Ask five-year-old Hilary what her favorite food is, and she will enthusiastically shout “pawwstah!” Ask eighteen-year-old Hilary what her favorite food is, and she will respond similarly, with the reverberations of her voice likely coming from the Pastabilities line.

My life-long pasta obsession resulted in my parents (or rather, Hannukah Harry) getting me an old-fashioned pasta press last winter. It is easily up there on my list of most prized possessions, right next to my ice cream maker. I would highly recommend getting one for any pasta enthusiast; they cost as little as $20.

Although I didn’t bring my pasta maker to college, I continue to try to make pasta because the ingredients are relatively inexpensive and easily attainable. And, especially for ravioli, a pasta press is definitely not necessary.

This ravioli is a great comfort food recipe for those days when you have 200 pages of reading and a problem set due the next day. Easily made in a dorm/apartment/senior house kitchen, this meal will get you through those nights when you need to cram and don’t have time to wait in that Pastabilities line.

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour, plus more for dusting
4 large eggs
1 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. fresh spinach
1/2 tsp. pepper
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 lb. ricotta cheese
2 tbsp. heavy cream
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 jar of marinara sauce, heated (optional)

Homemade Spinach and Cheese Ravioli

(Adapted from Food Network)

1. To make pasta dough, measure flour into a medium mixing bowl. Make a well in the flour and crack eggs into it. Stir to combine. Add olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt and stir again.

2. Knead until smooth and elasticy. If too dry, add more olive oil or water. If too wet and sticky, add more flour. Form dough into ball in bottom of bowl, cover with damp towel, and set aside.

3. To make filling, wilt spinach in a saucepan with a teaspoon of oil over medium heat until about half its size. Turn off heat, and add 1/2 teaspoon of each of the following: salt, pepper, lemon juice, ricotta cheese, heavy cream, and Parmesan cheese. Put saucepan with filling into refrigerator to cool.

4. To assemble ravioli, break dough into chunks and roll through a traditional pasta maker. If a pasta maker is not available, use a lightly-floured rolling pin to shape dough into a 1/8-inch thick sheet. Cut dough into as many 2-inch squares as possible.

5. Place one tablespoon of spinach and cheese filling on the center of half of the dough squares. Place one other piece of dough on top to form a little sandwich, and pinch the corners to seal. Make sure the dough completely coats the filling, or else it will leak out.

6. Add ravioli to a pot of boiling water. You might need to cook them in multiple shifts because, if the ravioli are packed together too tightly in the pot, they will stick together. When the ravioli float, after about 4 minutes, they are ready.

7. Serve hot with butter or marinara sauce and Parmesan cheese.