Repast Ravioli Pin

Fonde ravioli pin from Repast Supply.

I was watching a show called Food Fortunes on television, and I saw a very intriguing ravioli pin being pitched to the investors. Most of them looked at it like they couldn't understand how it was used.

They liked the ravioli that was made for them, but they all turned down the opportunity to invest.

I might have yelled at my television.

After thinking about it, I realized why they didn't throw buckets of money at the idea. The problem, you see, is that the pins are hand-made in America. They're not molded from plastic overseas. They're functional, and they're beautiful.

They're also a tad expensive. More than investors thought people would spend.

Sure, the average person who never makes ravioli might think it's too much money. But then again, the average person who never makes ravioli wouldn't want a ravioli pin at any price.

I've made a lot of filled pastas, using gadgets and by hand. I'm always looking for a better way, so when I got a chance to test the pin, I was giddy with delight.

And also a little skeptical. The video made it look so easy. Too easy?

Would it really be this simple?

Turns out, yes, it was. I made a basic pasta dough, rolled out two thin sheets, slathered a filling on top of the first layer, put the second sheet on top, and rolled. The pin did all the work. The filling moved out of the way of the "edges" of the ravioli and neatly filled the pockets.

Then all I had to do was trim the edges and cut the ravioli apart.

A few tips: 

It's smart to make your sheets wider than the length of the pin, so you don't end up with a lot of half-ravs around the edges. My pin was the 17" model, but there's also a smaller model.

The amount of filling you slather does make a difference - if you have too much filling it will press out at the far end of the pasta. This isn't a horrible thing, though. You're working on a clean surface, so you can simply scoop it up and use it on the next round of pasta, if you're making more.

It's a good idea to have a thin sprinkling of flour under the first sheet of pasta, so that when you're done rolling and cutting, your ravioli will be easy to lift from the counter.

The dough should be fairly thin - you're eating a double layer of it, and it will plump a bit as it cooks.

If you're not sure your pasta sealed completely, you can press around the edges with your fingers, but I found that it did seal really well, even though I wasn't exerting tremendous pressure. Think about this: the moisture of that filling that you slathered all over the pasta actually helps it seal once the filling runs into the center of the ravioli.

If you've never made pasta before, it might take a little practice before you're totally confident and you love the results. But this pin makes it a lot easier.

Even better, there's something about making the pasta by hand and watching the magic as the little pillows fill up that's very pleasing. I was smiling the whole time I was working on recipes.

Speaking of recipes, I've got one finished that's one for a Southwestern Pierogi Ravioli on Cookistry right now, and I guarantee that you'll be seeing this pin making more appearances. It's just way too fun to use.

Who's it for: People who love beautiful, useful tools.

Pros: Makes ravioli easy.

Cons: It's a little expensive.

Wishes: I'd love to see the line expand for smaller ravioli as well as other shapes.

Source: I received this from the manufacturer for the purpose of a review.