Grammy Martinell's Ravioli

I have adapted my Pop-Pop's mom's ravioli. She made these for special occasions, probably Easter or Christmas. I've been told she made these much larger than I do. But the filling and the sauce are the same. It is a favorite in our house. I like to make a batch to give to my Pop as well. So, making these are usually an all day affair. But nothing says love, like homemade ravioli!!

Filling:

1 1/2 lbs. stew meat, chuck- cooked in sauce and then ground

fresh ground pepper

parsley

2 large eggs

1/2 cup plain bread crumbs

1 cup Parmesan-Reggiano cheese, grated

Sauce:

2 29 oz. cans tomato sauce

2 12 oz. cans tomato paste

2 tbsp. sugar

thyme

pepper

marjoram

sweet basil

oregano

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 bay leaves

parsley

Brown the stew meat in a dutch oven with garlic, pepper, and parsely. Once browned add a little water. Cook meat until half done and add the rest of the sauce ingredients. Simmer on low until meat is done. Remove meat with a slotted spoon. Grind meat in a meat grinder. Add 2 eggs, bread crumbs, cheese, and parsley. Mix. If dry add some sauce to the meat so it is moist and not crumbly. Use the middle cutter for grinding meat.

Pasta:

2 3/4 cups flour

3 large eggs

1 tsp. salt

Build a mound with the flour on a pastry mat. Make a hole in the moung and crack the eggs into the hole. Add the salt. With a fork start to mix up the egg and the salt. Once mixed start to incorporate the flour. This gets very messy and you will think it is all ruined, not so! Keep incorporating the flour with your hands. If it gets too dry and flaky, add tiny bits of water at a time. Once you have a dough start to knead, as you would bread. Turn the dough a quarter of a turn, push the heel of your hand into the dough, repeat for 5-10 minutes. Don't skimp on kneading time or the pasta will not turn out silky.

Wrap the dough in plastic and let rest at room temperature for 15-20 minutes.

Clamp a pasta machine to your counter. Set the rollers at the widest setting, on mine it is "1". Unwrap the pasta dough and cut it into quarters. Work with one quarter at a time, wrapping the other three pieces in the pastic wrap.

Flatten the quarter of dough with your hands, lightly floured. Make it into a rough rectangle Feed it through the machine.

Fold into thirds and run through lengthwise 2 or 3 times.

Turn the setting in one notch and feed through, unfolded.

Continue to do this until you have reached the narrowest setting on the machine.

Use a sharp knife to cut the rolled pasta strip into 18-20 inch lengths.

Using a teaspoon, put about 10 little mounds of the filling along one side of the pasta strips, spacing them evenly.

Either use a pastry brush or use your finger to brush water around the mound of filling. Fold the plain side of the pasta strip over the filling.

Starting from the folded edge, press down gently with your fingertips around each mound, pushing the air out at the unfolded edge. Sprinkle lightly with flour.

With a pasta wheel, cut the long side and then between the mounds to make small squares.

Put the ravioli on floured dish towels, sprinkle lightly with more flour and let dry while repeating the process with the remaining dough. You should get about 80 ravioli.

Tips:

You can reroll the trimmings, to keep them from drying out and becoming unworkable, wrap in plastic wrap.

Once pasta is dried you can freeze for up to 1 month.
Once you are ready to eat, boil for 4-5 minutes and serve with sauce.