Skip the pre-made. You can make your own Fresh Ricotta Ravioli From Scratch with homemade ricotta cheese and an easier than you think pasta dough for a next-level pasta dish!
Is there anything better than fresh pasta? How about fresh homemade cheese? Yes, yes there is, Fresh Ricotta Ravioli From Scratch! While it may seem daunting, making your own ravioli may be simpler than you actually think! It takes some extra time, but it is 1000% worth the work!
Ingredients Needed
This homemade ravioli recipe uses our tried and true, super simple Fresh Pasta dough.
- Flour - This is the most important piece of the dough. We strongly suggest using the Italian-style flour Tipo "00" which is an incredibly finely ground flour that is key to the a truly authentic pasta dough. However, if not avaialble, no problem! All purpose flour works well, too!
- Eggs - This helps bind and enrich the dough to give it that smooth silky texture.
- Oil - To add fat and flavor.
- Salt - Just a touch!
- Ricotta Cheese - Take this dish to the next level by making your own Ricotta Cheese! It's truly one of the easiest cheeses to make at home from scratch!
Make The Dough
Now if you would have asked me a few years ago, I would have scoffed at the idea of using anything but my hands to make a pasta dough. That was BC Tracy (Before Children) and when time was plentiful. Now, any dough that I can make in a food processor, I'm here for.
To Mix with a Frood Processer: Add all of your ingredients and then pulse until a crumbly dough forms.
To Mix by Hand: Mix your flour and salt together, add it to a clean counter and mound it so you can make a well. In that well, add eggs and oil and use a fork to slowly whisk the eggs and incorporate the edges of the flour well, until all of the flour is mixed in with the eggs and oil.
To Mix with a Stand Mixer: Add everything to the bowl of the stand mixer with the dough attachment. Mix on low for 8-10 minutes until it's smooth and elastic. If it starts to stick to the side of the bowl, just add a little bit of flour, as the dough should be dry.
Knead into a dough, then let the dough rest. Just about 30 minutes is all that newly activated gluten needs to rest.
Roll out the pasta. A pasta roller is key for the "easier than you think" part of it making the pasta. And although the Kitchen Aid attachment is pretty amazing, you can also get an affordable countertop one like this one.
Add Ricotta Cheese. Line that sheet of pasta and add some dollops of fresh ricotta cheese - the filling of your little ravioli.
Egg Wash and Fold. Give that other end of the sheet a little egg wash (to help "glue" it all), and then fold it over on top of the ricotta.
Cut with a pasta wheel into squares. And just like that, you have some Fresh Ricotta Ravioli From Scratch!
From here they can be frozen to be cooked later or cooked immediately.
One of our favorites? Boiled quickly and then fried in garlic and butter. Because the only thing better than Fresh Ricotta Ravioli From Scratch is pan-fried Fresh Ricotta Ravioli in garlic and butter!
Fresh Ricotta Ravioli From Scratch
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups Tipo "00" flour
- 4 + 1 large eggs, reserve 1 for egg wash
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups fresh ricotta cheese
Butter and Garlic Ricotta Ravioli
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 4 cloves fresh garlic minced
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a food processor and pulse about 10 times until a crumbly dough forms. You can also use a stand mixer or mix by hand. See recipe notes.
- Add crumbly dough to a lightly floured surface and knead until a dough forms.
- Knead for another few minutes until a smooth elastic dough forms. Form it into a ball and wrap in plastic to let chill at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Remove from plastic wrap and cut into 4 pieces. Wrap remaining 3 pieces in plastic while you work with 1/4 of the dough.
- After the dough has rested, cut it in thirds and keep two covered in plastic while you roll out the first. Flour your work surface and then form the dough into a rectangle and roll it through the widest setting on your pasta roller a couple of times. Gradually lower the setting and slowly roll the dough through in long sheets about 4-5 inches wide and about 1/4 - 1/8 inch thick.
- Flour your surface and gently lay the sheet of pasta down. Beat the egg in a small bowl for an egg wash. Flour a baking sheet and set it aside.
- Drop small tablespoons of fresh ricotta cheese about 2 inches apart along bottom half of the sheet of pasta. Brush the top of the sheet with egg wash and then gently fold over the filling like a little dough blanket.
- With your fingers, gently press around each mound of filling to get any little air pockets out.
- With a pasta cutter, cut each mound into squares. Use either your fingers or a fork to gently press around the edges to make sure they're sealed.
- Line ravioli on the floured baking sheet while you finish with the rest of the dough.
- Freeze on baking sheet and then transfer to freezer bags or cook immediately.
Butter and Garlic Ricotta Ravioli
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Once the pot boil, heat a large saute pan to medium low and add butter and garlic.
- Add ravioli 6-10 at a time (whatever doesn't over crowd your pot) to the boiling water. When they float to the top, they're done, about 3-4 minutes.
- Gently lift from water with a slotted spoon and then add to a saute pan with butter and garlic and pan fry them until they begin to brown slightly.
- Serve immediately.
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