Italian Sausage Ravioli with Roasted Red Pepper Cream

Italian Sausage Ravioli? Where do you buy that? Well, to my knowledge, you don't. Thus, I made this ravioli! That's right! I made homemade pasta! It was really fun and an interesting experience. This pasta recipe is from my Pasta cookbook that my parents bought me back in high school; Betty Crocker's A Passion for Pasta.

Fresh Pasta

Prep Time: 30 minutes Roll/Cut: 40 minutes
8 servings

5 large eggs
1 teaspoon olive or vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups all-purpose flour

I'm including the Food Processor Mixing directions, although I used my Stand mixer to make this.
Food Processor Mixing:
Place eggs, oil and salt in food processor. Cover and process until smooth. Add flour. Cover and process about 10 seconds or until dough leaves side of bowl and can be pressed together with fingers. (If dough is too dry, add a few drops of water; cover and process 5 seconds. If dough is too sticky, add a small amount of flour; cover and process 5 seconds.) Remove dough and press into a ball. Cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Let stand 10 minutes.

Now for the recipe for the ravioli! This really is an easy recipe, so don't be intimidated. Technically, this recipe calls for Chorizo, but I wasn't able to find it in the grocery store after searching FOREVER! Thus, I chose the alternate for this recipe, which is Italian sausage. IT was great!

Chorizo Ravioli with Roasted Red Pepper Cream
Prep: 50 minutes Cook: 10 minutes
6 servings

1/2 recipe Fresh Pasta (above)
1/2 lb. bulk chorizo or Italian Sausage
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 jar (7 ounces) roasted red bell peppers, undrained
1 small onion, coarsely chopped (1/4 cup)
1 cup whipping (heavy) cream
1 tablespoon chopped fresh or 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Prepare dough for Fresh Pasta. Divide into 5 equal pieces; roll each piece as directed on page 261 into 14x14 inch rectangle. Cover rectangles with plastic wrap until ready to use.

Cook sausage in 8-inch skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink; drain. Cool 5 minutes. Stir in 1/3 cup grated cheese and the egg, breaking up sausage with spoon.
Spoon sausage mixture by teaspoonfuls into mounds about 1 1/2 inches apart in 2 rows of 6 mounds on one of the rectangles. Moisten dough lightly around mounds with water; top with second rectangle. Press gently around mounds to seal.

Cut between mounds into 12 squares, using pastry cutter or knife. Place on lighltly floured towel; sprinkle lightly with flour. Repeat with remaining sausage mixture and rectangles. (For fifth rectangle, cut crosswise in half. Place 6 mounds of sausage mixture on one half of the rectangle. Moisten dough lightly around mounds with water; top with second half of the rectangle. Press gently around mounds to seal. Continue as directed.) Cover ravioli with plastic wrap until ready to cook.

Heat bell peppers and onion to boiling in 1-quart saucepan; reduce heat to low. Simmer uncoverd about 5 minutes or until mixture is soft. Carefully pour into blender. Cover and blend on medium speed until smooth. Pour back into saucepan. Stir in whipping cream, basil and pepper. Heat over low heat, stirring occasionally, just until hot; remove from heat and keep warm.

Heat 4 quarts water to boiling in Dutch oven. Add ravioli. Boil uncovered about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until firm but tender. Drain ravioli. Spoon sauce over ravioli. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup shredded cheese and the walnuts.

Now, I didn't use a blender to make the sauce because I don't like losing so much as the bottom of the blender. Instead, I used the magic bullet. It's much easier to use for sauces like this. Additionally, because I don't really like them, I left out the walnuts. Otherwise, this is basically what I did to create this recipe! It was extremely yummy!