When are too many cooks in the kitchen a good idea?  When you’re making ravioli, of course!

This past weekend, we picked up beets and sage at the Aptos Farmers Market at Cabrillo, and a Pasta Machine from Ross: Dress for Less for $18.  When I attempted to make my own ravioli in the past, it was pretty much a disaster.  This time around, I discovered that making your own pasta is definitely a team effort.  This is one of the only times when you might say that two to four people in your kitchen is actually helpful.

We had six for dinner and all agreed that it was a great dish. The presentation is just beautiful with the juxtaposition of the red beet inside inside the yellow ravioli, and the black poppyseed sauce covering it all.  The poppy seeds were also great because their texture added to the overall eating experience.  My best friend suggested putting fried sage on top of the pasta right before serving.  That was a great idea that added a savory crunch!

Improvements for next time:

Some thought the butter sauce needed salt.  Our pasta was a bit too thick and overpowered the beet filling flavor a bit, so next time we would make the pasta sheets thinner.  Although, thinner pasta sheets may be difficult to keep the filling inside of the raviolis while they are boiling.

Recipe after the jump Click to continue »