Fresh, homemade ravioli is far better than anything you can buy in a store. It’s also an impressive, standout dish that’s simpler to make than most people would think. In this recipe, we’ll show you how to make your own ravioli at home.
There are a ton of ravioli recipes in Italy, but this Tuscan version has become the most ubiquitous and popular variation, and for good reason. It’s delicious and simple to make, so it’s the perfect introduction if you’re just getting started with making your own ravioli.
How to Roll Ravioli Dough
Usually we recommend skipping pasta machines when making fresh pasta. Ravioli is an exception, as it’s very helpful to have sheets of dough with consistent thicknesses. Plus, a pasta machine naturally makes long sheets that are perfect for the purpose. With an egg pasta dough, we find that a thickness of 1.33mm (#7 setting on a standard Marcato Atlas machine) works very well.
You definitely don’t need a machine, though. You can roll the dough out with a rolling pin until very thin, then cut into large strips (about 4-5 inches or 10-12.5cm wide).
Whether you use a machine or not, don’t worry too much about the length of your strips. After cutting the ravioli, you will gather up the scraps and repeat until all of the pasta is made so it doesn’t matter if you make three, four or five dumplings with any particular sheet.
How to Cut Ravioli
There are quite a few options for cutting the ravioli. You can use a stamp or press, a ravioli cutter, or even just a knife. Some cutters and stamps are designed to crimp the edges shut. Even if you have this kind of cutter, always pinch the edges firmly shut so that the stuffing doesn’t leak out.
If your dough gets a little too dry, the edges won’t seal properly. You can easily address this problem by brushing the edges of the pasta around the stuffing with a wet finger.
How to Cook Fresh Ravioli
Because this is a fresh pasta, it cooks very quickly. Carefully drop the ravioli, one at a time, into a large pot of boiling water that has been generously salted. Boil for 2-3 minutes, then scoop them out with a slotted spoon and transfer into the sauce.
It’s important not to overcrowd the water pot or the pan where you will mix the pasta with the sauce. Either use large pots and pans that can accommodate up to 15 ravioli, or cook the pasta in batches.
How to Save & Store Ravioli for Later
Making fresh pasta is really fun, but it also involves some time and patience which is why you’ll likely find yourself wanting to make a big batch all at once to eat over time. It’s easy to save fresh ravioli for later. After making the dumplings, arrange them on a baking sheet or platter dusted with flour. Make sure the ravioli aren’t touching each other or they’ll stick together. Freeze them until solid, at which point you can transfer the pasta into a freezer bag.
Cook frozen ravioli directly from the freezer, don’t thaw them in advance. They’ll take slightly longer, maybe 30-60 seconds more than normal.
A Note on Ricotta
Wet stuffings are the enemies of ravioli, as the liquid inside can make the dough fall apart. Prior to making ravioli, we recommend draining the ricotta overnight in the fridge. Simply place it in a fine mesh strainer suspended over a bowl in a refrigerator for one day.
Watch the Pasta Grammar video where we make Spinach & Ricotta Ravioli here:
RICOTTA & SPINACH RAVIOLI RECIPE
Makes: 12-15 ravioli
Cook Time: 1 1/2 hours
For this recipe, you will need:
1 2/3 cups (200g) all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
2 large eggs
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
3.5 oz. (100g) baby spinach
4.5 oz. (130g) ricotta, drained completely
1.5 oz. (45g) grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, or to taste
Grated nutmeg
Salt
Fresh black pepper
4 tbsp. unsalted butter
8-10 fresh sage leaves
Fork
Plastic wrap
Pans and a large boiling pot
Mixing bowl
Pasta machine (optional, see above)
Ravioli cutter or stamp (optional, see above)
Slotted spoon
On a large work surface, pour the flour into a pile and use your fingers to hollow out the center so that it resembles a volcano. Crack the eggs into the hollow. Using a fork, begin whisking the eggs and gradually incorporate the surrounding flour. When the mixture has thickened into a paste, you can begin folding in more of the flour and kneading by hand.
As you knead the dough, gradually continue to incorporate the remaining flour. You don’t need to add it all, though: eggs aren’t all the same size so you might need less. Simply leave some flour aside if you achieve the right dough texture before it’s all kneaded in. The pasta dough should be fairly firm and springy, but soft enough to knead smooth. It definitely shouldn’t be sticky. If it does become sticky, simply dust it with more flour as needed.
Knead the pasta dough until it is smooth and even. Wrap it in plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
While the pasta dough rests, heat the olive oil over medium heat in a pan. Add the spinach and sauté until the greens are completely wilted and tender. Remove from the pan and finely chop the spinach. In a mixing bowl, stir together the chopped spinach, ricotta and Parmigiano cheese. Season to taste with a pinch of ground nutmeg, salt and pepper.
After the dough has rested, it’s time to roll it out using the pasta machine. It's best to do so in batches. Cut the dough in half and keep the unused portion wrapped in plastic.
Flatten the dough beneath your palm into a small pancake and lightly dust both sides with flour. Set your pasta machine rollers to the widest setting (#0 on a standard Marcato Atlas machine). Press one edge of the dough between the rollers while cranking the handle so that the pasta is pulled inward. Press the whole piece through and pull the resulting sheet of dough out from the bottom.
Adjust the rollers one setting narrower (from #0 to #1, for instance) and press the sheet through again. Repeat until you have rolled the pasta through the #7 setting (1.33mm). If your pasta, at any time, sticks to the machine you can lightly dust and rub it with flour. Cut the finished dough sheet in half so that you have two equal pieces of the same length.
Place heaping teaspoons of ricotta stuffing down the middle of one sheet, keeping about 2 inches (5cm) of space in between. Drape the second sheet on top and carefully press it down around the stuffing to push excess air out. Use a ravioli cutter or knife to cut the pasta into squares, with about a 1/2 inch (1.25cm) border around the stuffing. Press the edges firmly shut with your fingers so that they are completely sealed. Place the finished ravioli on a surface dusted with flour. Gather the dough scraps and repeat the rolling and shaping process until you’ve used up all of the pasta and/or stuffing, including the unused dough you set aside initially.
Bring a large pot of water to boil and salt it generously. Add the butter and sage leaves into a large pan over low heat. Once the butter has melted completely, carefully drop the ravioli one at a time into the boiling water. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then transfer into the butter pan with a slotted spoon.
Turn up the sauce heat to medium and gently toss the ravioli until they are completely coated in butter. Serve immediately, topped with drizzled sauce and a few sage leaves from the pan.
Buon appetito!
For the absolute best results, try making your own, homemade ricotta for this recipe. Mastered the basics? Try pairing this butter and sage sauce with squash ravioli!