Homemade Spinach Ravioli with Ricotta Cheese

Spinach Ravioli is a tasty alternative to meat or cheese ravioli.  You won’t believe how good these fresh pasta pillows filled with spinach and cheese are!  The whole family will love these savory ravioli, especially topped with my creamy sundried tomato sauce.

Spinach ricotta ravioli are light, tender, and cheesy! The filling combines chopped spinach with creamy ricotta and a mix of Parmigiano Reggiano and Pecorino Romano cheese. 

One of the great things about spinach ravioli is that it can be paired easily with so many pasta sauces, such as tomato basil marinara sauce, creamy carbonara, or light pancetta sage sauce, making any meal feel like a special occasion.  

Making fresh pasta for my family always reminds me of my Nonna and all of the delicious pasta she used to make for us.  It was such a treat!  Fresh ravioli is a labor of love, but the effort is worth it.  

I know buying a bag of frozen ravioli at the grocery store is easier, but it just isn’t the same.  You also don’t get to hear your family’s reaction to tasting these delicious pasta pillows and the memories you are creating for them.

With this recipe for pasta dough, I have tried to make the process as easy as possible for you. It works well every time. The secret is using a scale to weigh your ingredients to get the perfect balance between flour and liquid.  

I love making batches of homemade ravioli and freezing them for an easy meal.   At any point in time, you can find homemade ravioli in my freezer.  My family loves them all, whether it is ricotta spinach ravioli,  4 Cheese Ravioli, Mushroom Filled Ravioli, or Butternut Squash ravioli.  

Ingredients 

For the Pasta Dough, you only need flour and eggs. You can use all-purpose flour, but I recommend Tipo “00” flour if you can find it. “00” flour is softer wheat flour milled to a fine powder, making it a great choice for filled pasta shapes. 

For the Filling

Spinach: You can use frozen or fresh spinach, but it must be wilted, chopped, and drained. I like to put it in a cheesecloth or linen towel and squeeze out all of the excess water.

Ricotta:  You can use whole milk or part-skim ricotta, but be sure to drain it so there is no extra liquid in the filling.  I have also used lactose-free ricotta and had good results.

Parmesan and Romano cheese: Combining the two cheeses gives the filling the perfect balance between nuttiness and saltiness.  You can also use just one if you prefer.

Nutmeg: This is a traditional spice in ravioli filling that provides a hint of warmth.  

Egg:  Brushing the pasta with a beaten egg will ensure the ravioli will not open when cooked.

Step By Step Instruction

1. Prepare the Pasta Dough

Make the pasta dough following my recipe for homemade pasta all uovo.

2. Make the filling

Mix the chopped spinach, ricotta, parmesan, pecorino, nutmeg, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl.  

3. Roll out the Ravioli Dough

1. In a small bowl, beat an egg and set it aside. You will use this as an egg wash to seal the pasta together. Divide the dough into 6 even pieces. Work with one piece at a time and rewrap the remainder of the dough in the plastic wrap to keep it from drying out.
2. Set the pasta machine on the widest setting. Roll the dough through the machine and repeat, continuing to reduce the settings until you are rolling out thin sheets of pasta that you can see your hands through. I like to take it to the thinnest setting, about 1/8″ thick.
3. Flour the pasta sheet, set it on a baking sheet or a lightly floured surface, and cover it with plastic wrap. Repeat with a second piece of dough. 

Tip: 

Be sure to cover the pasta dough sheets while rolling out another piece of dough. This will keep the dough from drying out. If it dries out too much, it may not seal properly and open while cooking.

4. Make the Ravioli Using a Pastry Cutter 

1. Lay the pasta sheet on a lightly dusted work surface and brush it with the egg wash. Drop dollops of the filling about 1″ apart on the lower half of the pasta dough, leaving about a 1/4″ border along the bottom.  
2. Fold the dough over the mounds of filling and use your fingers to carefully press down around the filling to release the air and seal the dough. 
3. Use a sharp knife, pizza, or pastry cutter to cut evenly between each mound. You can leave the ravioli like this or press a fork all around the edges to create a creased edge.

5. Make the Ravioli Using a Ravioli Mold

1. Lay one sheet of pasta dough on the bottom portion of the ravioli press and place the top of the press (this portion will fit into the bottom and create the pocket for your filling) on the dough.
2. Remove the top of the ravioli press and fill each pocket with about one teaspoon of spinach filling.
3. Brush the second pasta sheet with the egg wash and lay it on the press, completely covering the edges. Press down on the dough and push out any air between the sheets.  Use a rolling pin to roll the dough against the press. Ensure you use enough pressure to cut through the dough around each ravioli.
4. Remove the excess dough from around the edges of the press and carefully pop the ravioli out.

Dust the ravioli with flour and place them on a cookie sheet. Cover them with plastic wrap while you continue making the remainder of your ravioli.

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil to cook the ravioli.  Drop the desired amount of ravioli into the boiling water and cook it until it floats to the top.  Fresh pasta cooks quickly, so cooking won’t take more than 3-4 minutes.  Drain and serve with your favorite sauce.

