Veggie Ricotta & Artichoke Ravioli Recipe

Place thawed spinach in a clean kitchen towel or fine mesh and squeeze out as much moisture as possible. You want the spinach nearly dry to avoid a watery filling.

In a medium bowl combine ricotta, drained spinach, chopped artichoke hearts, grated parmesan, lemon zest, minced garlic, chopped basil, salt, and black pepper. Mix until homogenous.

Stir in egg yolk to bind the filling. Taste and adjust seasoning. Transfer filling to a piping bag or spoon into a covered container and refrigerate while preparing dough (keeps shape better when chilled).

If using homemade dough: On a clean surface mound flours and make a well in the center. Add whole eggs, olive oil and salt into the well. Using a fork, gradually incorporate flour into eggs until a shaggy dough forms.

Knead dough for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Wrap in plastic and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes (or refrigerate up to 2 hours).

Divide rested dough into 4 pieces. Working with one piece at a time, flatten and run through a pasta machine or roll thinly with a rolling pin to about 1–1.5 mm thickness to make sheets. Dust with semolina or flour to prevent sticking. Keep unused sheets covered.

If using store-bought sheets, separate and lay on a floured surface ready for filling. Lightly brush edges with beaten egg to seal when assembling.

Lay one pasta sheet on a lightly floured surface. Pipe or spoon small mounds (about 1 tablespoon each) of chilled filling spaced 1.5–2 inches apart in a grid.

Brush a little beaten egg around the filling mounds to help seal. Carefully place a second sheet over the first, pressing down gently between mounds to remove air and pressing around each mound to seal. Use a ravioli cutter, knife, or fluted pastry wheel to cut individual ravioli. Crimp edges with a fork to ensure a tight seal. Transfer finished ravioli to a floured tray, keeping them separated so they don't stick.

Optional: freeze ravioli on a single layer until firm, then transfer to a bag for longer storage. Fresh ravioli can be cooked immediately.

In a large skillet over medium heat melt butter. Add minced shallot and cook 2–3 minutes until softened and translucent, stirring so it doesn't brown.

Add minced garlic and tomato paste; cook 30–45 seconds, stirring, to bloom the tomato paste.

Deglaze with white wine (or vegetable stock) scraping any browned bits. Let reduce by half, about 1–2 minutes.

Add crushed tomatoes or passata, stir and simmer 2–3 minutes. Lower heat and stir in heavy cream. Cook gently until the sauce is warm and slightly thickened, about 3–4 minutes. Season with salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes. Keep sauce warm on very low heat.

If the sauce is too thick, loosen with 1–2 tablespoons of reserved pasta cooking water just before adding ravioli.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a gentle rolling boil. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil only if you are worried about sticking (not necessary if water is well-salted).

Carefully add fresh ravioli in batches (do not overcrowd). Stir gently to prevent sticking. Cook fresh ravioli 3–4 minutes, or until they float and the pasta feels tender but not mushy. Frozen ravioli will take 4–6 minutes from frozen; watch for them to float and cook an additional 1–2 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer cooked ravioli directly to the warm rosée sauce. Gently toss in the sauce, adding 1–2 tablespoons of reserved pasta cooking water if needed to coat evenly and loosen sauce.

Plate ravioli and finish with lemon zest, parmesan flakes, torn basil, a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and a light sprinkle of coarse sea salt if desired.