Italy · Pasta & noodles
Ricotta and spinach ravioli.
Fresh egg pasta filled with ricotta and spinach, dressed in butter and sage. A Sunday project that pays off.
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The story of ravioli.
Ravioli are among the oldest filled pastas in Italy, already mentioned in texts from the 1300s. Every region has its own shape and filling, from meat to pumpkin to fish.
Ricotta and spinach is the classic “di magro” filling, meaning meatless, prepared for the days when the Church forbade meat. Simple, delicate and perfect with butter and sage.
Origin: Northern Italy, Italy
Where to find the ingredients in the US.
- Flour: Italian “00” flour makes the silkiest dough; all-purpose works too.
- Ricotta: use whole-milk ricotta and drain it well.
- Spinach: fresh spinach, squeezed very dry.
Three steps. That’s it.
What each stage should look like.
Step 1
Make the dough.
Knead flour and eggs into a smooth dough and let it rest.
Step 2
Fill and seal.
Roll the dough thin, add spoonfuls of filling, cover and press out the air.
Step 3
Butter and sage.
Cook the ravioli for a few minutes and toss in foaming butter with sage.
Illustrations created with AI
Recipe
Ricotta and spinach ravioli.
Prep 1 h 15 min · Cook 5 min · Total 1 h 20 min
Ingredients
- “00” or all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- large eggs
- fresh spinach
- whole-milk ricotta, drained
- Parmigiano Reggiano, grated, plus more to serve
- egg yolk
- nutmeg
- salt and pepper
- unsalted butter, for the sauce
- fresh sage leaves
Instructions
- Pile the flour on a board, make a well, add the eggs and beat with a fork, gradually drawing in the flour. Knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth. Wrap and rest for 30 minutes.
- Wilt the spinach in a pan, cool, squeeze very dry and chop finely. Mix with ricotta, Parmigiano, yolk, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
- Roll the dough into thin sheets (the second-to-last setting on a pasta machine).
- Place teaspoons of filling 1½ inches (4 cm) apart on one sheet, cover with another, press around the filling to push out the air and cut into squares.
- Cook the ravioli in salted simmering water for 3–4 minutes. Meanwhile, melt the butter with the sage until foaming and lightly golden.
- Lift the ravioli into the butter with a slotted spoon, add a splash of cooking water, toss gently and serve with Parmigiano.
Sources consulted: Gambero Rosso. Our own text, with US and metric measurements.
What you’ll need.
Pasta machine.
For thin, even sheets.
Ravioli cutter.
Fluted wheel or stamp for neat edges.
Slotted spoon.
To lift the ravioli without breaking them.
