Learn how to make fresh homemade ravioli from scratch with this simple guide! Featuring easy steps for delicate pasta dough and a creamy cheese filling, you’ll master ravioli like nonna does—no special tools needed.
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Jump To
- How to make homemade ravioli
- Breakdown of how to organize time for making ravioli :
- 🛒 Ingredients for homemade ravioli recipe:
- Best pasta dough recipe for ravioli:
- Equipment you need to make ravioli:
- 🍽️ How to make nonna's ravioli with ricotta filling:
- Equipment to roll out the ravioli dough:
- What to serve with homemade ravioli recipe:
- 🫙 Leftover and Storing
- 📃 Substitutions & Variations
- ☑️ Lora's Tips to make the best homemade ravioli:
- ❓ FAQ'S
- Some other pasta recipes you'll love:
- 📖 Recipe
- Fresh Homemade Ravioli
Before we get onto this delicious post, I have to emphasize that this is Nonna's homemade ravioli recipe. Nonna's ravioli are truly delicious! And I have so many special memories of making ravioli with my mom, and my kids do with their nonna.
Making fresh homemade ravioli is a wonderfully satisfying experience that brings an authentic touch to your kitchen. You need to follow the four parts of the recipe: making fresh pasta dough, prepping the ricotta filling, rolling out dough into sheets, and the last step, shaping the ravioli. It yields ravioli to feed four people or two very hungry ones! There are also ravioli storage tips and also, how to freeze them!
The key to any great homemade ravioli recipe is in the pasta dough. I always start with a simple homemade pasta dough, using all-purpose flour, eggs, and a touch of extra-virgin olive oil.
Once the dough is rolled out, it becomes the base for easy homemade ravioli, ready to be filled with a delicious cheese filling. A little grated Parmigiano cheese added to the filling gives the ravioli extra depth, and gently rubbing the edges with a little water helps seal everything in beautifully.
A sprinkle of semolina flour helps the ravioli not stick together while you are prepping them. If it’s your first time making ravioli, don't worry—this recipe is straightforward and perfect for beginners.
One of the things I love about making fresh homemade ravioli is the versatility of the ravioli filling. Whether you go for a classic cheese mixture or something more elaborate, the process is simple and fun.
After sealing the pasta, you can cook it in boiling water and pair it with a sauce of your choice, such as a light cream sauce or a drizzle of olive oil and more grated Parmesan. This homemade ravioli recipe is perfect for anyone looking to bring a touch of Italian tradition into their home with fresh, wholesome ingredients.
💖Why we love easy homemade ravioli:
- Versatile sauce options: Pair it with a cream sauce or a simple olive oil drizzle for a great finish.
- Simple and approachable: Perfect for first-time making homemade ravioli. Making ravioli is a fun pasta making project.
- Customizable: Experiment with different ravioli fillings! There are so many different ways to enjoy the ravioli.
- Nonna's recipe: What I love the most about this ravioli recipe, is that it's nonna's recipe. And like it always is when we make pasta, it was three generations making them.
If you like this recipe you might like my gnocchi alla sorrentina or my tortellini alla panna.
There's a lot of info to take in, but here is all you need to know about nonna's pasta making project.
How to make homemade ravioli
This takes some time and it can be done in one day, but you can't start in the evening and expect to have dinner by 6. We will be: prepping homemade pasta dough, making quick ricotta filling, rolling out the dough into sheets, and the last step, filling and cutting out ravioli. It should be enough ravioli for 4 and you also learn how to freeze them.
This is a special project to do with your kids or your friends. Lucky for us nonna was here showing my daughter how to make it. Making homemade pasta memories we will cherish forever. Let's get onto the fantastic recipe!
Breakdown of how to organize time for making ravioli :
Day before: Making the pasta dough. Wrap and store in the refrigerator. Make the ricotta filling and a simple tomato sauce. The dough can be made day before using. The filling and sauce could be made 1-2 days ahead of time.
The next day: Begin making the ravioli about one hour before you will be ready to eat them. Be sure to take the dough out and bring to room temperature ahead of time. Once it's room temperature, you can start to make the ravioli shapes. Heat the sauce slowly and when the ravioli are ready, combine together.
🛒 Ingredients for homemade ravioli recipe:
I go more into details regarding the pasta dough ingredients further on in this post, but here is what you need:
For the Ravioli dough:
- All -purpose flour: I discuss a little more into details further on why you can use all-purpose or double 00 flour.
