**A speciality of the Dauphine region of France - miniature, delicate ravioles (raviolis) filled with Comte cheese are baked in a rich cheesy cream sauce until bubbly and golden!**

Dauphiné ravioles are little gems stuffed with cream cheese, Comté, Emmental, and parsley, creating a perfect blend of textures and flavors. Paired with a generous dose of cream and baked cheese, they transform into an irresistible dish that warms both heart and soul!

Their origins date back to Roman antiquity, but it was not until the 19th century that the first ravioli stuffed with cheese and parsley, as we know them today, were created in Romans-sur-Isère, a charming town located in the heart of the Drôme.

Ravioles du Dauphiné au gratin is a delicious and comforting way to enjoy one of France’s most beloved regional pasta specialties. Much smaller than Italian ravioli, these filled pasta are made from nothing more than a dough of flour, egg and water, filled with a simple mix of Comté and/or French Emmental, fresh egg, and parsley sautéed in butter… that’s it! Kids love them, and they’re just as perfect for a quick weekday dinner as for a cozy meal with friends.

In the 19th century, they were handmade by ravioleuses, women who would go door to door preparing them fresh in family kitchens. Passed down through generations, the recipe has preserved the fine, delicate flavour that defines them. Today, these ravioles are typically sold in convenient sheets, ready to boil, pan-fry or bake. Baked au gratin with crème fraîche and cheese until bubbling and golden, they’re a true staple of French comfort food.

Easy Homemade Pasta for Ravioles

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 large eggs

-Combine the flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade attachment. Pulse a few times to combine.

-Crack the eggs on top of the flour. Put the lid on the food processor and process for 30 - 60 seconds, just until the dough comes together into a rough ball. If the dough doesn't come together after a minute and looks like small pebbles add a teaspoon of water and process again. Repeat until the dough comes together.

- If the dough is sticky and smears against the sides of the bowl, add a tablespoon of flour and process again. Try to process as little as possible as overhandling will make the pasta tough.

- Remove the dough from the food processor. Knead against the counter a few times until it comes together into a smooth-ish ball. Dust the dough with a little flour and place it in a small mixing bowl. Shape into a ball and wrap the dough ball tightly in plastic wrap. Let the dough rest at room temperature for at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours. Or, refrigerate the dough for up to 24 hours. Bring to room temperature before rolling.

-On a lightly floured working surface, cut the rested pasta dough into 4 equal pieces and loosely cover with plastic wrap. Working with one piece of dough at a time, press the dough into a rectangle, about ¼ inch thick. Sprinkle with just a bit of flour on each side.

-Set an electric or hand-crank pasta rolling machine on its widest setting (Number 1). Pass the dough through rollers. Fold the dough in half, and pass through again, feeding the shortest side through the rollers on each roll. Repeat the folding and rolling one more time, then pass the dough through the rollers 2 more times without folding it in half.

-Adjust the rollers down to the next setting (Number 2). Pass the dough through the roller 2 times, sprinkling with flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking.

-Continue adjusting the roller thickness and passing the pasta through the rollers twice on each setting, down to the third thinnest setting (Number 6). The pasta sheets will continue to get longer with each pass.

-Sprinkle the finished pasta sheet with flour and cut into lengths that will lie generously over your ravioli mold, or if free forming the raviolis, cut into a length about 6 inches wide by 12 inches long. Cover with a tea towel until ready to form raviolis. Makes about 1 pound of pasta.

Ravioli Yield: You’ll get approximately 16-32 average sized raviolis from this recipe, depending on how large you make them and if you do 1 or 2 rows of filling during the assembly.

Ravioles du Dauphiné Filling:

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

2 cups diced Comté cheese (substitute Emantaler, Gruyere or mixture of both)

¾ cup crème fraîche or thinned sour cream (half sour cream, half cream)

Zest of one lemon

Salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

2 tablepoons finely chopped fresh parsley leaves

-In a small saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-low heat. Continue to cook, swirling the pan constantly, until the butter smells nutty and turns golden brown, about 5 minutes. Immediately transfer the butter to a small heatproof bowl and let cool slightly, about 2 minutes.

-In the bowl of a food processor, combine the Comté cheese, crème fraîche, lemon zest, and brown butter. Puree until smooth, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper, then stir in the parsley. Transfer the filling to a piping bag and reserve at room temperature.

TO ASSEMBLE RAVIOLeS using a Ravioli Mold

To make the Dauphine Ravioles:

-If using a Dauphine Ravioles mold or generic ravioli mold, cut the dough into a length of pasta that will lay over the mold with the edges hanging over. Gently press the dough into the depressions in the mold. The dough will not stay down in the depressions, but it loosens the dough to hold the filling.

-Pipe the filling into each depression until it fills the depression and a bit more. (For small ravioles, about 1 teaspoon, for traditional, larger ravioles, about 1 tablespoon)

-Take another sheet of pastry cut to the same size then brush it lightly with water with a pastry brush on one side. Lay the wetside down, over the bottom layer and filling and push firmly around the edges of each depression.