Pasta Cooking Tips

• Large rolling bubbles in the water will cook the pasta evenly, so don’t add the pasta until the water is at a full boil.
• Because fresh pasta cooks so quickly, it has little time to absorb the salt. I am more heavy-handed when I add salt to the pasta water. This is when you want the pasta water to taste like the sea!
• Salt the water after it reaches a full boil.  Salted water takes longer to boil.
• ​Drain the pasta using tongs and a spider to avoid getting the excess flour that has settled on the bottom of the pan on the pasta.  
• Reserve a cup of cooking water to thin your sauce if needed.  

Storing Homemade Ravioli

Leftover cooked ravioli can be placed in an airtight container and stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

I love to make a large batch of ravioli and freeze some for a last minute weeknight meal.  The best way to freeze your uncooked pasta is to lay the fresh ravioli in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and place it in the freezer for about 50 minutes to an hour.  Once the individual ravioli are frozen, transfer them to a freezer bag.  Then, you can store them in the freezer for up to 6 months.  

You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest for more recipes your family will love!

Spinach Ravioli Recipe

Homemade Spinach Ravioli with Ricotta Cheese

Tender homemade ravioli stuffed with spinach and cheese are the perfect Sunday dinner. Serve them with your favorite tomato sauce, a simple butter and sage sauce, or a creamy alfredo sauce!

5 from 3 votes

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Prep Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 5 minutes mins

Resting time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs 5 minutes mins

Course First course, Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Servings 6 servings

Calories 277 kcal

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Equipment

• 1 Rolling Pin or
• 1 Pasta Maker
• Ravioli Form Sharp Knife or Pastry cutter

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 Fresh pasta all ouvo Recipe
• 10 oz Spinach Frozen, chopped, 1lb. fresh wilted and chopped
• 1 cup Ricotta Drained
• ¼ cup Parmesan cheese Grated
• ¼ cup Pecorino Romano cheese Grated
• 1 pinch Nutmeg
• ½ tsp Salt
• ¼ tsp Black Pepper
• 1 Egg beaten

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

 

• Follow the instructions for making the Pasta all Uovo, wrap it in plastic wrap, and let it rest for at least 30 minutes.
• Mix the spinach, ricotta, parmesan cheese, pecorino cheese, nutmeg salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
• Divide the dough into 6 pieces. Work with 1 piece of dough at a time. Rewrap the remaining dough to prevent it from drying out.
• Flatten the dough with your hands or a rolling pin so that it will fit in the largest setting of the pasta maker. Lightly dust the dough with flour. Pass the dough through the pasta machine 3 times, then move on to the next setting. Now you can roll the dough through each setting. Continue reducing the settings on the pasta machine until you have thin sheets of pasta you can see your hands through about 1/8″ thick. 
• Flour the pasta sheet, set it on a baking sheet or a floured surface, and cover it with plastic wrap. Repeat with a second piece of dough. 

Using a Raviolli Mold

• Lay 1 sheet of pasta dough on the bottom portion of the ravioli press and place the top of the press on the dough. The top will fit into the bottom and create a pocket for your filling.
• Remove the top of the ravioli press and fill each pocket with about 1 teaspoon of filling.
• Brush the second sheet of pasta with the egg wash and lay it on top of the press completely covering the edges. Press down on the dough and push out any air between the sheets.  Use a rolling pin to roll the dough against the press. Make sure that you use enough pressure to cut through the dough around each ravioli. Remove the excess dough from around the edges of the press and carefully pop the ravioli out.

Using a Pastry Cutter

• Lay the pasta sheet on a lightly dusted work surface and brush it with the egg wash. Drop dollops of the filling about 1″ apart on the lower half of the pasta dough, leaving about a 1/4″ border along the bottom of the dough.  Fold the dough over the mounds of filling and use your fingers to carefully press down around the filling to release the air and seal the dough. Use a sharp knife, pizza cutter, or pastry cutter to cut evenly between each mound.  You can leave the ravioli like this or press a fork all around the edges to create a creased edge.
• Dust the ravioli with flour, place it on a floured baking sheet. Cover it with plastic wrap or a linen towel while you continue making the remainder of your ravioli.

Cook the Ravioli

• Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil.  Drop the desired amount of ravioli into the boiling water and cook it until it floats to the top.  Fresh pasta cooks quickly, so it won’t take more than 3-4 minutes to cook.  Drain and serve with your favorite sauce.

Notes

Storing Leftovers

Leftover cooked ravioli can be placed in an airtight container and stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Storing Fresh Egg Pasta

Refrigerator:

While I don’t think it is ideal, you can store pasta in the refrigerator for 18-24 hours.  Allow egg pasta to dry for about 30 minutes on the counter, then place it in an airtight container or a plastic bag and store it in the refrigerator.  After about 18 hours in the refrigerator, the pasta will begin to absorb moisture, and the color may change.  

Freezing

A better option is to freeze it.  I do this even if I am going to cook the pasta in a day or two.  Lay the pasta in a single layer on a cookie sheet and place it in the freezer for 1 hour.  When the pasta is frozen you can transfer it to a plastic freezer bag, press out the air, and freeze for up to 2 months.  When you are ready to cook it, do not defrost it.  Simply drop the frozen pasta into the boiling water right from the freezer.   

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 277kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 16gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 132mgSodium: 423mgPotassium: 390mgFiber: 2gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 4815IUVitamin C: 13mgCalcium: 247mgIron: 4mg

Keyword Fresh pasta, ricotta cheese filling

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