Chicken & Spinach Ravioli

I had some reservations about making my own ravioli, I mean noodles and stuff...really? But I was feeling adventurous last night and decided to go even more insane by making 30 bajillion raviolis. I recommend listening to me on this recipe since I lived my own version of Hell's Kitchen. (YOU DONKEY!)

For the pasta:

• 4 eggs, beaten
• 3/4 cup water
• 3 3/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

For the filling:

• 1/2 pound ground chicken
• 3/4 cup chopped fresh spinach
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
• 3 tablespoons melted butter
• 3 tablespoons freshly grated Asiago cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 pinch ground black pepper to taste
• 1 (16 ounce) jar marinara sauce
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Asiago cheese for topping

MAKE THE PASTA much earlier than you plan to eat, like a couple of hours before when you bored.
Pasta Making Instructions:
In a bowl, mix the eggs, water, 2 1/2 cups flour, and salt. Gradually mix in the remaining flour until smooth. Divide dough into 2 parts. Cover, and set aside in the refrigerator at the very least 20 minutes. Roll the pasta dough out on a well floured surface. I used a freakin' fondant roller and smaller hotdog shaped pieces of dough. Then I cut them into two inch squares and make sure that when you lay them out you do not pile them on like the picture above. They will stick. Also note that as the temperature of the dough rises the elasticity of the pasta will change, shrink etc. So keep them chilled between the pasta making and the filling making.

Filling Instructions:

1. In a skillet over medium heat, cook the ground chicken until evenly brown; drain.
2. In a food processor, mix the chicken, spinach, and onion. Transfer to a bowl, and mix with butter, 3 tablespoons Asiago cheese, salt, garlic powder, nutmeg, and pepper.
3. Place about 1 teaspoon of the chicken mixture in the center of 1/2 the squares, and top with remaining squares. Seal the edges of the squares with a moistened fork to form the ravioli.

Cooking Instructions:

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil, and cook the ravioli in small batches for about 8 minutes, or until al dente. Drain, and rinse under cold water.
2. Place the marinara sauce in a saucepan, and cook until heated through. Serve ravioli topped with marinara sauce and remaining Asiago cheese.

I'll be honest though, this is not a quick process and I bailed early on and made two large-ish portions, succumbed to my ADHD and decided that I didn't feel like making any more, so I cooked some chicken breasts in the Foreman Grill with olive oil and salt and pepper to serve with the pasta. It turned out well though. Maybe you'll have more patience than my 10 minute attention span! Toodles.