Need an idea for a Valentine’s Day gift for him? The way to a man’s heart is through is stomach. That saying has gone a long way since it’s inception and many a man has had his heart gladdened by a delicious pie or pot roast.
Here’s a gift idea for men that not only comes from the kitchen, but it’s made from scratch, too. It’s easy and something most people love - pasta! This particular pasta dinner dish is homemade Ravioli (one of the best pasta dinner ideas) with cheeses and meat in sauce. Making homemade ravioli is easy, and also very time consuming, but worth every minute. Allow for 2+ hours of preparation (for a beginner - it gets faster with experience) and another half hour for cooking.
A great excuse to spend the afternoon with a special someone, and making it together can be fun and bond-building. This recipe for homemade ravioli makes enough for six people to have a hearty meal. The nutmeg really rounds out the full-bodied flavor and leaves people wanting more.
The Work Begins for Ravioli From Scratch
The homemade ravioli filling should be done first so it can cool while the pasta is being made.
- 1 lb. ground meat
- ½ a white onion, diced small
- Salt to taste
- Two or three kinds of cheese
- Brown the meat with the onion, crumbling when done.
- Drain off any fat and set aside.
- While the meat is browning, shred 1 cup of cheese (each kind being used) and set aside.
- 1 large can of tomatoes
- 1 large can of tomato sauce
- 1 Tbsp nutmeg
- 1 Tbsp dried basil
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 small package frozen corn (fresh may be used)
Rough chop the tomatoes and then mix all ingredients in a large pot and simmer while making the ravioli.
Below are the pasta ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, add:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 Tbsp dried basil
- 1 Tbsp ground nutmeg
- 1 Tbsp garlic powder (less/more to taste)
- 2 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
- 2 tsp dried chilies, with or without seeds, ground into small flakes
Mix these together thoroughly.
- In a small mixing bowl, add:
- 2 eggs (or, 4 egg whites)
- ¼ cup milk (any fat content desired) or water
Mix these together well.
Ravioli Pasta Recipe Made From Scratch
- Add the contents from the small bowl into the large bowl and mix well, smashing the clumps into the unmixed flour with a wooden spoon until almost no flour is left.
- Then, get in there with a hand and mix until it forms a ball, kneading just until the ingredients are well mixed. This can be done right in the bowl, no need to flour a board for it.
- The dough shouldn’t be sticky or wet and must be easy to handle. If it’s sticky or wet, add flour to adjust, if it’s too dry to mix well, add a teaspoon of milk or water to adjust. Try not to add too much; small amounts of liquid go a long way in dough. Also try not over mixing it so the elasticity isn’t expired.
- Divide the dough into four equal pieces and roll out one at a time in a long band about 3 inches wide. If using a mechanical roller, start at the widest setting and roll the dough through, progressing down one number each time, making it thinner. When setting 3 has been used, rolling that piece is done, so grab the second ball and do the same.
If rolling the dough by hand, try to roll it out very thin. It must be strong enough to hold the contents of the ravioli, but not so thick that it’s chewy when it’s done; pasta plumps a bit when it cooks.
- Take a small pinch of each cheese and set them in a tiny pile, make more piles about two inches apart on one of the ribbons of dough, and set a teaspoon of the meat mixture on top of the cheeses piles. It doesn’t take much, so go light on the portions.
- With milk or water wet the dough around each pile of cheese and meat.
- Pick up the other band of dough and put it on top of the other one, covering the little piles.
- Press down around the pillows of ravioli making sure each section is completely closed and not ripped. If there is a rip, simply patch it with another super-thin piece, using the milk or water to help it stick together. Some come open in the boiling and makes for ugly water and empty pasta.
- Using a pastry cutter or a knife, cut out the squares (or rounds) individually and set them aside to wait to be cooked.
- Now roll out the last two balls of dough and do the same thing to them.
- Get a very large pot and fill it with plenty of water and salt it like sea water. Turn the heat on high and allow it to come to a full boil. You want plenty of water for the pasta.
- Add the ravioli carefully; they’ll float, so it’ll be necessary to stand there and dunk them repeatedly the entire time they’re cooking - or set a mesh colander on them to hold them down. It only takes eight to ten minutes, then taste one (on the edge) to test its doneness. It should be just like normal pasta.
Good Pasta Recipes are Often Personalized by the Chef
Add some nice garlic bread and a salad on the side, and it’s time to eat!
A good thing about ravioli is that it can go into the freezer uncooked for up to a month, so they don’t all have to be eaten at once. In fact, they can be removed from the freezer just a few at a time.
Another good topping is to omit the sauce and use garlic-infused extra virgin olive oil. This massively cuts calories and still leaves a great tasting, heart healthy meal.
Be creative with the filling, too! It’s a great opportunity to personalize this dish and make it a new specialty dish the cook can claim as his own. The nutmeg and canned tomatoes were my additions to the sauce and the extras in the pasta dough are mine, too, and it's delicious! After making it this way, do it again with personal ideas for improvement and claim it as your own specialty!
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