Can you hear the laughter? Can you smell the sage butter sauce? Can you see my dark eyes in the cloud of flour? Can you hear the glasses chiming together to toast a delicious meal?
This week I had the privilege to participate in cooking classes at "The Food and Wine Academy of Florence". I met two amazing Italian chefs; Andrea Orlandini and Giuseppe Mazzocchi. We started out our foodie journey with an informative walk and tour through the Italian markets and then settled back to a very convenient location in the heart of Florence to start making some delicious Tuscan cuisine.
In the past I had always avoided making my own pasta from scratch as I do not own a pasta making machine. However during my cooking lesson, I learned that a pasta machine is not required to make good pasta just a lot of passion, high quality ingredients and some major muscle power.
Four little ingredients is all that is required to make good pasta (eggs, flour, salt and olive oil) but the type and quality of ingredients is very important. When walking through the markets, I noticed the size of their farm fresh eggs; they are gigantic compared to Asian or US standards. One large Italian fresh cage free egg is equivalent to about 1.5 large US or Japan fresh eggs. This is important to note as if you are not living in Italy with "ultra sized jumbo eggs" you will need to add more eggs to your recipe to have the proper ratio or egg to flour.
The type of flour that is to be used to make Italian pasta is "00" soft wheat flour. In Italy, flour is classified either as 1, 0, or 00, and refers to how finely ground the flour is and how much of the bran and germ have been removed. Doppio zero is the most highly refined and is talcum-powder soft.
The other big difference between "00" flour and all-purpose flour is how the gluten in each flour behaves. The gluten from durum wheat flour tends to be strong but not very elastic, while the gluten in "00" flour is both strong and elastic. This means that with "00" flour we'll get a nice al dente bite to your pasta. I also did a little research on the cost of "00" flour and it is more costly than that of all-purpose flour but it really does make lovely pasta.
The Food and Wine Academy of Florence is a great place to gather with friends, family or just by yourself to meet some new friends. Our chefs were very informative and detailed oriented. If you are looking for a fun and relaxing day in the heart of the Florence , please visit http://www.florencecookingclasses.com/ for further details. The cooking class was held just a stone's throw away from the beautiful Doumo in Florence.
I can share with you the basics techniques of making homemade pasta, but to get the full effect of the knowledge shared, you will need to try it yourself and practice it many times over or book yourself a session with the experts at the Food and Wine Academy of Florence. In order to really understand the process you need to feel the dough for yourself. Making pasta is like an art.
There are many tricks to getting the dough to be perfectly springy and not too hard or too wet. If you add too much flour then your dough will be too hard and it cannot be recovered. If, your dough is too wet then your pasta will be too sticky and too chewy. Your dough consistency has to fall somewhere in between so it springs back perfectly.
I think making homemade pasta would be a very fun activity to do with our kids during this summer holiday. Don your aprons, pour yourself a glass of wine and let's get cooking....
Florence's Homemade Pasta Ravioli in Sage Butter Sauce
Recipe adapted from Food and Wine Academy Florence
Serve 6 people or 2 hungry teenage boys
Ingredients for Homemade Pasta
- 300 grams (2 ¼ cups) "00" soft wheat flour (extra flour on the side for rolling out the dough)
- 3 Fresh Italian jumbo eggs (or 5 large US/Asian sized large eggs)
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- plastic wrap
Ingredients for Ravioli Stuffing
- 6 tablespoons of ricotta cheese
- 6 tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese
- 2 fresh Italian jumbo sized egg yolks or 3 large US/Asian sized egg yolks
- sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Ingredients for Butter and Sage Sauce
- 250 grams of unsalted butter
- 6 fresh chopped sage leaves
- 6 tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese
- fresh cracked pepper
Directions for making the Ravioli Stuffing
Step 1: In a medium bowl add ricotta cheese, grated parmesan cheese, eggs and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well with a spoon and set aside.
Directions for making the Sage Butter Sauce
Step 1: In a small pot place butter and sage and heat up gently over a medium heat.
