Beginner
How to use a ravioli press: prepare the dough, fill the pockets, seal with a rolling pin and release whole ravioli without sticking or bursting.
A ravioli press does three jobs with one pass of a rolling pin: it seals, crimps and cuts a whole tray at once. That speed only pays off when the dough, the filling and the flouring are right before the pin comes out, because a press has no way to rescue a wet sheet or an overstuffed pocket. Most failed first batches trace back to prep, not to the tool.
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Most models in the ravioli press picks pair a cutting frame with a shaped mold. The bottom sheet of dough settles into the pockets, the filling goes in, a second sheet covers it, and firm pressure from a rolling pin joins the layers and cuts each piece free.
For square, round or heart-shaped molds and the cutters that come with them, see the best ravioli press. The method below applies to the tray-and-pin style, and the maker's own instructions decide anything specific to one model.
Roll the dough to about 1/16 inch. Thinner sheets tear over the sharp edges of the frame, and thicker ones turn heavy once boiled. Temperature matters too: dough straight from the refrigerator turns brittle and cracks at the edges, while dough that has warmed too far clings to the mold. Let it come to a workable, supple feel before rolling.
Keep the filling thick, closer to a paste than a spoonable sauce, and let it cool fully before it touches the dough. Wet or warm filling softens the sheet from inside and weakens the seal.
Finally, dust the frame generously with flour, working it into every ridge of the cutting grid, and flour the side of the sheet that will touch the press. Some molds also take a light coat of oil; if the instructions that came with the press mention it, follow them.
Cut the sheets wider and longer than the press so there is overhang on every side. The sequence below works for a metal-frame tray with a plastic mold.
Overfilling is the usual cause of ravioli that split during sealing or in the pot. A pocket should be filled, not mounded, and a small spoon or piping bag keeps filling off the rim where the layers have to bond. Trapped air does similar damage: it expands while the ravioli boil, so pushing it outward before rolling is worth the extra second.
Seams that stay open usually have filling or loose flour caught between the sheets, or dough that has dried out while waiting. Brush stray flour off the bottom sheet, work without long pauses, and use a light mist of water on dry dough. Timid rolling leaves seams open as well; steady, firm pressure across the whole surface is what cuts and seals.
Sticking almost always means too little flour or dough that is too wet. Dust the frame more thoroughly, flour the sheet, and if the dough feels tacky, knead in a little more flour next time. Some cooks prefer an oil coat on the mold instead of flour alone, which suits some plastic molds; check what the maker recommends.
Tearing points the other way. Dough that is rolled too thin or too dry gives out under the pin. Roll slightly thicker, and let the dough rest so it relaxes and stretches without ripping. At release, do not force stubborn pieces: turn the frame, tap the back or nudge them from underneath until they drop free, and separate any joined pieces with a finger.
Scraps from around the pockets can be gathered, kneaded once and rolled again for another tray, or cut into rustic noodles for soup. Keeping them covered stops them drying out between batches.
Fresh, pliable sheets work, while thawed frozen ones tend to turn brittle and tear. Letting fresh sheets sit briefly at room temperature makes them easier to handle.
Freezing uncooked ravioli gives a better shape and texture than freezing them cooked. Spread them in a single layer on a tray until solid, then transfer them to a bag, and boil straight from frozen with a little extra cooking time.