Cheese Ravioli
Brace yourself for the astonishingly delicious flavor of homemade Cheese Ravioli. We'll dive into the satisfying process of crafting our pasta dough from scratch, rolling it to perfection, and then filling it with a heavenly blend of three cheeses. Pasta night just got so much better!
Servings 4 servings (28 ravioli)
Calories 512kcal
Equipment
- Pasta roller (hand or electric)
- Large Pot
- Baking Sheet
- mixing bowl
- Bench scraper (optional)
- Pastry cutter or knife
- Fork
Ingredients
For the Pasta Dough:
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour (270g)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs
- Semolina flour for dusting
For the Filling:
- ⅔ cup whole milk ricotta (165g)
- ⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese (27g)
- 3 ounces fresh mozzarella small dice (84g)
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
For the Pasta Dough:
- On a smooth clean work surface, place flour in a mound. Using the back of a rounded bowl or large spoon, create a well in the center of the flour large enough for the wet ingredients (the well should be wider than it is tall with enough flour at the edges to support the wet ingredients when mixing). Add the olive oil and salt and crack the eggs into the well.
- Using a fork, start beating the egg mixture slowly, gradually incorporating the flour from the inside, being careful not to break the well. Once the egg mixture is thickened and a pale yellow color, break the well and begin mixing in all of the flour.
- Using a bench scraper or floured hands, scoop and fold the mixture together until a dough forms. Knead dough by hand until smooth and the dough springs back when poked, about 10 to 15 minutes. (it will start out pretty stiff and soften the as you knead.)
- Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and rest at room temperature for at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours.
For the Filling:
- In a small bowl, stir together the cheeses, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Transfer the mixture to a piping and refrigerate until ready to use.
For Rolling the Dough:
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly dust with semolina flour.
- Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces and loosely cover with plastic wrap. Remove one piece of dough and press into a rectangle, about ¼ inch thick. Sprinkle with semolina flour.
- With the pasta rollers on their widest setting (#1 on a KitchenAid), pass the dough through the rollers. Fold the dough in half, and pass through again. Repeat this process once more.
- Pass the dough through the widest setting 2 more times without folding, making sure the dough is the width of the rollers.
- Adjust the rollers to the next widest setting (#2 on a KitchenAid). Sprinkle dough with semolina flour and pass through the roller twice.
- Adjust rollers to the next widest setting, and pass the dough through twice. Continue this process until the rollers are on their thinnest setting (#8 on a KitchenAid).
- Sprinkle the pasta sheet with semolina flour and gently fold to fit the prepared sheet tray. Cover with a tea towel to keep it from drying out.
- Repeat this process with the remaining 3 pieces of dough.
For the Assembly:
- On a clean work surface, lay 1 pasta sheet lengthwise. Place another pasta sheet directly above the first so they are parallel to each other. Trim any uneven edges so the sheets are the same size. Brush any excess semolina flour off both sheets.
- On the first pasta sheet, pipe 2 rows of filling into roughly 1½-teaspoon-mounds about 1½ inches apart, leaving at least a ½-inch border on the edges of the pasta sheet.
- Brush the second pasta sheet lightly with water. Immediately place the second sheet, watered-side-down, on top of the first sheet. Carefully press to seal around each mound of filling, making sure to push out as much air as possible. (Air bubbles can cause the ravioli to break when boiled.)
- Using a pastry cutter or knife, carefully cut the outside edges of the pasta sheet. Next, cut lengthwise between the two rows of filling. Finally, cut vertically to separate into individual ravioli. Place on the prepared baking sheet and sprinkle with semolina flour. Repeat steps 14 through 16 with the remaining sheets of pasta. Allow the ravioli to rest uncovered and dry slightly before boiling, about 15 to 20 minutes.
For Boiling:
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt heavily. Reduce the heat to medium.
- Working in two batches, carefully drop the ravioli into the water. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, gently stirring occasionally. Remove the ravioli from the water with a slotted spoon and immediately place them in the desired sauce. Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- Precision is key. It's important to make sure the pasta sheets are the same width, so don't skip trimming them! I divided my dough by weight to ensure exactly equal pieces. First, weigh the whole dough ball and divide it by four. Then, cut the dough balls into quarters and check each piece for similar weight. You can also eyeball it if you don't have a scale, and your pasta will still turn out delicious!
- Let them chill. Drying the ravioli a bit before boiling gives the pasta a much better texture. It can be slightly gummy if you drop them into the water immediately after you cut them.
- Freeze for later. If not serving immediately, allow the cheese ravioli to dry for about 30 to 40 minutes on the counter and place them in the freezer in a single layer to prevent sticking. Freeze until solid, then either wrap the baking sheet tightly or transfer the ravioli to a freezer-safe airtight container. Boil frozen ravioli without defrosting, increasing the cooking time by a few minutes.
- Use your hands, not your food processor. Some pasta recipes have you use a food processor, but I find the machine to be too powerful to yield consistently tender results. I suggest sticking with the old-fashioned method described above. And as a bonus, you don't have to clean an extra appliance!
- Your pasta dough should be smooth and pliable, but not too sticky. If it's too wet, add a bit more flour; if it's too dry, add a touch of water. The perfect dough will form a smooth ball after kneading and will spring back after you press it with your finger.
- Use semolina flour for dusting your work surface and rolling pin. It prevents sticking and adds a nice texture to your ravioli without making them too floury. If you don't have any, or can't find it, use more all-purpose flour.
- Thin but sturdy. Roll your pasta dough thinly for delicate ravioli. Your pasta roller will be the perfect guide, so just follow the steps as directed in the recipe!
- Be generous with your filling, but don't overfill. Too much filling can cause the cheese ravioli to burst during cooking. A teaspoon or a small cookie scoop can help you get a consistent amount.
- Seal it right. After adding your filling, moisten the edges of the pasta dough with a bit of water before sealing, which acts like a glue. Press firmly to seal, ensuring there are no air pockets, which can cause the ravioli to burst.
- Salt your pasta water. When cooking ravioli, use a large pot of lightly simmering, salted water. Generally, I use 1 tablespoon of salt for every 3 quarts, or 12 cups, of water. Make sure the water is simmering, not at a vigorous boil- too hard and it can cause the ravioli to break apart. They generally cook quickly, floating to the top when done.
Nutrition
Calories: 512kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 185mg | Sodium: 805mg | Potassium: 204mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 603IU | Vitamin C: 0.003mg | Calcium: 299mg | Iron: 4mg