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Eggs
- Semolina flour
For the Spinach and Ricotta filling
- Whole milk ricotta cheese: I know every recipe with ricotta says you have to strain it. For quite a few years, I use the Galbani ricotta, and it does not need to be strained. I use the full-fat version, which makes the filling more luscious. If you buy a very runny ricotta, you will have to strain it over paper towels and a strainer before using it.
- Egg: One large egg is all you need. It helps the filling bind together. I have made with and without egg, and either way, it's turned out fine.
- Spinach: I use fresh spinach. You could also use frozen. If using frozen, thaw and drain well. You need to squeeze out all the liquid after cooking fresh spinach before stirring into the ricotta filling.
- Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino: either Parmigiano, Grana Padano, or pecorino could be used. Use a better quality, as it will give the best flavor to the filling. I do not recommend "parmesan" cheese.
- Freshly grated nutmeg: fresh nutmeg has the best flavor. Use ground if that's what you have on hand.
- Sea salt: just need a touch of salt, because the cheese has salt in it.
- Freshly ground black pepper: Optional, add a few grinds to your taste.
Best pasta dough recipe for ravioli:
These are the main ingredients you need to make ravioli. You probably have everything on hand and can make them today!
- All-purpose flour: I know there are so many recipes that say you absolutely need "00" flour (double zero flour)to make homemade pasta, but all-purpose flour works just as well. 00 flour (double-zero flour)has a higher protein content than all-purpose, and if you can find some, do use it.
- Olive oil: I like to use a very good quality extra-virgin olive oil. Go ahead and use regular or extra virgin, just use a nice quality.
- Eggs: I use large eggs. Try to find the best quality eggs. If you are lucky to find really fresh ones, they will have yolks that are very bright orange. In Italy, the yolks are typically super orange colored, and it does result in a more golden colored pasta.
- Semolina flour: you only need a little bit of semolina flour. It's just used to make sure the dough doesn't stick while you're working with the cut ravioli. If you sprinkle regular flour on top of the cut ravioli, it will make the pasta a bit tough. Since it is a grainy flour, just a touch is needed to use while you are prepping.
Equipment you need to make ravioli:
There are different ways to make the ravioli shape. If you can't get your hands on any of these ravioli making tools, just use a rolling pin, cookie cutter, a sharp knife, or even a pizza cutter. These are three main tools you need to make the ravioli shape:
- Ravioli Wheel or Pasta Wheel: this is a ruffled edge small wheel that is used to hand cut filled ravioli. Use it to make whatever shape you like.
- Ravioli Stamp: the tool is an individual stamp that cuts out shapes after the pasta sheets are filled and layered. You can usually find circle and square, and I have both of them. You can even make heart shaped ravioli!
- Ravioli Cutter or Ravioli Mold: a ravioli cutters or mold is just what you need to make the perfect ravioli. They come in circles or squares, and in plastic and aluminum. You can even find beautiful wooden ravioli molds. As long as you seal it correctly, the ravioli pop right out.
- I explain how to fill the pasta sheet layers with each of these tools in the Methods for Making and Sealing Ravioli section of this post.
🍽️ How to make nonna's ravioli with ricotta filling:
Here is how to make homemade ravioli (the full printable recipe is below!):
Step 1: Make Ravioli Dough
- There are a few ways to make fresh pasta dough, since this is nonna's recipe, I'll tell you she does prefer to use the food processor. It's super fast, and all you do is add the ingredients to the food processor and let the metal blade to the work. Pulse for 15-20 seconds or so until the dough comes together.
- When nonna was making the dough, it did need a bit of extra flour, and then a touch of water to make it perfectly supple. You want your finger to touch the dough and the dough not hold the indentation. The more you make ravioli, the more you'll understand how it should feel when you touch it. The weather and humidity in your house could also impact how your dough turns out. Ravioli dough shouldn't be tough and it shouldn't be sticky.
- Turn out the dough to your clean work surface and knead dough for a minute, then form into a ball. When you touch the dough, it should be elastic, and spring back. If it's too sticky, it needs a touch more flour. If it's too hard, a little bit of water. The more you make the dough, the more you'll understand it.
- Let the gluten in the dough relax, which makes it much easier to roll out. Cover the dough with a bowl or with plastic wrap, and let it rest for 30. Move on to make the quick filling while the dough relaxes (and tomato sauce, if that's what you are serving it with).
Step 2: Make Ricotta Filling
- In a bowl, combine the ricotta, egg, spinach, and Parmigiano. Add in some grated nutmeg. Taste, and season with salt, if you like. The cheese is salty, so you may not need any salt or just a touch. Cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator while you continue on with making the ravioli. The filling can be prepped 1-2 days in advance.
