Easy Homemade Ravioli
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Making homemade ravioli is truly so simple and the easiest way to serve food with a whole lotta love. Use this step-by-step guide and even you'll be impressed with your pasta-making skills! You know what they say, once you go homemade, you'll never go back to the store-bought stuff (no one really says that, but you get it – it's delicious!)
Also try making this beet gnocchi from scratch!
This is a meal to make with your whole family. Or, invite over a group of friends and make a night of it. Homemade pasta is unpretentious, delicious, and has a way of connecting everybody who helps make it.
The four ingredients you need for homemade ravioli dough
How could something so incredibly simple and humble taste so wonderful? With just 4 ingredients, you'll be on your way to homemade pasta. Here's what you need to make homemade ravioli dough:
- All-purpose flour: You don't need special flour to make homemade pasta; all-purpose flour will give you nice, chewy, delicious pasta. You'll need 2 cups plus more for dusting.
- Sea salt: Add some coarse salt for seasoning, you'll need 1 ½ teaspoons.
- Large eggs: this homemade ravioli recipe needs 3 large eggs. They will act as the binding agent for the other ingredients and help keep the dough moist.
- Olive oil: Use good quality olive oil for homemade pasta. Since there are so few ingredients, there's nowhere to hide. With homemade ravioli, you want to taste the pasta and filling and won't be smothering it in a heavy sauce.
Homemade ravioli filling options
When it comes to choosing your filling, you can get creative. There are no wrong answers and whatever you choose will be delicious. Here are a few suggestions to get you going:
- Butternut squash and sage
- Spinach, goat cheese, and toasted pine nuts
- Sautéed mixed mushrooms with truffle oil
- Roasted red peppers and parmesan cheese
- Arugula, goat cheese, and pistachios
- Roasted or sautéed beets with goat cheese and lemon zest
- Dairy-free options: mushroom and walnut, pumpkin and sage, or shredded beef with sun-dried tomatoes and pine nuts.
How to make homemade ravioli
Follow these step-by-step instructions to make perfect homemade ravioli every time – chef's kiss!
- Combine dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk the flour and salt.
- Make a well for the wet ingredients: Make a well in the center of the flour and add the eggs and oil. Use a fork to mix the eggs, but try not to mix in too much flour as you do this.
- Form a ball of dough: Use your hands to slowly mix in the flour until it comes together in a ball.
- Knead and rest: Knead the dough for 8-10 minutes. If the dough hasn't started to come together after 5-6 minutes, wet your hands and keep kneading. Form the dough into a ball and put it back into the bowl, covered with a clean, damp kitchen towel, for 30 minutes.
- Get out the pasta maker: Divide the dough into four pieces. Working with one piece at a time, flatten it slightly with the palm of your hand and then run it through the widest setting on your pasta machine. Fold the dough so that it resembles a rectangular package then run it through again at the widest setting. Continue to run it through, narrowing the opening on the pasta machine, until it is just thin enough to see through. Repeat this process with the remaining 3 pieces of dough. This should leave you with long sheets of pasta.
- Filling: Lay a single layer of dough on your work surface. Spoon or pipe about 1 teaspoon of your filling in dots on top of your pasta. Make sure to leave some space between the dots so you can cut out your ravioli. Then, lay another piece of dough on top. Press gently around the filling to remove any air pockets and seal the pasta.
- Stamping: Cut the pasta out using a stamp or cookie cutter.
- Cook: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. It should taste like the sea, so nice and salty water. Add the ravioli and cook for 2-3 minutes. Once they float to the top they are done. Drain the pasta or use a slotted spoon to remove them from the water. Toss with olive oil or sauce.
There you have it! Delicious, made from scratch with lots of love, homemade ravioli!
Watch us make homemade ravioli!
Tools to make homemade ravioli
It is entirely possible to make this entire homemade ravioli recipe by hand – it'll take some elbow grease and lots of love, but it's totally doable. Alternatively, you can employ these tools to make your life a little bit easier.
- Pasta maker: This is the pasta maker we used to test this recipe. It helps create uniform sheets of pasta to work with and gets the dough nice and thin. The pasta machine will do much of the hard work for you, starting by using the widest setting to stretch and thin the pasta, all the way until your dough is nearly see-through. You can, of course, roll up your sleeves and use a rolling pin to do this part of the process.
