Cooking With Kids- Making Raviolis

Cooking with kids is fun and a great way to involve them in "real work" so they feel included and important. We made homemade raviolis which involves plenty of bilateral coordination and fine motor activities.

If you work with kids in a group setting, don't shy away...this is a GREAT group activity.

If you make the filling ahead of time, mix the dough with the children and divide the dough among the students- all of the raviolis will be formed in no time at all. If you have a stove top or hot plate, you can cook the raviolis and have a homemade meal together. Bring in a red and white checkered tablecloth and some battery-operated candles for ambience.

You will need:

2  1/4 cups flour

3 eggs

1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt

Butternut squash filling:

2 cups ricotta cheese

3/4 cups Parmesan cheese

low-fat milk

banana squash

olive oil

dried basil

sea salt or kosher salt

Meat filling:

3/4 lbs. ground meat of your choice

one thinly sliced onion

1/4 fresh chopped fresh parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup Parmesan

one egg

Cheese filling:

2 cups ricotta cheese
1 cup shredded mozarella
1/2 cup grated parmesan
garlic to taste
chopped fresh parsley and/or basil (about 1/4 cup each)


If making butternut squash version...

Prepare the squash by cutting in half. Add some olive oil, dried basil, and coarse salt to each half. Place in a baking dish with 1/2 inch of water. Roast the squash at 425 for 30-40 minutes until the squash is soft all the way through.

Scoop the cooked squash from the skin with a spoon. Add 2 cups ricotta cheese, 3/4 cups Parmesan cheese, low-fat milk to the squash mixture. Set aside while you work on the dough.

If making the meat version....

Brown the ground meat with your thinly sliced onion. Remove meat mixture from heat and add chopped parsley, Parmesan and egg. Set mixture aside while you work on the dough.

If making the cheese version....
Mix it all up- cheeses, garlic, herbs- easy. Set mixture aside while you work on the dough.

Mixing the dough:

Place 2 1/4 cups of flour and salt in a bowl and form a well in the center of the flour. Lightly beat the 3 eggs and place into the well. Mix together well and wrap dough and let set for 30 minutes.

If you have a food processor- using it will give you a fluffier dough than hand mixing.

If you don't have a pasta machine or ravioli rolling pin, don't despair and stay with us.
You can still make great raviolis. (keep scrolling down.....)

Working with the dough:

If using a pasta machine, divide dough in half to make two long strips.

If you have a ravioli rolling pin, you can spread your dough strip or squares evenly with your filling,

leaving 1/2 inch dry on all four edges.

Cut between each mound with a fluted pastry wheel, pizza wheel or knife.

If you don't have the ravioli rolling pin, don't despair.
You can still make great raviolis.

Use a rolling pin and roll the dough thin about 1/16 inch (think: paper thin). Have kids flour their hands, the rolling surface and the rolling pin to prevent the dough from sticking. Rolling the dough by hand into a large, even piece takes some skill.

To adapt this activity for children, give each child a small portion of dough so they can make 1-2 raviolis. This allows children to participate but sets up the circumstances to help them be successful.
As a bonus, they can eat the raviolis they made!

Roll any remaining dough yourself.

We used a pizza cutter to cut our dough into 2 inch strips. We actually cut one row slightly under two inches and the next row slightly over 2 inches.

The wider strip will serve as the top to the ravioli.

Place tablespoons of filling leaving an inch between each mound of filling. Place the wider strip over your "filled" strip. Press the dough together gently between each mound and on the edges to seal the filling.

Pressing the dough together is a great fine motor skill for children to work on. Pinching the dough helps develop strength in their fingers.

Cut between each mound with a fluted pastry wheel, pizza wheel or knife.

You can freeze any uncooked raviolis for use later.

To cook gently boil for 3-5 minutes.

Buon Appetito!