The Basic Dough

• Fresh pasta is very different from the manufactured dry variety. Dry pasta is made with high-gluten durum wheat, which is sturdy enough to withstand boiling without disintegrating. Fresh pasta is made with ordinary flour, and gets the additional protein it needs from eggs. Basic pasta dough is made by slowly incorporating flour into beaten eggs, until it makes a very stiff dough. The dough can be rolled and used immediately, but its gluten strands are tight and elastic at that stage, and it tends to shrink. Most cooks prefer to let it rest for at least a short time.

Resting the Gluten

• Gluten is formed by proteins in the flour, which bond together in long chains when the flour is moistened and kneaded. These chains are very elastic when the dough is freshly kneaded, and will try to shorten to their original length. If you allow the dough at least 20 to 30 minutes the gluten proteins will relax, just as your own muscles do during stretches at the gym. Refrigerating the dough, for several hours or overnight, is even better.

Refrigerating Your Dough

• To refrigerate your dough, cover it tightly with plastic wrap to keep out any air. It helps to spray the dough lightly with oil before wrapping it, so it won't stick to the film. It keeps beautifully for up to 24 hours, so you can make the dough ahead and go on to make your ravioli at a more convenient time. After a day the dough remains usable, but begins to darken to a less appealing color. The extended rest in a cold refrigerator makes the dough slightly stiff, so cut it into several smaller pieces and let it warm on the counter before you go on to making the ravioli.

Resting Is Good

• A well-rested sheet of dough is much easier to work with than a freshly kneaded one, and it's less likely to shrink and leave you with misshapen ravioli. Once it's warm enough to work with, run it through your pasta roller to make sheets, called sfoglia in Italian. Lay a sheet on your work surface and spoon small mounds of filling onto it at even intervals, then brush between them with water or a beaten egg. Place a second sheet over top and press it down around the mounds, squeezing out any air and sealing the sheets together carefully. Cut the individual ravioli with a knife or rolling cutter. If you have a ravioli-making tray, line its pockets with your first sheet of dough and then fill them. Place the second sheet on top, and roll it with a rolling pin to cut your ravioli.