-Take a small rolling pin or drinking glass then roll firmly over the top layer of the raviolis sealing all the edges. Turn the formed ravioles out of the mold onto a lightly floured surface.

-Trim the edges of the ravioli sheets aso they re regularly shaped and create a neat-ish rectangle (they don’t have to be perfectly formed as the edges will not be seen in the gratin.) Use a wooden skewer or chopstick and push firmly on the dough again between each row of ravioles. Cut the ravioli sheets in half so that each sheet has 8 - 12 ravioles in each half sheet. (Do not separate the ravioles in each sheet but leave them attached to one another.)

If forming ravioles without a mold:

-Lay the dough flat and cut it into six 9” - long rectangles.

-Using a pastry brush, brush the flour off the top side of 3 of the sheets. Pipe 9 equal portions of the filling onto each of the 3 sheets, ensuring they are evenly spaced. The portions should each be about 1 tablespoon of filling.

-Lightly brush one side of the other 3 sheets of dough with water. Place each sheet, wet side down, on top of one of the sheets with filling. Using a chopstick, dull side of a ruler, or kabob stick, press down between the portions of filling to seal and create the pockets of ravioli.

-Using a fluted pasta wheel, trim all four edges of the 3 ravioli sheets. (Or you can use the sheets with the ravioles uncut - just cut the sheets into sizes that will fit flatly into your baking dish.)

Ravioles Gratin with Comté Cheese

16 ounces Dauphine Ravioles (Raviolis)

2 1/2 cups heavy cream

4 pinches of nutmeg

4 pinches of freshly ground pepper

1 cup grated Comté cheese (substitute Ementaler/Gruyere or both)

1 tablespoon soft butter

-Preheat the oven to 390 degrees Farenheit. Butter a 8 X 10 inch gratin or baking dish. Carefully separate the ravioli sheets into sections about 4 X 6 inches.

-Pour a little cream into the bottom of the dish. Add sheets of ravioles (raviolis) in a single layer, top with more cream, sprinkle with grated Comté cheese, and season with freshly ground pepper, a pinch of salt and nutmeg.

-Create another layer of ravioli, add cream, sprinkle with grated Comté cheese, and season with freshly ground pepper, pinch of salt and nutmeg. Repeat this process until all the ingredients are used up. Finish by sprinkling with more grated Comté cheese and a twist of freshly ground pepper.

-Bake in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until the surface of the gratin is golden brown. Serve hot, garnished with chopped parsley. Makes 4 servings.

PERSNICKETY NOTES:

**If your pasta dough seems difficult to knead, add more water a tablespoon at a time. If it feels too soft, add more flour a tablespoon at a time. It should feel smooth and elastic after kneading.

**Do not skip allowing the dough to rest. Resting the dough allows the gluten a chance to relax, which makes it easier to roll out.

*If you do not want to knead the dough by hand, you can place the flour and make a well for the eggs, olive oil, and salt inside the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Knead on speed 1 or 2 until the dough becomes smooth and supple. Let the dough rest and continue with the rest of the instructions.

**You can also make pasta dough in a food processor. Add the ingredients to the food processor and run until the dough comes together into a rough ball. Then knead the dough on the counter until smooth, let the dough rest, and continue with the rest of the instructions

**If you do not have a pasta machine, you can roll the pasta out with a rolling pin. However, it will take a lot more time and effort and may lead to inconsistent thickness. If you’re using a rolling pin, make sure the pasta is paper-thin enough that you can see your hand through it.

**For the Risolles de Daupine Gratin, sheets of the tiny raviolis are used, but you can use individual raviolis as well. It is easier however to lay sheets of the raviolis, attached, to create the layers in the gratin.

**You can also purchase sheets of fresh pasta dough already rolled out and ready to shape in most U.S. grocery stores. Rana, Lilly's Fresh Pasta, Barilla and others are often found in the refrigerator section of U.S. Grocery stores or at retailers like Trader Joe's.

**Easy Creme Fraiche Recipe:

Combine 1 pint (2 cups) heavy cream with 2 tablespoons buttermilk or yogurt in a non-metal bowl. Cover and allow to rest at room temperature until thickened to desired texture, about 12 hours. Store in the fridge up to 2 weeks covered.

**Storage of Ravioli:

Homemade ravioli is best enjoyed on the same day it’s made. If they sit around for too long, they’ll get too soft and soggy, and the filling will seep out through the dough. Cook right away, or choose one of the storage options below.

At Room Temperature (1 hr): Arrange homemade ravioli on a parchment-lined sheet pan dusted with flour to prevent sticking. Cover tightly with plastic wrap. Store at a moderate room temperature for 1 hour.
To Refrigerate (4 hours): Arrange the ravioli as indicated above. Chill up to 4 hours. Do not refrigerate overnight. The pasta will oxidize and discolor, and the filling will create soggy ravioli.
To Freeze (1 month): Arrange the ravioli as indicated above, minus the plastic wrap. Freeze directly on the sheet pan. Once frozen solid, transfer to a parchment-lined air-tight container. Freeze up to 1 month.

**Variations for the Gratin: You can add fried, crispy bacon or even button mushrooms to this gratin. It will be even more delicious!