A Guide to Making Ravioli From Scratch
Making ravioli from scratch is intimidating, but there are a few things you can do to make the process smoother. Investing in top-quality pasta tools, for one; or taking a pasta-making class at our London cook school. But our best piece of advice is to remember that practice makes perfect, and keep the following tips in mind anytime you make ravioli from scratch. We've also included our beginner-friendly recipe for pasta dough, instructions on how to fill and cook ravioli, and a few recipes for classic ravioli fillings which you can use as a springboard for creativity.
Tips for Filling Ravioli
- Always make sure your ravioli filling is fully cooked and very finely chopped or blended; it should feel cohesive and stick together easily.
- Squeeze out as much liquid as possible from your filling before adding it to pasta. Filling that is too wet will make it difficult to seal the pasta.
- Make sure your filling is completely cool before adding it to pasta.
- If you have leftover roast vegetables or ragout, homemade ravioli is a great way to use them up (make sure it is finely chopped and properly dried first).
- Season your filling very well to ensure it has the right amount of salt.
- Work as quickly as possible, as ravioli dough (which is thinner than long pasta dough) dries out quickly. The Marcato Ravioli Tablet is immensely helpful, as it guides you to fill the pasta with the right amount of filling and easily 'releases' the shapes once they are ready.
How to Make Ravioli Dough
This pasta dough recipe, which comes from our cook school, is great for beginners as the additional water you get from using whole eggs (as opposed to egg yolks) helps the dough become more elastic.
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients
400g '00' flour
4 large eggs
4 large eggs
Method
- Place flour in a mixing bowl and make a well in the centre; crack eggs into it. With a fork, whisk the eggs into the flour from the inside out, gradually incorporating until there’s no loose flour left. Now use your hands to knead the dough in the bowl until it forms a ball. If it feels too wet, add a bit of flour; too dry, add a bit of water.
- Transfer to a work surface and keep kneading until it is smooth and elastic. This may take up to 15 minutes; patience is key. When you press the dough with a finger and it bounces back, it’s ready. Wrap in cling film and rest for 30 minutes at room temp (up to three hours in the fridge).
- Take a quarter of the dough, flatten into a rectangle, and dust with flour. Keep the remaining dough covered with clingfilm, to prevent it drying out. Set the rollers to the widest setting (0), dust with flour, and roll the pasta through. Fold 1/3 of one side of the sheet towards the middle, and do the same with the other 1/3, like an envelope. Roll this through the same setting (0) one more time, then repeat the envelope shape and roll through the 0 setting a final time. This strengthens and stretches the dough, as well as makes sure the pasta sheet is the same width as the roller.
- Adjust the rollers by one notch and repeat, just one time for each number, until your desired thickness. (For ravioli, the best thickness is 6-7 on any Marcato pasta maker.) Set the rolled pasta aside on a floured baking sheet and cover with a damp tea towel. Repeat with the remaining dough.
How to Fill Ravioli
- If using the Marcato Ravioli Tablet (above), dust the surface (including the clear 'door') with flour and lay a sheet of pasta loosely on top of it. Press down on the dents to make space for the filling. Add the filling to the dents, dab or brush the sides of each ravioli with water, and cover the tablet with another sheet of pasta. Using the ravioli tablet roller, press and roll the surface of the ravioli tablet until you see the clear door's serrations have sufficiently cut the space between each ravioli piece. Lift the clear door up by the handle and the pieces will be released. (If using a basic ravioli tablet, like the Marcato Classic 12 Hole Ravioli Maker, there is no clear door. Follow the same instructions but, when releasing the pieces, turn the tablet over and shake to release.) Now your ravioli is ready to cook.
- If using a ravioli stamp, lay a pasta sheet down on your work surface. Using a teaspoon, add dollops of filling to the sheet, making sure you have plenty of space around each spoonful. Using your finger or a pastry brush, add a bit of water around each dollop of filling. Loosely drape another sheet of pasta over the pasta and filling. Using both your index fingers, gently press the areas around each filling down, all along the sides, to seal the ravioli, making sure to expel as much air as possible. Cut the pieces using a stamp or cutter. Now your ravioli is ready to cook.
How Long Should You Cook Ravioli?
Fresh ravioli need to be cooked for 3-4 minutes; when done, they will float up to the top of the water. Cook it as you would regular pasta: by setting a pot of water to a boil, adding a lot of salt, then adding your ravioli to cook. Serve ravioli with a sauce of your choosing; browned butter infused with herbs; or simply dressed with olive oil, salt, and freshly cracked pepper.
Ravioli Filling Ideas (& Recipes)
Below are six classic Italian ravioli fillings. Once you master these tried-and-true fillings, feel free to use them as a springboard for your own creativity. These recipes make enough filling for 4-6 servings of ravioli.
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Spinach and Ricotta: Sauté 250g spinach in a hot frying pan and cook for 2-3 minutes, until the volume has significantly reduced. Take the spinach off the heat and place in a colander. Over the sink, use your hands to squeeze out as much water as possible. Let the spinach cool completely. Once cooled, chop finely and add it to a mixing bowl with 200g ricotta. Season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of ground nutmeg, to taste.
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Wild Garlic and Ricotta: Chop about 100g fresh wild garlic very finely. Place it in a mixing bowl and add 200g ricotta. Mix until incorporated. Season with salt, pepper, and a touch of lemon zest (about half a lemon’s worth).
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Mushroom and Ricotta with Toasted Pine Nuts: In a dry frying pan, toast a handful of pine nuts until nicely browned; be careful not to burn them. Set aside. In the same frying pan, Sauté 150g of any kind of wild mushroom in olive oil. Add a large pinch of salt and add 1-2 cloves of minced garlic. Cook until all the water evaporates. Let the mushrooms cool. Once cooled, chop as finely as possible. In a mixing bowl, mix the pine nuts, mushrooms, and 200g ricotta cheese. A handful of chopped parsley is a nice addition here.
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Sausage and Chard with Parmesan: Blanch 200g of chard leaves and squeeze as much water out of the leaves as possible. Chop finely and set aside on a colander to allow the water to drain further. In a frying pan, sauté about 150g of Italian sausage (without its casing) in a little bit of oil. Once the sausage is fully cooked, remove from pan and let it cool. Chop finely and mix it with the cooled, chopped chard. Season with salt, pepper, and 75g finely grated parmesan cheese.
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Pumpkin or Squash with Goat Cheese: Roast 250g of peeled pumpkin or squash with some salt and oil for 20-25 minutes in an oven set to 200°C fan. When ready, mash squash with a fork until it becomes a rough purée. Once it has cooled, add to a mixing bowl and incorporate 150g goat cheese. Season with salt and pepper, and add some chopped basil or parsley if desired.
- Artichokes, Pecorino and Thyme: Chop 150g of artichoke hearts (remove the hard bits) as finely as you can. Add 1-2 sprigs of thyme and 150g grated Pecorino. Mix it well and season with salt and pepper.
