Looking to impress your guests with something light, fresh, and totally satisfying? Ravioli con Ricotta e Spinaci (Ravioli with Ricotta and Spinach) is a crowd-pleasing, vegetarian-friendly dish that’s perfect for spring and summer gatherings. Comforting, elegant, and bursting with flavor—it’s hard to go wrong with homemade pasta like this!
What is Ravioli con ricotta e spinaci?
Imagine delicate ravioli filled with creamy ricotta, fresh spinach, and a hint of nutmeg, all topped with a golden brown butter and herb sauce. Sounds dreamy, right? It’s the kind of meal that makes people think you’re secretly a professional chef.
What you’ll need:
For the pasta dough:
- 200g flour
- 2 eggs
For the filling:
- Fresh spinach
- Ricotta cheese
- Ground nutmeg
- Black pepper
- Salt
- Parmigiano Reggiano (as much as you like!)
For the sauce:
- 140g butter
- 3–4 garlic cloves
- Fresh sage and thyme (optional but delicious)
- Extra Parmigiano Reggiano for serving
How to make Ravioli con ricotta e spinaci
Step 1: make the pasta dough
- On a clean surface, pile your flour into a mound and make a well in the center.
- Crack the eggs into the well and start whisking with a fork, slowly pulling in flour from the sides.
- Once the dough starts coming together, ditch the fork and knead by hand until it’s smooth and elastic. If it’s sticky, add a little more flour.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest for 20 minutes.
Step 2: make the filling
- Blanch the spinach in salted boiling water for 25–30 seconds—just until it wilts and turns deep green.
- Drain and cool, then squeeze out all the extra water.
- Chop the spinach and mix it with ricotta, a pinch of nutmeg, salt, and black pepper. Add plenty of grated Parmigiano Reggiano and mix until smooth.
- Transfer to a piping bag (or use a spoon if that’s more your style) and set aside.
Step 3: roll & fill the pasta
- Roll out the rested dough using a pasta machine (or rolling pin) until thin and even. Use semolina flour to prevent sticking.
- Lay out one sheet of pasta and pipe small mounds of filling evenly spaced apart.
- Place another sheet on top, press around the filling to seal, and cut into ravioli using a pasta cutter or knife.
Step 4: cook and make the sauce
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil—your ravioli will cook in just 3–5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic, fresh herbs, and season with a pinch of nutmeg, salt, and pepper.
- Once the butter turns golden brown and fragrant, add a splash of pasta water to help create a silky sauce.
- Stir in a bit of grated Parmigiano to emulsify, then gently toss in the cooked ravioli until they’re well-coated in the sauce.
Final touches
Serve your ravioli with extra Parmigiano Reggiano and a few crispy sage leaves on top. Pair with a chilled white wine or sparkling water with lemon, and you’ve got yourself a meal to remember!
Buon appetito!
🎥 Want to see it in action? Watch Michele and Marco cook this recipe step-by-step here: EP1 – RICOTTA and SPINACH RAVIOLI with BROWN BUTTER and HERBS