Spinach And Ricotta Ravioli Recipe

Make the dough

On a clean work surface or in a large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour and semolina. Make a well in the center. Crack the eggs into the well, add olive oil and salt. Using a fork, gradually incorporate the flour into the eggs until a shaggy dough forms.

Knead the dough for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic. If dough is very sticky, dust lightly with a little of the reserved flour. Form into a ball, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes (this relaxes the gluten and makes rolling easier).

Cook and drain the spinach

Heat 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and sauté 30 seconds until fragrant (do not brown). Add the spinach in batches and cook until wilted, about 2–3 minutes. Transfer spinach to a colander and press or squeeze to remove as much liquid as possible. Finely chop the squeezed spinach and transfer to a bowl.

Combine filling

To the chopped spinach, add the ricotta, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, egg yolk, grated nutmeg, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Mix until evenly combined. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. The mixture should be thick — if too wet, strain the ricotta in a fine sieve for 20–30 minutes beforehand or add a tablespoon of breadcrumbs to bind.

Roll out pasta

Divide rested dough into 4 equal pieces. Keep unused pieces covered. Lightly dust surface and dough with reserved flour. Flatten one piece with your hands then run through a pasta machine at the widest setting, folding once and repeating 2–3 times to smooth. Gradually roll thinner settings until you reach about 1.5–2 mm thickness (no. 6–7 on many machines). Aim for sheets about 8–10 inches wide.

Portion filling

Place teaspoons of filling spaced about 1 inch apart in rows on one sheet of pasta. Brush a little water or beaten egg around the filling mounds to help seal. Lay a second pasta sheet over the first, pressing gently around each mound to expel air and seal. Use a ravioli cutter, knife or pastry wheel to cut individual ravioli and press edges with a fork to ensure a tight seal. Transfer finished ravioli to a lightly floured tray; keep covered with a kitchen towel while you finish.

Boil ravioli

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and add 1 tablespoon coarse salt. Add ravioli in batches (do not crowd). Fresh ravioli cook quickly — about 3–4 minutes — until they float and the pasta feels tender but not mushy. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a plate lined with paper towel briefly to drain.

Make sage-butter sauce

While the ravioli cook, melt 4 tablespoons unsalted butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sage leaves and cook until the butter foams and the sage becomes crisp and the butter takes on a light nutty aroma, about 3–4 minutes. Watch carefully to prevent burning. Remove from heat.

Finish and serve

Add drained ravioli to the skillet with the sage-butter off the heat and gently toss to coat. If needed, return to very low heat for 30 seconds to warm through. Plate ravioli, spoon remaining sage-butter over them and finish with the remaining 1/4 cup grated Parmesan. Serve immediately.