Step 1

For the fresh egg pasta dough, place the flour on a wooden work surface and create a barricade with a center sanctuary for your yolks that is 5 to 6 inches in diameter but not more

Step 2

If you create too much space, your barricade won't be strong enough to hold the yolks as you begin to incorporate the flour

Step 3

To avoid any additional risk to your barricade, mix, but do not beat, your yolks before adding them to the well

Step 4

Listicle: King Arthur 00 Pizza Flour Kick off by adding half of the yolks to the well and use a fork to incorporate the inner layer of flour, stirring in a continuous motion around the circumference to combine

Step 5

Continue adding the rest of the yolks, incorporating the flour as you go

Step 6

If you bust through your barricade, not to worry

Step 7

Use your bench scraper to catch the egg mixture and fold it back into the flour, doing this at every edge until you have a mixture that is thick enough to contain itself

Step 8

Set your tools aside, roll up your sleeves, and get to work kneading

Step 9

The dough will be sticky at first, so as you work it, continue to remove the dough that clings to your hands and return it to the mass

Step 10

Listicle: Rachael Ray Bench Scrape The dough will begin to firm up as the gluten is activated by kneading, but if it feels a touch too dry and is not integrating (this can happen when the environment is drier, such as during the winter or when you're working in an arid climate), add about 1 tablespoon room-temperature water to loosen it

Step 11

The kneading motion is simple, but it does take some time to get the rhythm right

Step 12

You essentially want to fold the dough in on itself, pressing down and away from your body with the heel of your dominant hand, relying on the weight of your body to do so

Step 13

(You can hold the edge of the dough closest to you with your other hand to keep it in place as you stretch it away from you

Step 14

) Rotate it 180 degrees, fold, and press again

Step 15

Repeat this rotating, folding, and pressing motion until the dough is smooth and relatively firm to the touch, 8 to 10 minutes

Step 16

Use your bench scraper to clean off any pieces of dough that clump and stick as you're kneading

Step 17

Lightly dust the board with flour if needed; be careful not to add too much, as it will dry out the dough

Step 18

When properly kneaded, the dough should resemble the texture of Play-Doh and should spring back just slightly when poked

Step 19

Cover the dough with plastic wrap and set it aside for a least 30 minutes

Step 20

This allows the dough to become more pliable

Step 21

If you are not forming pasta until the evening or the next day, place the dough in the refrigerator and remove it 20 minutes before you plan to roll it out so it returns to room temperature

Step 22

Makes 1 batch

Step 23

Use the dough within 24 hours

Step 24

For the simple red sauce, place a large heavy saucepan or Dutch oven over low heat, add the oil and garlic and cook gently until aromatic and without color, 30 seconds to 1 minute

Step 25

Add the chili flakes

Step 26

Add the tomatoes and their juice and cook over low heat until the flavors are well blended, 25 to 30 minutes

Step 27

You are not looking to reduce the mixture, just to bring the flavors together

Step 28

Season with salt

Step 29

Set aside off the heat until ready to use, or let cool, transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 1 month for another use

Step 30

Makes 9 cups

Step 31

For the ravioli filling, place a tamis or fine-mesh strainer over a bowl

Step 32

Pass the ricotta through the tamis

Step 33

Add the mozzarella, Parmigiano, and pecorino to the bowl and fold to mix

Step 34

Season with pepper and salt

Step 35

It should taste well-seasoned

Step 36

Refrigerate until ready to use

Step 37

To finish, roll out the egg dough, then make 50 to 60 square pieces with the filling using the following methods

Step 38

The rolling and sheeting instructions that follow assume that you’re using a manual sheeter

Step 39

If you're working with the KitchenAid attachment or another motorized sheeter, more power to you

Step 40

It will undoubtedly make your life easier, and the instructions that follow will be more detailed than necessary, though they will still apply

Step 41

I do recommend, however, starting with a manual sheeter, as it will help you learn to make decisions based on feel rather than prescription

Step 42

For instance, cranking by hand assists you in determining, by the tension in the handle, whether your dough sheet needs to go through the same setting again (and again) or if it's ready to go down (or up) one

Step 43

Listicle: KitchenAid KSMPRA Pasta Roller & Cutter Attachment Set Listicle: Imperia Model 150 Pasta Maker Machine To start, cut your dough into quarters so you're working with smaller, more manageable pieces

Step 44

Begin with one piece and cover the remaining pieces with the plastic wrap

Step 45

Dust your board and rolling pin with a bit of 00 flour

Step 46

Roll the dough out to an oval ¼ to ½ inch thick and about 8 inches long

Step 47

You want it to be thin enough to fit through the widest setting on the sheeter, but not so wide that it doesn’t have room to expand widthwise as it's fed through

Step 48

Feed the dough through once, cranking with your dominant hand while you very gently lead the dough through with your nondominant hand

Step 49

Then fold the dough into thirds by bringing one end to the middle and then the other end over the top as if folding a business letter

