Turn dough out onto a silicone mat or work surface sprinkled lightly with flour and knead by hand for a minute or two, until smooth.

Place the dough under a bowl to rest for 20 minutes before rolling, or refrigerate, tightly wrapped in plastic and stored in a plastic bag if not using right away.

Use within a few hours for best results.

Roll pasta out using a roller machine, beginning with the widest setting. Fold dough over and roll through again, gradually decreasing the roller setting as the pasta becomes smoother; dust lightly with flour as needed, but not too much (don't dust on the inside of the folded sheet). It helps to brush off excess flour with a pastry brush.

When pasta is thin enough (about a 6 or 7 setting on Atlas machines) it is ready for use in making ravioli.

Use the pasta sheets as soon as they are rolled; dry pasta sheets don't seal as well at the edges as fresh sheets, causing the ravioli to separate when cooking. If your pasta sheets have dried out a little, brush the edges with an egg wash or water (where the pasta is crimped together). Or use them to cut into noodles or lasagna.

My favorite filling is made with a mixture of whole milk ricotta, whole eggs plus egg yolks, lots of fresh parsley, basil and a pinch of oregano, hot red pepper flakes, grated Parmesan and/or Romano cheese and chopped fresh spinach seasoned with salt, pepper and sometimes freshly grated nutmeg just like my mother and I would make (I was the one turning the pasta machine handle - now I have a motor!). What's your favorite?

Submitted by: CM