Homemade Ricotta Ravioli

Ingredients

• 20 ounces fresh ricotta cheese
• 4 ounces freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 recipe Classic fresh egg pasta
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for serving

Directions

1. Set a clean kitchen towel, or 3 layers of lint-free paper towels, inside a rimmed baking sheet. Spread the ricotta across the towel in an even layer, then cover it with a 2nd clean kitchen towel or 3 more layers of paper towels. Press down with your hands or a 2nd rimmed baking sheet, and leave it for 5 minutes. Move the ricotta to a medium bowl; it should lift away from the towels easily. Stir in the Parmesan cheese, nutmeg, and lemon juice. Add salt and pepper until the filling tastes balanced.
2. Meanwhile, cut the dough into 4 equal portions. Work with 1 portion at a time, keeping the rest sealed tightly in plastic. Pass the dough through the pasta machine until the sheet is a little thinner than 1/16 of an inch, usually the 2nd-to-last setting. Slice the sheet in half so you have 2 pieces, each about 15 inches long and 5 inches wide.
3. If using a ravioli mold: Drape the 1st pasta sheet over the metal base. Press the plastic form gently and evenly into the dough to make the wells, then lift it off. Spoon about 1 tablespoon filling into each depression. Tap the mold 1 or 2 times to release trapped air. Lay the 2nd pasta sheet over the top and pat it down. Roll over the dough with a rolling pin until you can see the raised lines underneath. Turn the mold over and carefully peel it back. If the ravioli cling to the mold, tap the edge of the mold on the table. When the ravioli need a little help separating, finish the cuts with a fluted ravioli cutter. Cover the ravioli with a towel so they do not dry out. Repeat with the remaining dough, then continue with the recipe after the hand-shaped option.
4. If working by hand: Fold the 1st sheet along the center to mark a faint line, then open it again. Arrange 6 heaping tablespoons of filling along the lower half, spaced 1/2-inch apart. Brush the upper half with water, fold it over the filling, and press around each mound to push out air and seal the pasta. Cut between the mounds with a fluted ravioli cutter or kitchen knife to make 6 even squares. Cover the ravioli with a towel so they do not dry out. Repeat with the remaining dough.
5. At this point, the ravioli can be frozen: arrange them on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet and freeze completely. Move them to a freezer bag, squeeze out the air as thoroughly as you can, and freeze for up to 2 months. Cook them directly from the freezer, adding 30 seconds to the cooking time.
6. To cook the ravioli, bring salted water to a boil in a large pot. Add the ravioli to the boiling water and cook for 3 minutes; they should rise to the surface. Drain them, saving 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Put the ravioli back in the pot with that liquid. Add 1/4 cup olive oil and cook over high heat, stirring carefully, until the oil and pasta water come together into a creamy sauce, about 1 minute. Serve right away, with more extra-virgin olive oil drizzled at the table.