Making fresh pasta is tedious and time-consuming; many home cooks just don't have the time or tools to do it. However, there are short cuts. Many retailers now sell sheets of fresh pasta, ready to cut and use. Wonton, wrappers are also a fine substitute, with the added advantage that they freeze and thaw beautifully. They are well suited to making several common types of pasta.
Instructions
Ravioli, Raviolone, Raviolini and Agnolotti
1. Stack five or six wonton wrappers on a cutting board, and trim them to a square 2/3 of the original size. Lay them out on a floured work surface.
2. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of filling into the middle of each square. Wet the edges of each square, and top with an untrimmed wonton wrapper.
3. Press down gently on the top sheet, so it molds to the filling and squeezes out any air. Seal the two layers of wonton together by pressing gently but firmly. Trim the edges neatly to match, using a scalloped pasta cutter, if you have one, or a knife. Repeat, until wrappers or fillings are used up.
4. Use full wonton wrappers to make large ravioli, or raviolone, with 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons of filling in each one. Cut the wrappers into four small squares to make tiny ravioli, or raviolini. Raviolini will only require 1/2 teaspoon of filling.
5. Cut a stack of wonton wrappers with a round cookie cutter to make agnolotti. Place a tablespoon of filling in the middle of each round, and moisten the edges with water. Fold the round of dough over the filling, squeezing out the air and sealing the edges. Repeat, until fillings or wrappers are used up.
Capelletti and Tortellini
6. Lay out a half-dozen wonton wrappers at a time. Place a tablespoon of filling in the middle of each one, and moisten the edges with water.
7. Fold the wrappers over the filling to make large triangles, squeezing out as much air as possible. Seal the edges with a firm and gentle pressure.
8. Moisten one of the "long" corners of the triangle. Bring the other "long" corner to the first one, and lay it on top of the moistened area. The pasta should now be shaped like a little boat, with one corner of the original triangle standing up in front and the two other corners making a second peak in the rear. Seal the corners together. These are cappeletti.
9. Prepare a quantity of agnolotti as described previously. Moisten the corners of the pasta, and pull them together into a ring. These are tortellini.
Tags: edges with, middle each, tablespoon filling, wonton wrappers, each square, edges with water, filling middle