Ravioli and Fettuccine Night!

Ravioli Night!

This past Thursday, we finally had our first cooking night together to make ravioli and fettuccine! Artists and architects alike, led by head chef Anna Rita, worked together to whisk, roll, and fold the ingredients to create a massive assemblage of pasta. I have compiled a list of directions to making the perfect pasta.

Anna Rita showing students how to knead the dough
Anna Rita showing students how to knead the dough

 

Step 1: Using one egg for every 100 grams of flour, create a well so that the eggs can stay inside the flour. (We used 10 per batch).

 

Step 2: Whisk the eggs in the center, making sure not to break the well that you have formed with the flour.

 

Step 3: Whisk the eggs in a circular motion so to combine flour from the bottom and sides of the well. Continue until the flour is gone and there is a smooth mixture of egg and flour.

Step 4: Knead the dough with your hands until it is smooth and not clumpy.

 

Step 5: Separate the dough into smaller pieces to put it through a pasta roller. Put it through the pasta roller several times. Make sure it is clean!

 

Step 6: Using a hand roller, roll the pasta until it is very thin. About 4-5 times.

 

Brad Nathanson demonstrating this rolling technique
Brad Nathanson demonstrating this rolling technique

Step 7: Fold the dough into noodle-length and begin cutting the pasta. Make sure to sprinkle flour so that the pasta does not stick together.

Cutting pasta noodles
Cutting pasta noodles

 

Step 8: Leave the pasta on the table and wait for Anna Rita to cook it.

(She did, and it was delicious).

 

Cutting ravioli squares
Cutting ravioli squares

IMG_1617

We approached ravioli making in a similar manner, instead using a mold and then placing another layer of pasta on top of the filling, which was spinach and ricotta. After we completed our pasta-making, Anna Rita prepared several different kinds of dishes- such as fettuccine with pepper sauce, ravioli with mushrooms and artichokes, and vegetable soup. It was a glorious feast, and we are so fortunate to have had the combined efforts of both Anna Rita and Annalisa to create such a special meal for us. Pasta was followed by many different types of cakes, and cake was followed by more pasta as we eagerly took home leftovers and mused about next week’s gnocchi night.

The final result