4 eggs 2 1/2 cups white flour 1/2 cup semolina flour (you can substitute white flour or make the dough entirely with semolina) pinch of salt (optional) olive oil (optional)
Mix the flours in a large bowl. Make a well, or hollow spot, in the middle of the bowl by pushing the flour away from the center and towards the sides. Crack your eggs in the center and gradually work the flour into the eggs. You can also add olive oil at this point, if you'd like. The dough should be soft, but not sticky. I find myself often adding a bit more flour, but I have a habit of using too much flour :)
Knead the dough on a floured surface for several minutes, until it is thoroughly mixed and smooth. The kids can come in real handy at this point! It's advisable to knead the dough for close to ten minutes, but I have to admit I usually don't. Kneading activates the gluten, which is what makes your dough stick together (which makes it easier to roll out).
After kneading the dough, let it rest in the bowl for a half hour. This is to let the dough relax, which makes it more manageable. While the dough is resting, you can prepare your filling. I mix about two cups of ricotta with an egg, and sometimes a leftover vegetable chopped very finely (spinach works nicely).
To roll out the dough, sprinkle *a lot* of flour on a smooth surface. Divide the dough into four equal portions. For ravioli, you'll want to roll out two large squares the same size. I use a cutting board so I can easily tell how large my rectangles are. The dough should be thin, but not paper thin. Check to make sure it is not sticking to the surface often. I can't tell you how many times I've had to start rolling all over again because the dough gets stuck to the bottom and tears!
Once you have two rectangles approximately the same size, take your pasta wheel and use it to mark the dough into smaller squares the size of ravioli. These should be about 1 1/2-2 inches. If you are using a knife, you don't need to cut through the dough all the way. These lines are just to guide you when you fill the ravioli. Place the ricotta filling in each square, using a little bit less than you think you should. It's very easy to overfill ravioli.
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