Ravioli

Published Jan. 26, 2024

Ravioli
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
1 hour 40 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour, plus 30 minutes’ resting
Rating
4(52)
Notes
Read community notes

This easy method for making ravioli relies on a food processor to do much of the kneading, making it beginner-friendly and fairly hands-off for a homemade pasta. The dough is filled with a simple ricotta filling, but stuffing it with a more substantial meat or vegetable filling would be equally delicious. (Just keep in mind that whatever you use should be firm enough to hold up as the pasta cooks.) Toss ravioli in any number of classic Italian-type sauces, such as pesto, tomato or alfredo, or plan ahead and freeze the uncooked ravioli for fresh pasta at a moment’s notice (see Tip 1).

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings (about 40 ravioli)

    For the Dough

    • 2cups/260 grams all-purpose flour
    • 2large eggs and 1 egg yolk
    • 1teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
    • 1tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
    • Semolina flour, for rolling

    For the Filling

    • 1cup whole-milk ricotta cheese (8 ounces), drained (see Tip 2)
    • cup grated Parmesan (about 1 ounce)
    • 1large egg, lightly beaten
    • 1teaspoon minced fresh parsley
    • ½teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Kosher)
    • Pinch of black pepper
Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Make the dough: Place the flour, whole eggs and yolk, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade; pulse until incorporated. With the machine running, add the oil. Add 1 tablespoon of water and pulse until coarse crumbs form. If the mixture feels dry, add water 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing, until the crumbs are moist to the touch.

  2. Step 2

    Dump the dough onto a clean surface dusted with semolina flour, and knead into a smooth ball, 2 to 3 minutes. Wrap with plastic and set aside to rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.

  3. Step 3

    Make the filling: Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmesan, egg, parsley, salt and pepper until well combined. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

  4. Step 4

    After the dough has rested, divide it into 4 equal pieces. Place one piece on a clean surface dusted with semolina, wrapping the remaining dough pieces in plastic so they don’t dry out. Using your palms or a rolling pin, press the piece into an oval about 4-by-6 inches.

  5. Step 5

    Pass the dough through a pasta roller on the widest setting. Fold the long ends toward each other, creating a rectangular piece of dough, then run the dough through the roller again on the same setting. Continue passing the dough through the roller, running it through each setting twice and working up to the thinnest setting, until you can see the outline of your fingers through the dough. If the length of the dough becomes unwieldy, cut it in half and finish rolling the pieces separately. Dust with semolina as needed to prevent sticking.

  6. Step 6

    Lay the dough sheet on the work surface and dust with more semolina, if necessary. Cover with a clean kitchen towel. Repeat rolling with the remaining 3 pieces of dough.

  7. Step 7

    Make the ravioli: When all the sheets are rolled, it’s time to fill the dough. On half the pasta sheets, spoon on 1 teaspoon mounds of filling to form 2 rows, leaving about 1 inch of space around each mound. Top with the remaining half of the sheets, lining them up as closely as possible. Press around the mounds to release any air pockets and firmly seal the sheets of pasta together at the seams.

  8. Step 8

    Cut out the individual ravioli with a pasta cutter or sharp knife, trimming excess dough as necessary. You should have about 40 ravioli; place them on a sheet pan dusted with semolina flour. Refrigerate, covered with plastic wrap, until you’re ready to cook the pasta, up to 12 hours.

  9. Step 9

    Cook the ravioli: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the ravioli, working in batches to avoid crowding, and cook until al dente, about 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a colander to drain, then toss with desired sauce and serve immediately.

Tips
  • Tip 1: To freeze uncooked ravioli, spread them out on a sheet pan and freeze for at least 2 hours, or until partially frozen, then transfer to a freezer bag or container and freeze for up to 1 month. Cook as directed in step 9, keeping in mind that the frozen pasta may need to cook an extra minute.
  • Tip 2: To drain ricotta, spoon it into several layers of cheesecloth and gather the cheesecloth around it, twisting it at the top. Over the sink, squeeze out and discard the liquid. Open the cheesecloth and spoon the ricotta into a bowl. (Alternatively, set a fine-mesh strainer over a medium bowl. Line the strainer with a paper towel or a piece of cheesecloth, then spoon the ricotta into the strainer. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably 8, until the liquid has collected in the bowl. Discard the liquid.)

Ratings

4 out of 5
52 user ratings
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Cooking Notes

I have tried many fresh pasta recipes over the years , and this one takes the cake. It came out great. I needed 3 tbsp of water.

How Grandma made Ravioli: Lay the sheets out and use a large round cup ( Grandma used a coffee can) to cut out circles. Place the filling in the middle of the circles, fold them over and crimp with a fork. Just thinking about them makes me hungry.

The use of the food processor and the pasta roller attachment to the Kitchen Aid made this so much easier than my previous ravioli attempts. I sort of went my own way with the filling h but the pasta itself was delicate and lovely and just right cooked al dente.

This was so easy and delicious! It's a keeper.

For a relatively small quantity like this, is it possible to roll by hand? I doubt I'll be making homemade pasta enough to justify the cost or storage space for a pasta roller. I'm guessing I'd be in for quite the workout, but any input from those who might have done this without a machine? Thank you!

My Wife and I took up the tradition of making homemade Ravs from my Aunt Rita and Uncle Jimmy some 30 years ago for our family Christmas. Although the NYT recipe is nice and similar to our family’s, there is something missing, the secret ingredient! We plan to reveal said ingredient to the next generation family member(s) who takes up the tradition from us to carry on this family labor of love. That and learning the basics of homemade sauce, meatballs, braciola and the virtues of fresh ricotta.

I have tried many fresh pasta recipes over the years , and this one takes the cake. It came out great. I needed 3 tbsp of water.

How Grandma made Ravioli: Lay the sheets out and use a large round cup ( Grandma used a coffee can) to cut out circles. Place the filling in the middle of the circles, fold them over and crimp with a fork. Just thinking about them makes me hungry.

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