Whole Wheat Ravioli Stuffed with Browned Turkey

Sometimes I like to make my own pasta. This is not a quick task by any means, but playing with the dough and shaping it can be a lot of fun. I use a pasta machine, but the dough can be rolled out on a flat surface and cut with a knife or ravioli cutter.

Dough Recipe:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
7 egg whites ( I really never use egg yolk, but if you do, use four whole eggs.)
2 tsp olive oil

Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Make a well (hollow spot) in the center of the mixture, and add the olive oil. Add the egg whites one at a time while stirring with a fork or use the dough hook attachment on your mixer. I always use my mixer because it's a lot easier on my arm. Mix until all of the ingredients come together to form a mass. Let it rest for about 30 minutes.

After resting, roll out the dough with a rolling pin or run it through your pasta machine. Cut into long strips or follow the directions on your ravioli attachment.

Here's my process:

1. I placed part of the dough in my pasta machine.

2. I made these into fettuccine style noodles. Here's the wikipedia entry for pasta shapes and sizes. I put them on a drying rack for about an hour, then stored them in a large sandwich bag in the refrigerator for later use. 

3. I also wanted to make ravioli, so I browned some lean turkey with garlic, basil, and rosemary for the filling. 

4. I rolled out two flat sheets of pasta and placed them on either side of the opening on the pasta machine. Then, I added the filling about 1 tbsp at a time while rolling the dough through the machine. Here's what it looked like.

5. I pulled them apart and dusted them with flour to help prevent sticking.

6. I let the ravioli sit for about 15-20 minutes so they were more likely to stay together through boiling. I boiled them in salted water until they rose to the top and plumped, then served them with a basil and garlic tomato sauce and the remaining browned turkey. 

This definitely takes more time than opening a box of pasta and boiling it, but there's really nothing like enjoying fresh pasta.