You just have to chop up the spinach before adding to the ricotta. Also, make sure it has cooled down. DO NOT ADD HOT spinach to the filling.
Blanch or steam the spinach. Once you chop up the spinach, it all gets combined. Be sure to really squeeze out all the water from cooking spinach! This is the Galbani ricotta that was not strained. Look how thick it is and not runny at all.
Step 3: Roll Pasta Dough Into Sheets
After you've let the pasta dough rest and you've prepped the filling, it's time to roll out the dough. Very important to set up your work space BEFORE you begin. Clean counter space or a table works great. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Unwrap the dough and cut the dough into 4 equal pieces. Pull out one piece and wrap the others while you work with one section at a time. If you have a scale, you can weigh them to make sure they're equal.
- If you are using a Kitchen Aid attachment, this is setting #1. Start with passing the first disc through on the machine set to the widest (lowest) setting.
- Put the dough through #2-5 (2 times on each setting), until you get 1 mm thickness, so the sheet is a bit translucent, and you can see your hand through it.
- You can trim the sheet to make it even around the edges. Place pasta sheet on your baking sheet and cover while you work the 3 remaining dough pieces.
Equipment to roll out the ravioli dough:
Here are the different methods to roll out your pasta dough to make the ravioli: you do not have a pasta making attachment for your Kitchen Aid, these are other ways to roll out the dough.
- Stand Mixer with attachment: You could use the Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer with the Pasta Attachment. It's really convenient to use and once you start making pasta with it, you won't stop!
- Pasta machine: I have two old school pasta machines and do love to use them. If you use a hand crank pasta machine, just make sure it's attached to a stable board or table. If you're never used one before, refer to the instruction book. Keep in mind, setting are reversed from the Kitchen Aid attachment, but same process.
- Rolling Pin: The other method is really old school, and it is rolling it out by hand. With a floured rolling pin, start to roll beginning in the middle and roll out. Keep turning and rotating, rolling until you get the thinnest rectangular shape.
- Continue on with rest of the recipe, no matter which method you choose to roll out the dough.
This is making pasta at home. Nothing fancy. A bit messy. But delicious! At this point I was arguing with nonna and saying there was way too much flour on the sheets. She did it her way and the flour was not too much.
Nonna kept cranking out the pasta sheets and laying them out. I couldn't keep up with the production.
Like I said, this is how fast she rolled it out.
Step 4: Assemble and Cut Ravioli
Final step in making the ravioli, is filling and cutting out the ravioli. There are different ways to cut out the ravioli shapes.
- Place a pasta sheet down on your work space. Start to spoon on a rounded teaspoon of the filling, with a 2 finger-width of separation.
- Place the second sheet of pasta on top.
- Smooth out the top sheet of pasta, gently pressing around the filling to push out air pockets. Use a little water to seal the sides and edges.
- Start to cut out the ravioli shapes. Press your ravioli stamp down firmly to cut out raviolis. Place cut ravioli on parchment lined baking sheet with semolina flour.
- Cover the ravioli with another baking sheet, plastic wrap, or a clean towel while you fill and cut out the remaining ravioli.
Nonna brought over a vintage ravioli maker from Ohio that still had the booklet (we didn't use it).
If you are using a ravioli maker like this one, lay out the first sheet on top of it.
Spoon in the filling.
Place the another pasta sheet on top (be sure to cover the other sheets while you are working with first ravioli so they don't dry ).
They are pillowy and soft ravioli!
A fluted cutter will help you separate them.
Place ravioli on cookie sheet with some semolina flour. You could freeze them like this or wait until you boil the water to cook them up.
Step 5: Freeze or Cook up the Ravioli
- To freeze: Make room in your freezer, and place your baking sheets of raviolis in the freezer for 24 hour. Transfer frozen ravioli to your zipped lock freezer, and freeze for up to 1 month. Be sure to date the bag. You can cook frozen ravioli.
- To cook: If you're cooking right away, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Drop in your raviolis and give it a gentle stir. As soon they float to the top, the ravioli are ready. Depending on how thick you rolled out the pasta dough, they could be ready in 2 minutes or even 6 minutes. So stay close by your ravioli and make sure the water doesn't overflow.
- To strain: Homemade ravioli are delicate, so you should remove them gently with a strainer or even a slotted spoon and place on serving platter or dish and add on the sauce.
The ravioli are so delicious, it's worth the time to do all this work.
