It may have been 9:00 on a Sunday night, but Dani got the urge to make pasta and I couldn’t say no. Wait a second,  let me back up.

We’ve had a pasta maker for two years– it’s an awesome wedding gift,  right? Well the box was missing two vital parts: the clamp that holds it still on the counter….and the handle. That’s right,  no handle. It’s been sitting in the back of the closet every since, but she tried to turn the screw with a butter knife, and who knew– it worked!

Dani made the dough, and I got to help feed it into the pasta maker. It’s a bit tricky to keep it still when you are using our makeshift rig, but after a few rounds it was the perfect thickness. The handle would’ve really helped though…

So what’s the filling this time? How about roasted eggplant, artichoke, spinach and sour cream? Coming right up.

You have to salt the eggplant ahead of time, let it sit for about an hour, then roast until golden. Go ahead, throw some garlic in there too. You can use fresh artichoke, or buy a jar of marinated artichoke hearts (this might be easier to find). Sauté the artichoke and spinach with more garlic, and blend everything together with a little sour cream.

Chill it for a least thirty minutes, then fill your ravioli, spoonful by spoonful. Brush the outer edges with egg, then cover with the shop sheet. Push it down around the filling, and use a pizza cutter to cut and seal the edges. There are some other fancy cutters out there that give you textured edges…but we don’t own one. Either way–boil these in water with salt and olive oil until they float.

Still with me? Good. This part is important– you need to add those ravioli into a sauce– how about a pesto cream? I had leftover Pesto made from peas and soybeans, so there you have it. Heat your sauce in a pan with olive oil, then stir in the ravioli, top it with cheese, and…clean the kitchen! Just kidding; feast, then you can clean the kitchen later.

Let’s cook.

You’ll need:

2 Eggplants, cubed

3 Artichoke Hearts, minced

4 Cloves of Garlic

2 Cups Spinach

2 Tbs Oregano

2 Tbs Thyme

2 Tbs Parsley

3 Cups Flour

4 Eggs

1 Egg Yolk

1 Cup Sour Cream

1/2 Pesto

1/3 Cup Olive Oil, as needed

1 Tsp Onion Powder

1 Tsp Chili Flakes

Salt & Pepper to taste

1. Combine flour, roughly 1 tbs salt, eggs, and two tbs olive oil in a large bowl. Mix well until a dough forms. Transfer to a floured countertop, and cut in half.
2. Roll out the dough balls into thin sheets, then run through a pasta maker at the thinest setting to make identical, thin sheets. Cover, and set aside.
3. Season cubed eggplant with salt, then leave it uncovered in the fridge for at least 45 minutes. Transfer to a baking sheet, add whole garlic cloves, and bake at 425 degrees until golden. Remove from the oven.
4. Sauté artichoke, and spinach. Season to taste, then set aside.
5. Once cool, combine garlic, eggplant, spinach, and artichoke in a food processor. Purée with sour cream, add herbs, and taste for seasoning. Ensure that there is no excess water in the purée.
6. Place one sheet of the pasta dough on a flat surface, and use a butter knife to score an outline for squares (or your desired shape). Brush the outer edges with an egg wash, then spoon the purée into the middle of each square.
7. Cover the filling with the second sheet of dough, then press the dough around the filling with your fingers. Then, use a pizza cutter to cut, and seal the ravioli.
8. Transfer the ravioli to a pot of boiling, salted water, and cook until they float.
9. Drain the ravioli, then finish in a pan with your desired sauce.
10. Plate and serve.

Done.