Steps

1. Making The Dough
2. Melt the shorting in microwave or on a stove top
3. Place the flour and salt into Kitchen Aid mixing bowl. (Or a separate bowl if mixing by hand)
4. In a separate bowl, mix eggs and water
5. Pour egg/water mixture into flour and begin to mix
6. Add melted shortening immediately to flour
7. Mix ingredients using dough hook on low. A flakey dough will begin to form. Increase dough hook speed gradually to high for 2 Minutes. (Add warm water if dough appears too dry. CAUTION: Add slight amounts of water
8. Place dough under a bowl and let stand for 20-30 minutes
9. Return dough to mixer. Knead on high using dough hook for 2 minutes
10. Dough should be fully formed with a slight tackiness.
11. Place dough on cutting board and cut dough in half and roll. Place one half back under a bowl and leave until ready to roll
12. Mixing the Cheese
13. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl
14. Rolling the Dough
15. Sprinkle flour on rolling board
16. Put flour on the rolling pin
17. Place one half the dough on a cutting board or similar surface. Sprinkle flour on top of dough to help start the rolling process.
18. Place a lengthy rolling pin in center of dough and begin to roll the dough forward and back. Add flour to the to the dough surface if dough sticks to the board or pin. Too much flour will make a tougher dough. Add flour only as needed to allow for the rolling process.
19. Turn dough and roll. Repeat this process until a large thin dough sheet has been created. The result should be a rounded thin sheet of dough - Dough thickness is personal preference. Very thin dough will produce a more tender but delicate ravioli which is more subject to breaking during the cooking (boiling) process.
20. Making the Ravioli
21. Square off the rounded dough sheet by cutting a straight line at bottom of the dough.
22. Place mixed cheese, using a tablespoon amount or more, along the bottom cut edge. Space the spooned amounts sufficiently apart to allow for sealing the ravioli
23. Gently roll the cut dough edge over, on top of the spooned cheese.
24. Cut the dough in a straight line where the rolled dough meets (overlaps) the large dough sheet.
25. Cut in between each mound of spooned cheese to form a single ravioli
26. Using a floured fork, press the edges of the dough around the three cut sides of the ravioli. - Use just enough pressure to seal the dough. Press the fork onto the dough approximately 1/4 inch around three sides of the ravioli. (See photo) Finally, poke holes in top of ravioli with the fork. (Needed for venting during boiling.)
27. Continue the sealing process of all raviolis in this row.
28. Place the completed ravioli onto a cotton dish towel if making them immediately. Sprinkle flour over tops of ravioli. When all raviolis are in place, cover with another towel to prevent drying out.
29. Start the spooning process on your dough sheet until you have used up all the rolled dough.
30. Using other half of dough, start the process all over again.
31. Cooking
32. Carefully place the fresh ravioli into a large pot of salted boiling water. Raviolis require a lot of room for movement during the boiling process.
33. Freezing
34. Raviolis can be frozen. Place one row high into a large freezer bag, seal, and place into freezer.
35. * Makes approximately 30-32 raviolis