Easy
4 per.
60 min
Ricotta and spinach ravioli are a timeless classic of Italian cuisine. This stuffed pasta, with its delicate and genuine flavour, is perfect for a family lunch or special dinner. Preparing them at home is a rewarding experience, allowing you to customise every detail, from the dough to the filling.
The time has come to put our hands to pasta, so let’s see together how to prepare ravioli with spinach and ricotta.
How to make ravioli pasta
To obtain a strong and elastic dough, ideal for homemade ravioli, follow this simple and proven recipe:
Ingredients for the pasta:
300 g of soft wheat flour type “00”
3 fresh eggs
A pinch of salt
Procedure
Pour the flour onto a pastry board, creating a well.
Break the eggs in the centre and add a pinch of salt.
Knead with your hands until the mixture is smooth and elastic.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest for at least 30 minutes.
The ricotta and spinach ravioli filling
The filling is the heart of the ravioli. For this classic variation, we use fresh ricotta and spinach.
Ingredients for the filling:
250 g ricotta
200 g fresh spinach
50 g grated Grana Padano DOP
Nutmeg to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
Procedure
Cook the spinach in a little salted water, drain it and squeeze it well.
Chop them finely and mix them with the ricotta cheese.
Add Grana Padano PDO, a grating of nutmeg, salt and pepper.
Mix everything together until a homogeneous filling is obtained, at which point your ricotta and spinach ravioli filling is ready.
Closing ravioli filled with ricotta and spinach
Roll out the dough until it is about one millimetre thin and divide it in half.
Using a pastry bag, pour the filling onto one of the halves of the pastry sheet, forming small balls and spacing them about 3 cm apart.
Gently place the other half of the pastry sheet on top of the first, taking care to adhere the edges, press into the spaces between the ricotta and spinach filling and then cut the ravioli shape.
Cooking ravioli
Once ready, cooking the ravioli requires delicacy:
Bring plenty of salted water to the boil.
Cook the ravioli for 3-4 minutes or until they rise to the surface.
Drain them gently with a slotted spoon and season to taste.
For the dressing, butter and sage are a classic choice, but you can also opt for a light tomato sauce or a creamy Grana Padano PDO.
How to store ricotta and spinach ravioli
Once we have seen how to make ricotta and spinach ravioli, let’s move on to their storage. Ravioli can be prepared in advance and stored:
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In the fridge: for up to 1 day, placed on a floured tray and covered with a tea towel.
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In the freezer: place them on a floured tray and freeze them. Once solid, transfer them to food bags. Cook them directly when frozen to prevent them from breaking.
