When my son Charlie and his wife Lily told me they would like to make ravioli for Christmas dinner my mood brightened considerably. One of the things I like the best about holidays is cooking traditional dishes that I grew up with. Besides reminding me of my mom and grandmother and aunts, all of whom I did lots of holiday cooking with, it brings family together to join in the preparation. Many holiday dishes are complicated and work-intensive, so cooking together is the only way to go. Jim, Charlie, Lily and I spent last Saturday making ravioli to put in the freezer for Christmas dinner.

NELL’S RAVIOLI RECIPE

Filling (Enough for two recipes of dough)

Sauté separately in butter then chop finely in a Cuisinart:
1 pound lean ground turkey (do not brown)
1 pound fresh spinach
I c. celery heart and leaves
½ medium onion
½ c. Italian parsley
1 ½ pound white mushrooms

Mix all together in large bowl. Add:
1 c. Parmesan cheese- freshly grated (not shredded)
½ cup plain bread crumbs
3 eggs
Add to taste:salt, pepper, nutmeg

Dough
Place in a Cuisinart bowl
3 ½ cups flour
5 eggs

Pulse until it begins to make a ball. If it’s too dry, add a little water, enough to have the dough hold together, but not sticky.The dough should be quite firm and smooth. Knead a few times on a floured board and then put in a plastic bag to rest for several minutes.

The dough should be quite firm and smooth. Knead a few times on a floured board and then put in a plastic bag to rest for several minutes.

Use a hand crank pasta maker or the attachment for a Kitchen Aid mixer and roll the dough through from the first setting to number 6. The dough strips should be wide enough for two to three ravioli across.

Space teaspoons of filling on the strips of dough. Cover with another strip of dough, and using a ravioli cutter cut into squares. Crimp the edges with a fork so the filling doesn’t fall out when you are cooking them. Let them dry on a floured pan or freeze to eat later.

They cook very quickly. Boil in a large pan of water.