Step 50

Lightly press on top to seal and then feed one narrow end of the dough through the sheeter again

Step 51

What you're doing at this point is essentially re-kneading the dough and making sure there is no extra air in it

Step 52

Repeat the fold and feed at least three times, until the dough is smooth and uniform

Step 53

Decrease the setting on your sheeter (to "5" on the Imperia Model 150 or "2" on the KitchenAid) and feed the dough through again

Step 54

At this point, the sheet will be long enough to be a bit unwieldy to work with

Step 55

You can return it to your floured board, cut it in half and work with only one length at a time, covering the length(s) not in use with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap

Step 56

The shape you intend to make will determine how thin you sheet the dough from this point

Step 57

Don't be afraid to pause and adjust or to cut your sheet in half if it becomes a bit unwieldy to work with

Step 58

(Just cover the half you've set aside with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap

Step 59

) The dance between cranking the machine and feeding the dough through on one end while catching it on the other is not second nature—indeed, it's a job better suited to three hands than two

Step 60

It will be awkward at first, and you will certainly turn out more than a couple of unseemly sheets

Step 61

You can always fold the sheet in half and feed it through again to even it out

Step 62

Continue this process until you've achieved the desired thickness for the shape you intend to make (with Imperia, "2" setting, passed through 3 times; with KitchenAid, "6" setting, passed through 3 times)

Step 63

As you work, your sheet may become tacky and require a light dusting of 00 flour; be careful not to add too much or you'll end up with a sheet that's too dry

Step 64

Lightly dust with 00 flour and transfer to a parchment-lined sheet tray, layering parchment between each sheet to ensure they do not stick together

Step 65

Cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and repeat the process until you have sheeted your full batch of dough

Step 66

Lightly dust a wooden work surface with 00 flour

Step 67

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and lightly dust with semolina

Step 68

Lay your sheet(s) of pasta on the work surface

Step 69

Use a knife to cut 18-inch-long sheets, removing the scraps from the unclean edges (save them for soup)

Step 70

Cover the sheets with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel

Step 71

Place one pasta sheet on your work surface

Step 72

Spoon the filling into a pastry bag

Step 73

Cut a 1-inch hole in the tip of your pastry bag and pipe small circles of filling about 1 ½ inches wide and ½ inch high evenly across your sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart

Step 74

Evaluate your dough

Step 75

If it feels moderately tacky, you can eliminate this next step

Step 76

If the pasta feels a bit dry, hold a spray bottle filled with water 8 to 10 inches above the work surface and spray the pasta

Step 77

This will enable the second sheet to stick

Step 78

Lay a second sheet of pasta gently over the first, making sure the edges line up and there aren’t any wrinkles

Step 79

Using your two index fingers, gently press around each dollop of filling to express any air pockets

Step 80

For extra insurance, flip a #30 (1 ⅛-inch) plain round cutter to the dull side and gently press over each dollop to express any excess air

Step 81

For square ravioli, use a fluted pastry cutter or fluted dough divider to cut the ravioli into 2 ½-inch squares

Step 82

You can also use a 2 ½-inch fluted square cutter to the same effect

Step 83

After you have pressed down, gently move the cutter clockwise while still pressing to ensure a full cut

Step 84

Gently remove the scraps surrounding the ravioli by lifting the sheets from one end

Step 85

Discard the excess dough or reserve for use in soup

Step 86

Place the finished pasta on the prepared sheet pan in a single layer

Step 87

Give the pan an extra dusting of semolina to prevent sticking

Step 88

Repeat with the remaining sheets

Step 89

Place in the refrigerator uncovered (if they are covered, they will sweat and become too wet) to dry for 45 minutes to 1 hour

Step 90

If not using right away, remove from the refrigerator, loosely cover the sheet pan with plastic wrap, and return to the refrigerator for up to 8 hours

Step 91

When you're ready to cook the ravioli, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat

Step 92

Generously salt the water

Step 93

Place a large saute pan over low heat

Step 94

Add the red sauce

Step 95

If needed, add a splash of pasta cooking water to loosen the sauce

Step 96

Add the ravioli to the water and turn down the heat to bring the water to a gentle simmer instead of a rolling boil

Step 97

It is important to cook these gently at a simmer instead of a boil

Step 98

The filling is delicate and the ravioli can break if cooked over high heat

Step 99

Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until tender at the thickest closure point

Step 100

Using a spider or pasta basket, remove the ravioli from the pot and transfer to the saute pan

Step 101

Turn up the heat to medium

Step 102

Swirl the ravioli in the sauce for 30 seconds to 1 minute to marry, using a spoon to gently turn them over and coat all sides

Step 103

If the sauce begins to tighten, add a splash of pasta cooking water to loosen and continue swirling to marry

Step 104

Transfer to a serving platter or divide among plates

Step 105

Garnish with Parmigiano and pecorino

Step 106

Finish with chili flakes