Pasta Problem

[zfranca]

You made ravioli for many years and now you are using a different filling and you are having problems. That indicates that you are obviously familiar with the cooking of ravioli so the problem should be in your new stuffing. When I make ravioli, I freeze them as quickly as I possibly can. It is possible that you make the ravioli and leave them out too long before you freeze them. Consequently the filling will moisten the egg pasta. You need to avoid this situation because when you boil the pasta that was weakened by the moisture, it will break open. Obviously your new stuffing is more "watery"than the meat stuffing. I hope this helps.

[Addie]

Are you cooking the raviolis fresh as you make them, or are you freezing them to be cooked at a later date?

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

One more piece of advice; if you have sealed them correctly, and gotten all of the air out, and simmered them, and they still burst, then the filling is expanding, and breaking the seal. Make the sealed edges larger, so that the filling can expand into part of the sealed edges, and still have enough sealed edge to remain sealed. You may not need to use less filling per pillow, but rather, make the pillow larger, but with the same amount of filling, if you know what I mean.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

[Kayelle]

Originally Posted by zfranca

You made ravioli for many years and now you are using a different filling and you are having problems. That indicates that you are obviously familiar with the cooking of ravioli so the problem should be in your new stuffing. When I make ravioli, I freeze them as quickly as I possibly can. It is possible that you make the ravioli and leave them out too long before you freeze them. Consequently the filling will moisten the egg pasta. You need to avoid this situation because when you boil the pasta that was weakened by the moisture, it will break open. Obviously your new stuffing is more "watery"than the meat stuffing. I hope this helps.

I know nothing about cooking ravioli but I know you are a proven expert Franca!!
It's been too long, and it's so very nice to see you here again as I've always enjoyed your posts......
welcome back!!

[zfranca]

Originally Posted by Kayelle

I know nothing about cooking ravioli but I know you are a proven expert Franca!!
It's been too long, and it's so very nice to see you here again as I've always enjoyed your posts......
welcome back!!

Thank you Kayelle. I don't know how many thousand of ravioli I made during the twelve years of the restaurant life. At a certain point, the work-load became so intense that I had to hire a person just to keep up with the ravioli production. At the beginning of the training they all said the same thing, "I'll never get this." At the end, they all said the same thing, "it was not that difficult after all." Just keep practicing. It is a wonderful world the pasta world...

[omegastorm13]

Originally Posted by pastaqueen

I have been making ravioli for years. The recipe is from my great grandmother. They are meat ravioli. I recently ventured out into making other kinds of fillings. I use the exact same dough recipe, which is perfect. Can anyone tell me why my ravioli break open (while being boiled) when I fill them with Ricotta based fillings, especially my Crab Ravioli!? Don't know what to do or why this is happening.

If I'm not mistaken the meat is already cooked when put into the pasta, so vary little expansion or oils or moisture is released in the boiling process. When the cheese becomes hot it releases oils, moisture and expands. Soulutions would be to freeze the pasta before you boil or you could try bringing the filling close to temp before sealing them in the pasta if you want to avoid freezing.

[Addie]

Originally Posted by pastaqueen

I have been making ravioli for years. The recipe is from my great grandmother. They are meat ravioli. I recently ventured out into making other kinds of fillings. I use the exact same dough recipe, which is perfect. Can anyone tell me why my ravioli break open (while being boiled) when I fill them with Ricotta based fillings, especially my Crab Ravioli!? Don't know what to do or why this is happening.

You need to remove some of the moisture from your ravioli. Drain you Ricotta in a cheesecloth overnight. You will be surprised how much liquid is in there. Your Ricotta should be dry. Then freeze them as soon as you make them.

[kadesma]

Make sure your rav's are still frozen when you cook them and the water is well salted and at a rapid boil.
kadesma

[Addie]

Originally Posted by kadesma

Make sure your rav's are still frozen when you cook them and the water is well salted and at a rapid boil.
kadesma

Excellent advice. But once all your ravs are in the boiliing water, turn the heat down. Rapid boiling bruises the ravs and can still cause them to break open. Keep them on a fast simmer. As long as there are bubbles coming up from the water, whether fast or slow, the temp of the water remains the same. 212ºF.

[zfranca]

Originally Posted by kadesma

Make sure your rav's are still frozen when you cook them and the water is well salted and at a rapid boil.
kadesma

GENTLE BOIL is more appropriate for cooking ravioli. Rapid boild could be the cause of the breaking of the pasta.