- Piping bag: When it comes to your filling, you can use a piping bag to squeeze out each portion. You can also spoon each portion if you don't have a piping bag.
- Ravioli stamp or cutter: To create individual pockets you can use a ravioli stamp. This will give you uniform shapes which are easy on the eyes but also cook at the same rate. Alternatively, a cookie cutter will do the trick!
The rest of the tools needed to make this recipe you likely already have in your kitchen (like a large pot, whisk, etc.) so we won't mention those in this list.
Homemade ravioli sauce ideas
You really want your pasta and the filling to shine in this dish, however, some people really like a sauce. Here are some pasta sauce ideas (none of which will mask your homemade pasta.)
- Olive oil and fresh basil (as pictured in this post)
- Brown butter sauce
- Roasted Cherry Tomato Sauce
- Melted butter and sage
How to store homemade ravioli
Making homemade ravioli ahead of time is a great idea. We love having some on hand for easy dinners. And if we're having friends over for dinner, it's MUCH easier and less messy to take out some premade homemade ravioli rather than make it on the spot. But what is the best way to store homemade ravioli?
The best way to store homemade ravioli is in the freezer. Ravioli stored in the fridge gets very sticky and we don't recommend it. Here's how to freeze homemade ravioli:
- Cook the ravioli in salted water for 2-3 minutes – just until it starts to float.
- Drain the ravioli and then lay it out on a wire rack so it dries completely. This step usually takes about an hour but is largely hands-off time. You may want to flip the ravioli a few times to make sure they're completely dry.
- Once the ravioli is dry, freeze it in a single layer on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Once they're frozen, you can move them into a freezer bag.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should I cook homemade ravioli?
Cook the ravioli for 2-3 minutes, or until they float to the top of the water.
Can I freeze homemade pasta dough?
If you want to make the dough and save it for later, you absolutely can! Keep the pasta dough in a ball and pop it in an airtight container (or a double layer of parchment paper) and put it in the freezer. When you're ready to use it, let it thaw on the counter in the container or parchment paper until completely thawed.
Can I put homemade ravioli in the fridge?
Uncooked homemade ravioli gets VERY sticky when stored in the fridge, so we don't recommend it. A much better (and safer) option is to freeze the ravioli – see the above section to learn how to freeze ravioli.
Do I have to cook homemade ravioli before freezing it?
It's a good idea. Our instructions above all for cooking the ravioli before you freeze it. The reason is that uncooked ravioli often splits open when frozen, which means you'll lose all the tasty filling when you cook it.
How to store leftover ravioli?
If you have leftovers, you can store the cooked ravioli in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Easy Homemade Ravioli Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (plus more for dusting)
- 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
- 3 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Ravioli filling of your choice
Instructions
- In a large bowl whisk the flour and salt.2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt, 3 large eggs
- Make a well in the center of the flour and add the eggs and oil. Use a fork to mix the eggs, trying not to mix in too much flour.
- Use your hands to slowly mix in the flour until it comes together into a shaggy ball.
- Turn the dough out onto a work surface and knead the dough for 8-10 minutes. It might seem dry at first, but it will come together. If it hasn't started to come together after 5-6 minutes, wet your hands and keep kneading. Form the dough into a ball and put it back into the bowl, covered with a clean, damp kitchen towel, for 30 minutes.
- Divide the dough into four pieces. Working with one piece at a time, flatten it slightly with the palm of your hand and then run it through the widest setting on your pasta machine. Fold the dough so that it resembles a rectangular package then run it through again at the widest setting. Continue to run it through, narrowing the opening, until it is just thin enough to see through. Setting #7 is usually right. Repeat with the remaining dough.
- Lay one rectangular piece of dough on your work surface. Spoon or pipe about 1 teaspoon of your filling in dots on top of your pasta and then lay another piece of dough on top. Press gently around the filling to remove any air pockets and seal the pasta.
- Cut the pasta out using a stamp, roller, or cookie cutter.
- To cook the pasta, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the ravioli and cook for 2-3 minutes. Once they float to the top they are done. Drain the pasta and toss with olive oil or sauce.
Video
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
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