Raviolis

Over breakfast this morning, our host mother asked Ali and I if we would like to learn how to make ravioli later in the day. Of course we were immediately excited. I was not going to be late for this lesson!

When we arrived home this evening, Cristina had everything ready to go. She started by rolling out the pasta dough really thin by using a electric pasta rolling machine. She then laid out the sheets for us, and showed us how to put little dollops of filling onto the sheets of pasta, fold the pasta over the filling and seal up the little pouches by pressing lightly on the dough. As she rolled the pasta sheets, Ali and I made the raviolis, cutting them with what looked like a mini pizza cutter.

Alas the raviolis were done and I was counting down the minutes to dinner. Cristina cooked the spinach and ricotta filled raviolis in a light butter and sage sauce and grated fresh parmesan cheese on top once she had put them on our plates. They were so good and fresh that they just might have been the best raviolis I’ve ever had! And I helped make them! To follow the pasta we had cooked spinach and Brussels sprouts – two of my favorite vegetables. As we finished our meals Cristina offered us gelato cones. As good as they sounded, I was way too full and had to decline. There will always be other times for gelato. Cooking lesson number two with Cristina was a great success!