Ravioli-Pierogi Hybrid

My last kitchen adventure started as a batch of cheese ravioli. Then I saw two lonely links of italian sausage and some mashed potatoes in the fridge. Next thing I know I've made a batch of pasta wrapped sausage, potato, & cheese with a little bit of minced onion and grated carrot... sort of a cross between a ravioli and a pierogi. I know it sounds like a strange combo, but it was pretty good - honest!



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After making ravioli, freeze solid, and store in ziplock bags. To serve, boil for 6-7 minutes and then toss with butter, salt & pepper.

Filling:
2 links Italian sausage
½ onion, minced
1 small carrot, grated
1½ cups mashed potatoes
5 oz ricotta cheese
½ oz romano cheese, grated
¼ teaspoon salt

- Remove the casings from the sausages and crumble the meat into a skillet. Cook for a few minutes and then add onion and carrot, stirring, until the sausage meat has browned and the onion is golden.

- Place sausage mixture into food processor and pulse a few times. Add mashed potatoes and pulse a few more times to combine. Remove to bowl.

- Stir in ricotta, romano, and salt. Mix well and taste to check seasoning.

Dough:
2 cups flour
1 egg
1-teaspoon salt
¼ cup water (+ more as needed)

- Mound flour in a bowl or on a large work surface.

- Form a well in the mound and add the eggs, salt and water.

- Begin mixing with the fingers of one hand while using the other hand to push flour from the edges of the well into the egg mixture.

- Continue mixing with one hand taking more and more flour from the interior of the well as you go and keeping the walls of the well intact with the other hand. At one point, the dough will be intact enough to fold the well over the dough so that you can continue mixing.

- Form the dough into a ball and knead for 5 minutes or longer until the dough is smooth and feels silky.

- Transfer to a bowl, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

- Remove from the refrigerator and allow the dough to rest for about 15 minutes before rolling.