📃 NOTE: Recipe card with detailed instructions are below! Print it out for later!
What to serve with homemade ravioli recipe:
This ravioli recipe goes nicely with nicely with any roasted vegetable, side dish, or bread.
- Insalata mista >>>A fast and simple Italian salad, this is super easy to put together!
- Panzanella Toscana >>> A fantastic Tuscan salad that is easy to make and also really delicious.
- Turkey Bolognese >>>To stay with the comfort food theme, you could serve it over it with this delicious sauce.
- Fresh Tomato Sauce >>> This is a really easy and fast fresh tomato sauce that goes perfectly with the ravioli.
- Crusty bread >>> I love to eat pasta with some really crusty homemade bread! Or try this easy psomi spitiko Greek bread.
- Rosemary breadsticks >>> These breadsticks are easy to make and very flavorful.
🫙 Leftover and Storing
- At Room Temperature : Dust a parchment lined baking sheet with a little bit of semolina flour. Place the homemade ravioli on top of the flour, and wrap the pan tightly with plastic wrap. Keep wrapped at room temperature for one hour, but no longer, and make sure it is not kept in a hot kitchen.
- To Refrigerate: Follow the instructions above and place the sheet pan in refrigerator for up to 4 hours. Ravioli cannot be kept in refrigerator overnight, or the pasta will change color, oxidize, and you'll have very mushy ravioli.
- To Freeze: Dust parchment lined baking sheet with a little bit of semolina flour and arrange the ravioli on top. Freeze directly on the pan without wrapping pan with plastic wrap. As soon as it freezes, place the frozen ravioli in a parchment lined line freezer safe airtight container. Freeze up to 1 month.
📃 Substitutions & Variations
Here are some great variations and substitutions for ricotta ravioli:
Variations:
- Lemon Ricotta Ravioli: Mix lemon zest into the ricotta filling for a fresh, tangy twist. It pairs beautifully with a simple butter or olive oil sauce.
- Mushroom Ricotta Ravioli: I love ravioli stuffed with mushrooms! Add sautéed mushrooms to the ricotta for an earthy, umami-rich filling.
- Ricotta and Prosciutto Ravioli: My other top favorite! For a more savory option, mix in finely chopped prosciutto with the ricotta. It adds a salty, meaty depth to the filling.
- Herb Ricotta Ravioli: Add fresh herbs like basil, parsley, or thyme to the ricotta filling for a fragrant and herbaceous variation.
Substitutions:
- Vegan Ricotta: Use almond or tofu-based ricotta to make the ravioli filling dairy-free. Pair with a dairy-free sauce like olive oil and garlic. The ravioli dough has an egg in it, so it's not vegan.
- Cottage Cheese: If you don’t have ricotta on hand, cottage cheese can be used as a substitute. Just blend it to achieve a smoother consistency.
- Mascarpone: For a richer filling, substitute ricotta with mascarpone. It will create a creamier, silkier texture.
- Goat Cheese: Swap out some or all of the ricotta for tangy goat cheese, adding a more intense flavor to the filling.
☑️ Lora's Tips to make the best homemade ravioli:
- Plan ahead: organize your ingredients and the components of this recipe.
- Make a sauce: The simple tomato sauce can be made ahead of time (1-2 days in advance). You can use a store-bought high quality sauce, but I like to make my own, because it's fast and delicious!
- Strain ricotta: IF bought a runny ricotta brand, you will need to strain it before using. I really like the Galbani whole fat ricotta and never strain it and never had any problems with any thing getting soggy. Other brands may be very liquidy and need to be strained.
- Clear work space: Once you have your sauce ready, ricotta strained and pasta dough made, get your work space ready. A clean counter space or even a table is what you need to work well. Make room on a table, if you don't have room on your counter.
- Get out your pasta making tools: Take out your pasta machine and attach it (whether you have an attachment to your mixer or an actual pasta maker that needs to be attached to a table or a big board)and get out trays to hold the ravioli. Take out any ravioli cutting tools.
- Ravioli cutting tools: If you don't have a ravioli maker or a mold, no problem. You could use a fluted pastry wheel or even use a very sharp knife to cut out the shapes.
- Don’t overfill: Use small portions of filling to prevent overstuffing, which can cause the ravioli to burst while cooking. Aim for about a teaspoon of filling for each piece.
- Remove air pockets: Take time to gently press out the pockets of air before sealing the two layers of pasta around the ricotta. It is a step you should not skip. The more you do it, the faster it will be each time.
