon and drop into a bowl of ice water. Remove from the ice water, drain, and spread on a baking sheet; drizzle with oil to prevent sticking. (You will need 8 rectangles, and this is enough dough to make 12, so you have plenty of room for error.) Generously grease a large baking pan with butter and preheat the oven to 350°F. Work with 2 or 3 of the pasta sheets at a time. Put them on a work surface, a long end facing you. Fill with a portion of the ricotta mixture, then roll up the long way, enclosing the ingredients. As you finish each of the cannelloni, lay it in the baking pan. When all the rolls are made, dot with more butter and pour a cup of good-quality chicken stock, preferably homemade (page 160), or tomato sauce over the top. Sprinkle with about 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan and bake until heated through, about 15 minutes.