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Now before you discount this recipe as something you won’t make (because homemade pasta is required), let me stop you right there. Making homemade pasta is not something I do often, but it’s really not any harder than other recipes you make from dough (think pizza, biscuits, tortillas, breads). I simply put two ingredients in my food processor and let it do the work for me. Then I crank it through our pasta machine that I’ve owned for 15 years (still going strong!). This process takes me less than 30 minutes, not counting the “let the dough sit for 20 minutes” part.
Plus, not only is making homemade pasta a really fun kitchen project (for both me and my daughters!), but the outcome TASTES REALLY GOOD (like really, really good). Homemade ravioli is one of my most favorite dishes of all time, and there’s just no way to make it at home if you don’t make the dough. Now you’ll see that the sweet potato ravioli in my picture isn’t perfectly square or straight, and that’s because my daughters pretty much made these by themselves (see pics below)!
They’ve of course helped me make pasta many times before, but once you get the hang of it, it’s seriously easy enough for a child to do. All I did was give them each a ball of dough and the filling (both which I made) along with a little ravioli making tool, and in the end, they were both pretty darn proud of themselves (and I was too). :)
Now this is not meant to be a quick weeknight meal by any means. This is usually a Sunday dinner type of thing, and no matter how much I try to talk you into making ravioli, I just cannot lie about the mess. It does make a big mess. So just keep in mind this is the type of dinner you make just before you plan to sweep/mop the floor—not the day after! Enjoy!
This sounds so good! I am gluten free. Any tips for making these with a gluten free flour?
Wow, I will have to try this recipe! I usually use this one if I’m going for a quick dinner: http://bit.ly/1w1dV71
But I will definitely try this on a Sunday!
Also, will WHITE whole wheat flour work?
Yes! :)
Could I substitute butternut squash for the sweet potato and if so how much should I use?
You make pasta making sound so easy. i received a hand crank machine 11 years ago as wedding gift. The trouble is, I’ve never had a kitchen counter with the right thickness of counter to be able to clamp it on to. I made ravioli 1 time, and had to crank the machine with 1 hand while holding the machine down with the other hand. It was a lot of work and I haven’t tried it since. Luckily we have fresh ravioli available at our farmer’s market. You’ve inspired me to give it another try.
Hi there Kristin. Lisa has a butternut ravioli recipe: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2010/09/01/recipe-butternut-squash-ravioli/. ~Amy
I made this today! So delicious. It was my first time making homemade pasta. Definitely worth the extra work. Thank you!!!
I’ve made pasta before and if you have the time it’s fun. I did wonder if it was possible to make it with w/wheat flour, so now I’ve seen that you’ve had success, I’ll give it a go! Thanks for the nudge :)
Alright – you’ve convinced me to buy a Pasta Maker! I’ve been debating it and the extra time has been my hold up… But ironically, just today I was at the health food store and totally miffed that they added sugar to their frozen butternut squash raviolis (they even fit the 5 ingredient rule and used whole grains!) Big bummer. So now it’s becoming a “need” to make our own. When you froze these, did you cook from frozen or let them thaw first? I made our own gnocchis before and doubled the batch – the fresh ones cooked great and then the frozen ones I boiled from frozen and they fell apart inside the pan and were unusable… Don’t want to goof these babies up :) :)
I just throw them in the boiling water frozen and they come out great! Just be sure to cook them a little longer. Good luck :)
This looks good! I have bought your book and I am enjoying it! I was following the blood type diet which eliminates processed food. I started working full time and got away from following it due to not having time, which became my excuse . I started cutting out processed foot again . Not long after my sister in law told me about your blog and your book that was coming out! I have tried some of your recipes and tips, especially pop corn in a paper lunch bag, clever!! My daughter loved it and is okay if I make it that way from now on!
Something that I am craving right now is chocolate cake with peanut butter icing! I know I can make the cake okay, it’s the icing that is questionable! Do you have a good real food recipe for peanut butter icing?
Thank you for sharing your real food journey!
I don’t have a full recipe for healthy peanut butter icing, but if you have good blender you might be able to make your own powdered sugar from a raw or turbinado style sugar and then just use it any normal frosting recipe. It can be hard to get the raw sugar fine enough for frosting use though…
Personally, I’d probably add peanut butter to a cream cheese and honey style frosting and see how it turned out.
Also I have a cheese question while I’m here. What do I look for as far as the label goes. All the cheese I look at seems like it has other things in it.
Can you make this without a pasta maker? Sadly I don’t have one.
Hi there. You can follow Lisa’s recipe with this as a how-to guide without the pasta roller: http://www.goodfoodstories.com/2012/10/11/homemade-ravioli/. :)
Seems like a really inexpensive meal- except for the part about needing a food processor, a pasta machine, and a ravioli wheel, which I doubt a very large percentage of readers have. Oh well.
I think, that you do not really need either a food processor or a ravioli-wheel, since I have seen a lot of recipes, where neither is used (though they probably help a lot and buying them could be considered, if one often makes this recipe).
Instead of using a food processor one could use the normal kitchen-mixer and I have even seen recipes, where the dough is made by hand and the ravioli-wheel can be substituted by a fork.
If one has a rolling-pin, one could even try to use it instead of a pasta-maker.
Like I said, having this appliances probably saves some work, but it should be possible to make this recipe without it.
Do you need a pasta maker or could you just roll it out? I don’t have a pasta maker but I would like to try these and make a large batch to freeze. Any advice?
I don’t have experience with this specific recipe, but based on my general experience with making pasta I’d guess it would work, you just won’t get it as thin rolling it out by hand (which might also mean longer cooking time and slightly chewier ravioli). I’d like to get a pasta maker soon, but in the mean time I’m also very interested in trying a hand rolled version of this recipe.
ok, that makes sense (with regard to fresh ground). I have found that I usually have to add between 1/4 cup and 1/2 cup more flour than a recipe calls for if I use fresh ground flour for baking. Probably depends on the type of wheat, too, I imagine. Thanks.
Have you tried freezing these? It would be nice to make a large batch and just pull out what you need.
Yes, you can totally freeze these! I do it between sheets of wax paper. But freeze them raw, of course. I would not recommend refrigerating them though (for longer than a couple hours) because they can get soggy, which will obviously completely mess up the dough.
Why is fresh ground wheat not recommended?
You can use it (I have before) I just think it makes the dough a little harder to handle whereas the store bought stuff is always a sure thing.
I just came over here to see if I could a meatless Monday meal idea for my husband who hates cheese (… I know…)& soup.
This would still be fine w/o the cheese. Just sprinkle a little salt on top instead :)
sounds yummy. I wonder if you can make pasta dough in a mixer or the vitamix
You can of course make it by hand as well :)
I’ve yet to make my own pasta…but you sure do make it sound easy!! I’m thinking a pasta maker may have to go on my Christmas wish list! :)
You won’t regret it!