Making pasta from scratch isn’t extremely difficult, but it’s certainly a labor of love. On the whole, freshly made pastas taste better than those made elsewhere, frozen, and trucked in — and arguably no fresh pasta is superior to a filled pasta, ravioli in particular.

Just about any professional chef can turn out a sheet of fresh pasta; many can do it blindfolded. But making fresh ravioli takes a little more finesse. Two long sheets of pastaneed to be rolled out, the filling needs to be made, the ravioli itself needs to be assembled, cut, and cooked properly — and the sauce needs to be well-balanced and not overwhelming to the filling. Making great fresh ravioli is equal parts science and art.