Step 2: Once the butter is melted, serve the sauce over the ravioli with fresh cracked pepper and parmesan cheese.
Directions for making the Homemade Pasta Ravioli
Step 1: Pour the flour on a large clean marble/ wooden work surface. (needs to be at least 60cm x 60cm)
Step 2: Make a well in the middle of the flour and add eggs, salt and olive oil. With a fork, lightly whisk the eggs while gathering flour from the walls of the well. when most of the ingredients are incorporated continue mixing with your hands.
Step 3: Knead for 10 minutes and if your dough is too soft then add a little flour just a bit of a time so the texture is perfectly springy. Do not add too much flour or your end product will be too hard. Your end products should be smooth and springs back when pushed with your fingers.
Step 4: Wrap dough tightly in plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for about 15 minutes.
Step 5: Place some flour on your work surface and on your rolling-pin.
Step 6: Make the pasta ball in a circular flat dish by using your hands. Place the flat pasta on your floured platform and roll out evenly until about 3mm thick.
Step 7: Find a cup/container/cookie cutter about 4cm wide. Use this 4cm cup as a guide. Fold the pasta sheet over once so that the 4cm cup guide fits the width. Create 2 strips long at least 4cm wide. Continue cutting the rest of the pasta.
Step 8: Place a small spoonful of ricotta stuffing on the surface and leave about 2cm without stuffing in between and continue like that for the remainder of the strip of pasta.
Step 9: Then take the other pasta strip and lay it upon the pasta strip with the ricotta filling on it. Gently place it on top and then use your sides of your hands to remove any air and create well-defined borders around each and every ravioli. Repeat this process for the other pasta strips and filling.
Step 10: Take a circle shaped mould of the same dimension of the ravioli, press down gently, like you are making a cutout cookie, until you penetrate through both layers of the pasta dough.
Step 11: Take a fork and crimp the edges to perform a good seal around the ravioli. (If you do not get a good seal you will have a blow out during the boiling process)
Step 12: Boil water for pasta and add salt to the water. Once the water is boiling add a few ravioli at a time and cook for about 2-3 minutes or until al dente.
Step 13: Remove and drain the pasta from the water and place on a serving dish. Top the fresh ravioli with sage butter sauce, fresh ground pepper and lots of freshly grated parmesan cheese. Serve with a lovely bruschetta, salad and a of course a great red from the Chianti vineyards.
Ciao until next time.... Grazie to the team at Food and Wine Academy in Florence.
Ingredients
- 00 flour -
- eggs -
- ricotta cheese -
- sage -
- parmesean cheese -
- butter -
Sibella says
Enjoyed reading your wonderful post! Now I am inspired to make some homemade pasta! 😀
Healthy World Cuisine says
Homemade pasta would be a perfect starter to be followed by one of your yummy desserts. Take Care, BAM
Jasline says
Such beautiful and delicious looking ravioli! Butter and sage sauce sounds heavenly! I missed Florence, it's such a beautiful place!
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thanks Jasline. What is next on your travel itinerary? If I ever get the chance to visit Italy again, I want to go to Bologna. Food heaven. Take care, BAM
Promenade Claire says
I've also shied away from making my own pasta - but with you and John (Bartolini kitchens) I know I will try it soon. An dyou have chosed one of my alltime favourite combinations - butter and sage. Bravo!!
Healthy World Cuisine says
If I can make pasta from scratch so can you. We can both consult with John for some yummy sauces for the pasta... Take Care, BAM
Marina@ Picnic at Marina says
What a wonderful post! I was chackling about your second photo: no, it won't be enough for a teenager! I have a teenager and he would eat anything pasta all day long! 🙂 Beautiful post, and a very interesting blog.
Healthy World Cuisine says
Hello Marina thanks for stopping by. I swear teenage boys must have hallow legs. My youngest is going through a growth spurt and eats at least 2 dinners every day. Looking forward to keeping in touch. BAM
yummychunklet says
Very impressed by your handmade pasta. But, I'm drooling over the brown butter sage sauce!