- Seal pasta layers firmly: Once the top pasta layer gets added on, you have to press firmly to seal them together.
- Dry the ravioli before cooking: Let your ravioli sit on a floured surface for about 30 minutes before boiling. This helps them firm up and reduces the risk of sticking or bursting. Since you are taking your time making the shapes, 30 minutes flies by pretty quickly.
- Cook in gently boiling water: Boil the ravioli in gently simmering water to prevent them from tearing apart. Cooking for 2-4 minutes is typically enough for fresh ravioli.
- Test a few first: Before boiling a large batch, test a couple of ravioli to ensure they’re sealed properly and cooking correctly.
- Pair with the right sauce: Delicate ravioli pair best with lighter sauces like browned butter, olive oil, or simple tomato sauce. Avoid overpowering the filling with heavy sauces.
❓ FAQ'S
Do I need to drain the ricotta?
I talk about this in the post. If you buy a ricotta that has lots of liquid in it, you will need to strain it. I discovered some years back Galbani whole fat ricotta and it is the perfect texture. No need to strain it! Also, you could make your own ricotta, and that will be more thick and also strained.
Can I use lasagna sheets to make ravioli?
Yes, you can use lasagna sheets to make ravioli. First, soak the lasagne sheets for half an hour in cold water so they get soft enough to work with. Simply cut the sheets into squares, add your filling, and fold or press them to seal. Pre-cooked lasagna sheets work best for this method, as they’re more pliable and easy to handle.
What are ravioli traditionally filled with?
Ravioli are traditionally filled with ingredients like ricotta cheese, spinach, or meat such as ground pork, beef, or veal. In some regions, ravioli can also be filled with vegetables or seafood like lobster.
Do you put raw meat in ravioli?
No, you cannot put raw meat in ravioli. The raw meat should be cooked all the way through before filling in the ravioli.
How long to let homemade ravioli dry?
Homemade ravioli could be dried for 30 minutes, and then cook it. But they can be cooked as soon as you fill them.
Can homemade ravioli be made in advance?
Yes, homemade ravioli can be made in advance. Once assembled, you can refrigerate them for up to a day or freeze them for longer storage.
Can homemade ravioli be frozen?
Yes, homemade ravioli can be frozen. Arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until firm. Then transfer them to a sealed container or bag for up to 3 months. Cook from frozen without thawing.
Can fresh ravioli be baked?
Yes, fresh ravioli can be baked, typically in a casserole or lasagna-style dish. Layer the ravioli with sauce and cheese, then bake until bubbly and golden. This method works well for stuffed pasta dishes and adds a different texture.
Nonna's ravioli are truly the best homemade ravioli! The simple tender egg dough is wrapped around a luscious ricotta filling. Serve with a simple sauce, and you have the most delicious fresh pasta recipe!
Some other pasta recipes you'll love:
Did you make this? Please RATE THE RECIPE below:)
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📖 Recipe
Fresh Homemade Ravioli
Equipment
- 1 pasta machine
Ingredients
For the pasta dough:
- 4 cups of all-purpose flour or 00 flour
- 4 large eggs
- 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- a little water to seal the edges
For the ricotta filling:
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1 large egg
- 10 ounces spinach cleaned and trimmed
- 1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano or grated pecorino
- ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- Sea salt to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
Make pasta dough:
- Food processor: There are a few ways to make fresh pasta dough, since this is nonna's recipe, I'll tell you she does prefer to use the food processor. It's super fast, and all you do is add the ingredients to the food processor and let the metal blade to the work. Pulse for 15-20 seconds or so until the dough comes together.
- Turn out the dough to your clean work surface and knead dough for a minute, then form into a ball.
- Let the gluten in the dough relax, which makes it much easier to roll out. Cover the dough with a bowl or with plastic wrap, and let it rest for 30. Move on to make the quick filling while the dough relaxes (and tomato sauce, if that's what you are serving it with).
Make ricotta filling:
- Cook up the spinach by either blanching or steaming. Drain and completely squeeze all the liquid out of the spinach. Finely chop the spinach. Allow the spinach to totally cool down, do not add hot spinach to the filling.
- If you are using a very liquidy ricotta brand, you will need to strain it. I recommend the Galbani brand (whole fat)and never strain it.
- In a bowl, combine the ricotta, egg, spinach, and Parmigiano. Add in some grated nutmeg. Taste, and season with salt, if you like. The cheese is salty, so you may not need any salt or just a touch. Cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator while you continue on with making the ravioli. The filling can be prepped 1-2 days in advance.
