The basic idea is that the other mixed raw ingredients will cook, along with the pasta that contains them, right before they are served with a hot ravioli sauce.
The short collection of fillings shown below is nice in variety, allowing you to experiment with both the fillings and accompanying sauces shown in the Food Nirvana Ravioli Sauces recipe list.
I've found that ravioli fillings, particularly those with ground meat, come out better if the filling is processed in an electric mixer to break up raw pieces of meat and blend them into the other ingredients. It is a matter of filling texture, in which a fine, even texture is superior to something that feels like a flat meatball when you eat it. Another approach is to process a batch of filling through a meat grinder with the smallest hole die (between 1/16th and 1/8th inch holes diameter).
As for the pasta, the easiest way to have it is to buy it as wonton wraps, which are 3"x3" squares of very thin raw dough dusted with cornstarch, and they can be bought at the supermarket for about $2.50 for 50 wraps. Use two of them for each ravioli, lightly brushing the perimeter of the bottom piece with a light egg wash, putting a tablespoon of the filling in the center, and then placing the top piece on, somewhat flattening the filling and sealing the top piece edges with the bottom piece edges, expelling air in the process so the completed ravioli does not have air pockets inside. It is very easy to make a lot of ravioli this way, later boil it in water for five or six minutes, then drain and serve that ravioli with the hot ravioli sauce you have made or purchased.
Note that ravioli so made are large ravioli, so serving sizes per guest will vary from four to six ravioli.
Ricotta, Spinach and Prosciutto Filling
1 1⁄2 lbs. of Ricotta cheese (drained)
1⁄4 lb. of freshly grated Romano cheese (about 1 cup)
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 lb. of prosciutto ham, diced, then ground in a meat grinder
10 ounce box of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and then squeezed dry
1 dash of ground nutmeg
salt and pepper, to taste
Ricotta and Romano Cheese Filling
1 1⁄2 lbs. of Ricotta cheese (drained)
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1⁄4 cup of freshly grated Romano cheese
2 tablespoons of finely minced fresh italian flat leaf parsley
1⁄4 to 1⁄3 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
salt and pepper, to taste
Beef, Pork and Spinach Filling
1⁄4 lb. of lean ground beef
1⁄4 lb. of lean ground pork
1 tablespoon of butter, melted
1 clove of garlic, sliced thinly
1⁄2 cup of cooked chopped spinach, squeezed dry
1 tablespoon of chopped italian flat leaf parsley
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 tablespoons of freshly grated Romano cheese
1 dash of ground nutmeg
Sausage Filling (makes 36 large 3"x3" ravioli)
1/4 lb. of lean ground beef
1 lb. of loose sweet Italian sausage
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup of freshly grated Romano cheese
1 tsp. of sea salt
1 tsp. of dried oregano
1 tsp. of dried basil
Crab Filling
1/4 shallot or one scallion (sliced thinly)
1 garlic clove (chopped)
1 tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. of butter, softened
6 oz. of canned, cooked lump crab meat
1 tbsp. of fresh basil (chopped)
3 tbsp. of Ricotta cheese (drained)
salt and pepper, to taste
Feta Cheese and Olive
8 oz. of cream cheese
4 oz. of tomato and basil flavored feta cheese (crumbled)
1/2 cup of sour cream
1/2 cup of kalamata olives (finely chopped)
1/2 tsp. of lemon pepper seasoning
Chicken Marsala
8 oz. of chicken breast (cut into thin strips, then ground)
2 tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil
1/2 shallot (sliced thinly)
1 garlic clove (sliced thinly)
1/4 cup of dry marsala wine
Cook above items first by sauteing the chicken, olive oil, shallot and garlic in a skillet, then adding the wine last, let it mostly evaporate, then add that mixture to the items below and mix well.
4 thin slices of prosciutto ham, chopped
2 tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. of fresh thyme leaves
2 tbsp. of bread crumbs
2 tbsp. of Parmesan cheese (grated)
salt and pepper, to taste
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup of heavy cream
The final three filling recipes include directions for making them.
Mixed Meats
Ingredients:
2 teaspoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 pound ground pork, veal, turkey, or chicken (or a mixture of all four)
1/2 small onion, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 ounce mortadella, finely chopped
1 ounce prosciutto, finely chopped
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Directions:
In a skillet, melt the butter in the oil. Add the ground meat, onion, and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat, stirring to break up lumps, until the meat is cooked and the onion is tender, about 10 minutes. Add the wine and cook over moderately high heat until it is evaporated, about 4 minutes.
Scrape the mixture into a food processor and pulse until the meat is finely chopped, or use a meat grinder with a small die to process the meat. Scrape the ravioli filling into a bowl and let it cool. Stir in the Parmigiano, mortadella, prosciutto, and nutmeg and season the mixture with salt and pepper. Stir in the beaten egg and mix well.
Beef and Cheeses
Ingredients:
1 lb. of ground beef
1 tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil
1⁄2 teaspoon of onion powder
1⁄2 teaspoon of garlic powder
1⁄2 teaspoon of dried oregano
1⁄2 teaspoon of dried basil
1⁄8 teaspoon of ground rosemary
1⁄4 teaspoon of black pepper
1⁄2 teaspoon of sea salt
1⁄3 cup of grated parmesan cheese
1⁄3 cup of romano cheese
1⁄3 cup of mozzarella cheese
1⁄3 cup of ricotta cheese
Directions:
Brown the ground beef in a skillet with one tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil.
Add all the dry seasonings and gently heat for a few minutes, until you get a nice aroma of all the herbs.
Remove the seasoned beef mixture from the heat and cool it to room temperature.
Mix all of the cheeses into the beef mixture.
It should make a dry dense mixture that will hold together when you form a ball.
Use a tablespoon for filling each ravioli.
If you don't want to make the pasta dough you can always use wonton wrappers.
Once the ravioli have been assembled they only need to simmer in lightly boiling water for 4 to 5 minutes.
Beef, Pork and Ricotta Cheese
Ingredients:
2 eggs, beaten
2 tbsp. of fresh parsley, chopped
12 oz. of beef chuck, ground
12 oz. of country style pork sausage
16 oz. of ricotta cheese
1 cup of grated parmesan cheese
1 tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon of sea salt
1 cup of baby spinach leaves, chopped
Directions:
Fry the meat in the olive oil until well browned. Drain the meat on paper towels.
When the meat cools a little put it into a large bowl and mix in the chopped spinach. chopped parsley, beaten eggs and the rest of the ingredients, and add salt and pepper to taste.
Put the filling into the food processor bowl and pulse several times until the mixture is fine, or process the mixture through a meat grinder using a small die.
Return the filling to the mixing bowl and refrigerate. (The filling is easier to work with when refrigerated.) You have enough filling to make about 90 to 100 ravioli.
To Cook The Ravioli:
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water.
Add the ravioli in batches. About 10 to 12 at a time. Don't overcrowd. Bring the water back to a gentle simmer and cook for about 3-4 minutes. If the ravioli is frozen, cook for an additional minute.
Remove the ravioli with a slotted spoon or a spider to a serving dish. Continue cooking the rest of the ravioli. Serve the ravioli with your favorite sauce or just with extra-virgin olive oil, butter, sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Sprinkle with fresh herbs.
Enjoy!