Homemade Spinach and Ricotta Ravioli with Fresh Tomato Sauce
Life moves pretty fast these days, and it’s time to take a break, slow down and make some fresh pasta. Making ravioli is an incredibly soothing process for me. First, you knead the dough with the passion of an Italian until it’s smooth and supple (just like you are), then you roll it out into thin, beautiful sheets. Add a traditional spinach and ricotta filling before gently shaping the ravioli by hand and pairing them with a beautiful fresh tomato sauce. What could be better?
For the filling
- ½ pound spinach
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- A pinch of salt
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 pound ricotta cheese
- 1 pound ricotta cheese
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
For the Pasta Dough
- 4 large eggs
- 3 1/4 cups flour (400 g), plus more for dusting (Try to get Italian flour)
For the Tomato Sauce
- 2 garlic cloves
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound cherry tomatoes, halved
- A bunch of basil leaves
- A pinch of salt
- Parmigiano Reggiano, freshly grated, for serving
Method
- To make the filling, in a medium pan, cook spinach over medium heat with a dash of water, 1 tablespoon olive oil, and a pinch of salt for about 6-7 minutes or until bright green and tender. Once the spinach is cooked, cool slightly, then wrap in a tea towel or cheesecloth and squeeze out all the excess moisture.
- To achieve a perfect filling, the ricotta needs to be drained by placing it in a strainer and letting it sit for 20 minutes, or drain it with a cheesecloth.
- Mince the spinach with a knife, place the strained ricotta in a bowl, and add the spinach, followed by a pinch of salt and the egg yolk. Mix to combine. Add the Parmigiano and nutmeg. Mix until it’s well combined. Set aside in the fridge while you make the pasta.
- Pour the flour into a mound on your rolling surface. Then make a crater in the middle and crack in the eggs. Use a fork to mix up the eggs, pushing the flour into the eggs as you go along until flour and eggs are combined. The dough will be very soft at first, so do take your time and mix it together with your hands.
- Once the dough firms up, start to knead it. Using the heel of your hand, press down and forward, then use your fingers to fold the far side of the dough toward you. Keep doing this, all the time, sprinkling flour like there’s no tomorrow. Sprinkle on the cutting surface and over the dough, and keep kneading. Keep going for 15 minutes.
- Now you will have a beautiful, smooth ball of dough. Dust your bowl with flour, and put the dough ball in there to rest for 20 minutes. Sprinkle some more flour on your work surface and go do something else, like have a glass of wine or work on the sauce you plan to use.
- Use a pasta machine and make strips of pasta 6 inches wide and 1 ½ foot long.
- Once the dough has been rolled out, add about 1 teaspoon of filling every two inches. Once the whole strip is covered with filling, fold it on itself in a way that covers the filling. Using your hands, press down the dough around the filling, then proceed to cut it into a ravioli shape. (Make sure that the surface adheres completely).
- Once all of the ravioli is shaped, start your sauce.
- To cook, bring a large pot of water to boil. Season so it tastes like a well-seasoned soup. Once boiling, drop the ravioli and cook for just 3 to 4 minutes.
