Mozzarella, Basil, Parmigiano-Reggiano Ravioli with Butter Sage Sauce

Instructions

1. Make the pasta. Weigh the flour and mound it on a board or in a bowl.
2. Make a well in the center of the mound. Crack the eggs in a separate bowl and pour them into the well.
3. Beat the eggs with a fork until smooth.
4. Using the tips of your fingers, mix the eggs with the flour, incorporating it a little at a time, until everything is combined.
5. Knead the dough for 5-10 minutes, or until the dough is smooth. (I did this with my dough hook in my Kitchen Aid mixer).
6. Make the dough into a ball, wrap it in plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out, and let it rest for 30 minutes before rolling it out and turning it into pasta.
7. Make filling. In a food processor, roughly blend the fresh mozzarella and basil leaves. Transfer to a colander and let sit for 30 minutes to drain.
8. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, add the Parmigiano-Reggiano, and mix well with a fork. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
9. Roll the pasta. Dust the 2 or 3 baking sheets with 00 or all-purpose flour.
10. Roll the dough and feed the prepared egg pasta sheet through the machine, adjusting the settings, until setting #8. If the sheet of pasta gets too long, you can cut it in half with a knife.
11. Place pasta sheets on the prepared pans. Repeat until all the dough is rolled.
12. You can do this with a rolling pin, too. Make the dough as thin and uniform as possible.
13. Make hazelnut-sized balls with the stuffing and put them on the lower half of the sheet of pasta. Make sure to leave enough space in between the balls so you can close your pasta well and cut it.
14. Wet the sides of the dough with a little water to help the pasta stick.
15. Fold the other half of the sheet onto the filling and press well all around. Make sure not to leave any air bubbles inside or the pasta will open while cooking and the filling will come out.
16. Use a crinkle-edge pastry wheel or pizza cutter and cut around the filling in a squarish shape, then remove the excess dough.
17. Transfer the ravioli back to the prepared baking sheets.
18. Repeat the above steps until you have no dough left.
19. Cook the pasta by setting a large pot of salted water on the stove to boil.
20. While the water is heating, make the sauce.
21. Heat the butter, sage, and sea salt in a saucepan over low heat until the butter melts. Remove the pan from the heat and cook the pasta.
22. Cook the pasta for about 2 minutes or until al dente. To test this, remove a piece of pasta from the pot and take a bite. It should be cooked but still slightly firm in the center.
23. When the pasta is ready, remove it with a slotted spoon and gently shake out the excess water. Empty the water, and return the pasta to the pan over low heat. Add the butter and sage sauce and the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano to the pasta. Mix well while cooking for 1 minute.
24. Serve immediately with finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and freshly ground black pepper if desired.