Roll Pasta Dough Into Sheets:
- Unwrap the dough and cut the dough into 4 equal pieces. Pull out one piece and wrap the others while you work with one section at a time. If you have a scale, you can weigh them to make sure they're equal.
- If you are using a Kitchen Aid attachment, this is setting #1. Start with passing the first disc through on the machine set to the widest (lowest) setting.
- Put the dough through #2-5 (2 times on each setting), until you get 1 mm thickness, so the sheet is a bit translucent, and you can see your hand through it.
- Keep changing the setting Send the disc through the roller on the widest/lowest setting. This is #1 on the Kitchen Aid attachment. Send it through a second time.
- Trim the pasta sheet to make it even around the edges. Place pasta sheet on your baking sheet and cover while you work the 3 remaining dough pieces.
Assemble and Cut Ravioli:
- Place a pasta sheet down on your work space. Start to spoon on a rounded teaspoon of the filling, with a 2 finger-width of separation.
- Place the second sheet of pasta on top.
- Smooth out the top sheet of pasta, gently pressing around the filling to push out air pockets. Use a little water to seal the sides and edges.
- Start to cut out the ravioli shapes. Press your ravioli stamp down firmly to cut out raviolis. Place cut ravioli on parchment lined baking sheet with semolina flour.
- Cover the ravioli with another baking sheet, plastic wrap, or a clean towel while you fill and cut out the remaining ravioli.
Freeze or Cook up the Ravioli
- To freeze: Make room in your freezer, and place your baking sheets of raviolis in the freezer for 24 hour. Transfer frozen ravioli to your zipped lock freezer, and freeze for up to 1 month. Be sure to date the bag.
- To cook: If you're cooking right away, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Drop in your raviolis and give it a gentle stir. If your pot isn't very wide, cook in batches so they have room. As soon they float to the top, the ravioli are ready. Depending on how thick you rolled out the pasta dough, they could be ready in 2 minutes or even 5 minutes. So stay close by your ravioli and make sure the water doesn't overflow.
- Serve with sauce of your choice and some grated Parmigiano Reggiano and enjoy!
Nutrition Disclaimer
Please keep in mind that the nutritional information presented below is an approximation and may vary depending on the exact ingredients used.
Video
Notes
- Semolina flour: Have some semolina flour on hand to sprinkle on to help the ravioli not stick together as you prep the shapes.
- Pasta machine or pasta making attachment: If you happen to have a pasta machine or attachment, it's really easy to roll out dough to the correct thinness.
- Make by hand: You can make the dough completely by hand. Refer to the post where I talk about how to make the dough by hand.
- Ravioli dough texture: This dough uses eggs as the main liquid, but a small amount of water can be added if the dough feels too dry. The goal is to achieve a smooth, pliable dough that's not too sticky or too dry. If while you're making the dough, but if the dough is too crumbly, adding a little bit of water can help bring it together. It may even seem sticky while you're making it, and you may need to add a touch of flour. The more you make ravioli, the more you'll get to know the texture.
- Filling: Start with a teaspoon of the ricotta filling. Depending on which method you use to make the shapes, you could even use a heaping teaspoon. You want to make sure to not overfill the ravioli centers. If you stuff with too much filling, it could burst out while boiling.
- Piping bag: Not essential to have one, but if you do, you could pipe in the ricotta filling.
- To drain or not drain filling: If you don't use a very dense ricotta (like Galbani), you will need to drain the ricotta so it isn't watery.
- Seal ravioli: Make sure the ravioli are sealed well. Use a little bit of water and pat around the edges to close them gently. If the sides aren't sealed, the filling could burst out while cooking.
- Cook the ravioli in batches: If you're not using a very large pot to boil the ravioli, you'll have to cook them in batches. If they don't have room to move around as they boil, they could stick together.
- Ravioli sauces: Two delicious sauces to serve with these ravioli are my easy tomato sauce and my creamy pumpkin sauce.
Jen says
This is just what I was hoping to find. I made ravioli with my nana when I was a kid. This is just like how she makes it. The filling is really easy. Absolutely delicious!
Annemarie says
I really love this recipe! I think it is same one my nonna made and when I watch your video it reminds me of her making ravioli. THANK YOU THANK YOU for sharing and making a video. Never thought I could make them without her, and this was like making them with her. Delicious filling!!!
Lora says
Hi Annemarie-Thank you for taking the time to leave the kind comment. How nice to hear this reminds you of making ravioli with your nonna. Happy you enjoyed the ravioli!!