On its own or as the perfect accompaniment to last week's recipes for herring and mackerel, home-made ravioli can be stuffed with a variety of mouth-watering fillings. And you can do it without any special equipment too. All you need is a bit of time, the ability to knead dough and the patience to wait for it to develop.

The flour for making pasta is made from a durum wheat flour mixed with water. Unlike in bread making the dough is unleavened - not allowed to rise. Italian chefs usually opt for double 00 (doppio zero) flour, a finely ground, powder-fine flour, to make pasta. The protein content of "00" flour can range quite a bit depending on what kind of wheat it's ground from. Usually it has a mid-range protein content of about 11-12 percent, similar to all-purpose white flour.

In general a dough mixer and a pasta rolling machine are used to make pasta at home, but you can do it all by hand.

To make pasta for ravioli, lasagna or fettuccine, you can use all "00" flour or a mixture using 150 gms durum semolina flour (1 cup) and 150 gms all-purpose flour (1 cup) mixed with 2 well-beaten eggs and 1 Tbsp of water. It will be very firm and fairly dry but will relax after it has been kneaded well and gluten has had time to develop. Alternatively, for a richer pasta, mix together 9 oz. (2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour, 3 large eggs, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and salt to taste if desired - about tspn.

Put it all in a big bowl and knead well until it feels pliable - this usually takes about 15 to 20 minutes - but you can listen to a story or music while you work. Once kneaded well cover the dough with a cloth or cling film and let it rest for 15 minutes.

In the meantime, make the filling. For about 20 ravioli: In a skillet heat 1 Tbsp olive oil and gently fry 6 ozs finely chopped mushrooms - button or flat, along with 4 cloves of minced garlic. After 5 minutes, lower the heat and add 4 ozs ricotta cheese and 2-4 ozs Danish blue cheese and 1 Tbsp of finely chopped arugula or Italian parsley, fry for a further 2-3 minutes squashing the cheeses down with a fork, and season to taste with white pepper.

Alternatively, make a filling from pumpkin or squash by cutting into cubes and frying in olive oil with 1 Tbsp minced sage leaves (fresh), and a grating of nutmeg. When it softens - after about 10 minutes, mash to a paste.

To roll out the pasta, dust your worktop with flour, cut the dough in half (for ravioli making), cover the resting half with a cloth whilst you roll out the other piece of dough.

No rolling pin? Substitute a clean, dry bottle - an empty wine bottle will do, to roll out and stretch the dough until it is about 1/8-inch thick. The dough will keep bouncing back, so you have to keep rolling to make it stretch - using your hands gently too, until the dough is about eight inches wide and 16 inches long. Cover with cling film and roll out the rest of the pastry.

Spoon the filling onto the first pasta sheet one tablespoonful at a time, leaving a space of about one inch between each addition. Using a pastry brush add a little water to moisten the dough between the rows of filling. Place the second sheet of pasta on top, press down between the fillings and around the outside of the sheet so that the sheets of pasta stick together. Cut the ravioli into rectangles using a pizza cutter or a sharp knife, and press the edges together again to ensure a good seal. Use immediately or dust with a little flour and store in plastic bags or boxes - well sealed - for up to four days in the refrigerator.

To cook: Bring to a boil abundant water with a tspn salt, add the ravioli and cook for around five minutes. Test one by removing with a slotted spoon and cutting into the edge - avoid cutting into the filling as you may need to put it back in the water if it's not ready. If it is then add tomato, butter or cheesy sauce and serve immediately.

Very eye-catching is a filling made from fresh beetroot. Roast 2-3 medium-sized beets weighing about 180gms along with 1 small onion or 2 shallots, and drizzle with 1 Tbsp olive oil for about 1 hour, or less if the beets are small, in a 190C (375F) oven. Mash down and add 1 Tbsp chopped mint leaves, 4 ozs grated Parmesan or mature Cheddar cheese and 1 tspn of red medium weight wine or oloroso sherry. Mix in a blender or food processor until it becomes a smooth paste. Fill the ravioli as above. Remember to cover the dough you're not using as you work as this dough dries very quickly, and it cooks quickly too, usually in 4-5 minutes.

For pasta sauces see the China Daily Food Column next Friday. Buon appetito!

(HK Edition 09/13/2013 page7)