Healthy World Cuisine says
Brown butter sage sauce is quite sinful and to top it off I even sprinkled extra parmesan to my dish.
Karen says
I'm sure you must have had a terrific time making those ravioli.
Healthy World Cuisine says
There were many husbands and wives in the class together and it was very nice to watch as that special bonding takes place as they roll out the dough together.
Charles says
Wow, what fun! I've actually been considering making my own ravioli recently - something I've been scared to do up to now. Your post came at such an opportune time... it makes it really seem like something I can manage! I'll let you know if I give it a try - thanks for sharing your wonderful photos Bam 🙂
Healthy World Cuisine says
If I can do it Charles, you certainly can. I will never buy the frozen ravioli in the stores again.
Lisa says
I just read through your last post from Italy, and wow..all those meats, cheeses , olives etc..the porchetta was unbelievable! That said, these ravioli are such perfect, plump pillows of deliciousness...and you can't go wrong with sage and butter! What a great class to ttake! I'm going to start calling you Bamerino! 😉 I hope you do try the mac n' cheese for your boys!
Healthy World Cuisine says
Hi Lisa,
Last night the boys gave your super creamy mac and cheese recipe a double thumbs up and told me I can put that one in the Healthy World Cuisine menu selection. My 2 QA analysts teenagers are very tough so this is really a very high score in their books! Take care, Bamerino
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise says
Bam all I can say is WOW! I have tried making my own cannelloni last week and it was amazing, now I really can't wait to try your ravioli.
Please keep the pictures, recipes and stories coming
Healthy World Cuisine says
I can assure you there will be just a FEW more pictures coming your way. The whole month of June will be a tribute to Italian cuisine in Healthy World Cuisine so stay tuned.
Sawsan@ Chef in disguise says
Looking forward to it 🙂
Nami | Just One Cookbook says
This is amazing Bam! I really enjoyed the process of how to make ravioli! They are so adorable (can we use that word for food?) and homemade ones are so beautiful. You must be having a wonderful time! And not to mention, I'd looooooooooooove to visit the Duomo one day...
Healthy World Cuisine says
I was a little bit jealous when you went back home to Yokohama and I could not fit in your carry on bag to join along. So I had to make up for that loss by doing one of my bucket lists dreams a culinary trip through Italy. Of course what trip to Italy would be complete without homemade ravioli.
Leslie Chapman says
Oh wow, these pictures are out of this world. I will someday be this adventurous. You give me hope. My Mom makes her own butternut squash ravioli filling, but usually uses store bought wonton wrappers. These look amazing!
Healthy World Cuisine says
Hi Leslie, I also used wonton wrappers in the past, but never again as the texture and feel of these ravioli are amazing.
Kathleen Richardson says
I feel I'm getting to know the next Julia Childs as she learns to cook Italian style! Can't wait to make that Butter & Sage Sauce using fresh sage from my garden.
Keep writing, Bam...
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thanks Kathleen. So what other things do you plant in your garden this year?
Kathleen Richardson says
It's a small (about 3 feet by 12 feet) garden with two tomato plants, 2 bell peppers, sage, basil, lemon balm, parsley, chives, and lots of mesclun (baby field greens for salad). The rest ~ flowers, some perennial and some annual.
Healthy World Cuisine says
Small by your standards but huge by Hong Kong standards as we have no land, so I can only have a few potted plants on the balcony and kitchen window.
Healthy World Cuisine says
Thanks Susan. One of my favorite Italian cooking blogs is http://fromthebartolinikitchens.com/ so please take a moment to stop by and tell John, Bonjourno. John has many, many yummy Italian dishes and many step by step processes as well to get you started. Take Care, BAM
susartandfood says
I have to learn this - Never done it but it looks wonderful.
thebigfatnoodle says
Fabulous post and what a lovely thing to learn how to make. I've never made pasta either but now I want to!
Healthy World Cuisine says
Of course the pressure is on with the name of your cooking site "The Big Fat Noodle" this has to be on your bucket list of recipes to try. Is everything settled down in the UK after the Jubilee? Take care, BAM