Pasta of the Week 8: Ravioli di Ricotta e Spinaci 💚

My favorite pasta I've made so far

This week I’m making the first egg pasta in my series:

✨ Ravioli di Ricotta e Spinaci ✨

This might be my favorite pasta so far, so it’s only fitting that it’s pasta #8—my favorite number! I made everything from scratch for this recipe (even the ricotta), which made everything extra tasty.

Ravioli have been around for centuries. The earliest written mention is from 1187 (!!) in a banquet menu in Bergamo. Over time, each region of Italy developed their own versions, filled with whatever was local and in season. The ricotta and spinach combination is especially loved in central Italian regions like Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany, and Lazio.

I love all ravioli but this ricotta and spinach filling is one of my favorites and pairs beautifully with a brown butter and sage sauce and lots of Parmigiano. I shaped mine into circles, but ravioli can also be made square.

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Score:
Flavor: 9.5/10
My highest score yet! The ricotta was fresh and creamy, and paired beautifully with the spinach and Parmigiano. I loved the textures and the taste.

Difficulty: 7/10
Making ricotta from scratch was surprisingly easy, and shaping the ravioli with my new KitchenAid attachment was also a lot easier than it typically is. Getting the dough thin enough for ravioli is key. I rolled it to the thinnest setting. The shaping took a bit of patience, but once I got into a rhythm, I really enjoyed it.

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Ingredients (Serves 3, makes about 40 ravioli):

For the pasta:

• 200g (about 1⅔ cups) 00 flour (I used the Caputo pasta flour but even all purpose would work)

• 2 large eggs
  

For the filling:

• 100g (about 1/3 cup) fresh ricotta (recipe here)

• 50g (about 1 cup) cooked spinach, squeezed dry and chopped (this was a 5oz/150g bag before being cooked)

• 40g (about ½ cup) finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano

• Salt & pepper to taste
  

For the sauce:

• 3 tbsp unsalted butter

• 3 tbsp of finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano

• A few fresh sage leaves

• Pepper to taste

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Instructions (about 1.5 hours total)

1. Make the pasta dough
   On a clean surface, mound the flour and crack the eggs into the center. Beat the eggs with a fork, then gradually mix in the flour until a dough forms. Knead for 10 minutes until smooth. Wrap and let rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
   

2. Make the filling
   Combine ricotta, chopped spinach, Parmigiano, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Use an immersion blender to combine everything if you prefer a smoother filling. Chill until ready to use.
   

3. Roll and shape the ravioli
   Cut dough into quarters. Roll each piece using a pasta machine (I used my KitchenAid attachment; a manual machine or rolling pin also works). The dough should be thin and slightly translucent but not fragile. Lay one sheet down, place teaspoons of filling spaced a few centimeters apart (a piping bag helps), then cover with another sheet. Press out air and seal around the filling. Cut into ravioli with a round cutter or knife and press edges to seal.

4. Make the sauce + cook the pasta
   Bring a pot of salted water to a gentle boil. In a pan, melt butter with sage leaves over medium heat until fragrant and lightly browned.
   Drop ravioli into boiling water and cook for 2–3 minutes, until they float and are tender. Gently toss them in the sage butter sauce.
   

5. Serve
   Plate the ravioli and top with more Parmigiano.
   

Buon appetito! ❤️