Ravioli with Tomato Gravy

Tomato Gravy may be used as a sauce for spaghetti either with or without ground beef.

Ingredients

Tomato Gravy

  • 1 1/2 cups olive oil
  • 5 pounds pork neck bones
  • 3 pounds or 5 large onions
  • 1 whole pod garlic
  • 1 small rib celery with leaves
  • 2 (28 ounce) cans tomatoes
  • 2 cans water
  • 3 tablespoons oregano leaves
  • 4 tablespoons basil leaves
  • 1 (4 ounce) bottle Kitchen Bouquet
  • 1 (12 ounce) can tomato paste
  • 20 (15 ounce) cans tomato sauce
  • Salt and pepper

Ravioli Filling

  • 6 pounds pork butt, ground
  • 2 tablespoons salt
  • Pepper, to taste
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 10 eggs, beaten
  • 1 1/2 cups olive oil
  • 30 ounces Romano cheese
  • 1/2 pound crackers, finely crushed
  • 6 (10 ounce) packages chopped frozen spinach, cooked and squeezed
  • 3 tablespoons parsley flakes

Ravioli Dough

  • 4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup water

Instructions

  1. Tomato Gravy: Put olive oil in large kettle to heat. Add neck bones to brown. Add onions, garlic and celery to saute . Mash tomatoes with hands. Add to kettle; then add seasonings, Kitchen Bouquet, tomato paste and tomato sauce. Rinse cans and add water, not to exceed 2 sauce cans full. Salt and pepper to taste and let simmer for 5 to 6 hours.
  2. Ravioli Filling: Brown pork with salt and pepper. Add garlic while cooking gently over low heat. Beat eggs in large container. Add olive oil, cheese and crackers, blending well. Add spinach and blend. Put meat mixture into egg mixture. Add parsley. Mix well with hands. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
  3. Ravioli Dough: Sift together flour and salt. Make a little well and put egg in with a little water. With your hand, begin to mix adding a little water at a time. When thoroughly mixed, put on smooth surface and knead until dough is smooth, easy to handle and quite elastic. With a rolling pin or dough stick roll out very very thin. This takes time and flour must be added as rolled to keep dough from sticking. When dough feels like a chamois, place balls of filling (about 1 tablespoon) onto the dough about 1 inch apart. Roll dough over filling and seal by pressing dough with fingers. Press firmly between balls of filling with side of hand, making sure all air is out of ravioli pocket. Cut into squares with serrated wheel. Dust with flour. Seal individually in foil to freeze.
  4. To serve, drop ravioli in boiling salted water to which a few drops of oil have been added. Let cook at a slow boil 12 to 15 minutes and lift out gently with a slotted spoon. Pour small amount of sauce on plate.
  5. Place 2 to 4 ravioli on plate and top with additional sauce. Sprinkle generously with Romano cheese.

Yield: 15 to 20 servings | 12 quarts Tomato Gravy