Spinach Ricotta Ravioli

For ravioli dough

• Eggs - preferably free range eggs for the best testing pasta.
• Flour - Italian 00 flour is your first choice but all purpose flour will work as well.

For the filling

• Spinach - it’s best to use fresh spinach but as an exception frozen one will work as well.
• Ricotta - full fat ricotta cheese, well drained.
• Egg - to bind the filling.
• Parmesan cheese - freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano for the filling. Can be substituted with Pecorino.
• Peperoncino, garlic (optional)  - used for cooking spinach.
• Salt, pepper to taste.

For the sauce

Butter and sage leaves.

Tools You'll Need

Rolling pin is the only must-have to make this recipe. The rest of the tools are optional but they make the process much easier and quicker. These are also the tools shown in the recipe photos.

• Pasta Machine makes things a lot easier but you can totally hand roll your pasta dough.
• Ravioli Making Mold also optional, but makes the process much quicker.
• Piping Bag helps with easy and mess free filling but you can use a teaspoon instead.
• Wheel Cutter only if you're not going to use the ravioli mold.

How To Make - Step By Step

Follow this step-by-step guide with pictures, suggestions and top tips for making spinach and ricotta ravioli at home.

You can find a printable version of this recipe so as exact measurement of each ingredients in the recipe card below.

• Sift the flour on work surface (preferably wooden).
  TOP TIP: set 4 tablespoons of flour from the total amount aside. Incorporate it in the dough at the end as and if needed.
• Scoop a well in the center and crack in the eggs.
• Start beating the eggs with a fork, little by little incorporating flour from the sides.
• Once the mix becomes thick, use a dough scraper to fold the flour from the sides onto the center, repeating this process until the dough comes together.
  NOTE: the above process can be done in a food processor. Once dough is formed into a ball knead it for a minutes on low speed, then transfer to work surface and knead with your hands as described in the next step.
• Now start kneading the dough with your hands. Roll the dough on itself kind of forming a log, than rotate 90 degrees and repeat.
  Use a little bit of flour you’ve previously set aside if the dough is too sticky, add another sprinkle if needed. You can even add a little more flour if the dough requires it.

TOP TIP: Use SLOW gentle but firm motion while kneading the dough. If your movements are rough and fast you will notice the dough tearing. It’s a little counterintuitive, but the slower your motion is the smoother the dough will get AND less pressure on your wrists, which is a bonus in and of itself!

• At the end result you should have a smooth, SOFT but NON sticky dough. Dust it with flour and wrap it in the plastic wrap.
• Let rest for at least 30 minutes.

Prepare the ravioli filling

• In a large pan add a drizzle of olive oil (just to slightly grease the pan), garlic clove crushed with a flat knife and chili flakes.
• Turn the heat on medium, add spinach and cover with a lid. Add more spinach to the pan once there’s enough room. Make sure to stir frequently in order not to burn the spinach. Once all spinach is wilted, simmer for another minutes, turn the heat off and remove the garlic pieces if you used them.
• Transfer cooked spinach to a colander or a large strainer. Squeeze out the excess liquid and let cool completely.
• Once spinach is cold enough to handle, chop it roughly with a knife.

• In a large bowl, add ricotta cheese (well drained), chopped spinach, grated Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. You can even taste the filling and adjust seasoning if needed.
• Next, add an egg and mix thoroughly. You can do this with a mixer if you prefer.

TOP TIP: while you are preparing the tools and getting ready to roll the dough, place spinach ricotta filling in the fridge (especially if making them in hot environment).

Roll the dough

• Once the dough has rested, visually divide in into 6 parts.
• Cut off one part, flatten it out slightly with your hands, trying to give a square or rectangular shape. Keep the rest of the dough covered!
• Lightly dust with flour and pass is through the rolls of the pasta machine on its widest setting.
  If the dough has an odd shape, fold it in half and pass through the same setting again.
• Adjust to the next-narrower setting, and pass the dough through it. Repeat the process until you reach thickness of approx 1.2 mm or position 5 on Marcato Atlas Pasta Machine.
  Pass the pasta sheet on this setting for the second time.

RESULT TO AIM FOR: As the end result you should have a rectangular an inch wider than your ravioli mold and a sightly more than twice longer.

• Generously dust with flour the ravioli mold so as one side of the dough sheet. Place the dough sheet floured side down on the ravioli mold, leaving the free end to seal ravioli after stuffing.
  TOP TIP: If needed, brush off any flour from the top side or your ravioli will have hard time closing.
• Using your knuckle gently press into the dough following the cavities of your ravioli stamp.
  TOP TIP: instead of your knuckle you can do this using the tip of your 2 fingers or the end of your rolling pin. Just make sure it’s smaller than the openings. Be sure to be gently not to tear the dough.
• Fill each cavity with a good dollop of spinach ricotta filling.
  TOP TIP: Transfer the filling in the pastry bag or a firm plastic bag with the end cut off to fill ravioli easily, quicker and more uniformly. Alternatively you can use a teaspoon to distribute the filling.
• Cover the ravioli with the free end of pasta making sure to overlap all edges and trying to squeeze out the air tapped in between.

• Roll the rolling pin on top to seal ravioli.
  TOP TIP: press with the end of the rolling pin or your fingers on the crimped edges to make sure they’re perfectly sealed.
• Remove the dough scraps and set them aside sealed with a plastic wrap or plastic bag. Later, you can use all the scraps put together to make more ravioli.
• Flip the ravioli mold over and gently extract the ravioli. Arrange them on the floured board or on a pasta drying rack.

How To Cook

• Bring a large pot of water to boil. Salt well and add splash of oil to prevent ravioli from sticking together.
• Drop ravioli a few at a time. Once ravioli come afloat, cook for 2-3 minutes then drain.

• While ravioli are boiling, in a large pan add butter and sage leaves.
  Let it melt on low heat, then simmer until sage becomes fragrant.
• Lower the heat again. Once ravioli are drained, toss them in the pan with sage butter sauce.

Possible Variations & Add-Ons

The recipe for Ricotta & Spinach ravioli may vary from region to region, and also from family to family. 

Everyone has a secret ingredient. Some add to the filling a pinch of nutmeg or a bit of lemon zest or even a tad of saffron. 

And what about the actual ravioli making process? Well, some do it strictly by hand - from making the dough to filling and cutting ravioli. All they use is a rolling pin and a pasta cutting wheel. Others rely on the pasta machine and a ravioli making tool (ravioli press). 

But don’t tell your Italian nonna (grandma)! Clearly, she still proudly rolls the pasta by hand in super thin sheets with a strength that you never had even in your 20s.

Cooked ravioli: can be store in the fridge for up to 2 days in an air-tight container and reheated in the pan with butter.

Uncooked ravioli: should be frozen shortly after making. Arrange them in a single layer on a tray lined with parchment paper and freeze until hard to touch. Transfer frozen ravioli to a zip-lock bag, write the date. It's best to use them within 3 months. Cook ravioli directly from frozen in hot boiling water, just like fresh ravioli, 2-3 minutes after they come afloat. Don't over-crowed the pot.

Dough scraps - cut the dough scraps into small pasta squares, quadrucci, let air-dry and store in the pantry. Use to make Italian Pastina Soup.

Spinach ricotta filling - if you have any leftover filling most likely it'll be just a few spoons. Add it to frittata, to Spinach Risotto or Mushroom Risotto at the end of cooking and even to the sauce when making creamy spinach Garganelli.