Homemade Ravioli Recipe
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Homemade ravioli is easier than you might think, and THIS family recipe of mine proves it. With simple ingredients and clear step-by-step instructions, you’ll be whippin’ up restaurant-quality pasta in your own kitchen. Get ready to impress yourself and have some fun!
If homemade ravioli feels a little intimidating, I want to gently encourage you—it’s absolutely doable, and far less fussy than it sounds. I intentionally developed this recipe using all-purpose flour because it’s what most of us already have in our pantries. It makes a slightly softer, more tender pasta, which I actually love for ravioli. If you prefer a chewier bite, you can swap in 00 or semolina flour, but starting with all-purpose keeps this approachable and forgiving.
The process itself is very straightforward and breaks down into just four steps: making the dough, rolling it out, filling the ravioli, and giving it a quick boil. None of the steps are complicated, but they do take a bit of time—this isn’t a recipe to rush through. For me, that’s part of the appeal. I find the rhythm of kneading, rolling, and filling incredibly relaxing, especially with a glass of wine nearby and no agenda other than enjoying the process.
There’s also something deeply satisfying about how simple it all is. With just flour, eggs, olive oil, and salt, you end up with pasta that tastes rich, fresh, and far greater than the sum of its parts. Homemade ravioli feels humble and special at the same time, and every time I make it, I’m reminded that a little patience in the kitchen is often rewarded with something truly memorable.
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, sage, and brown butter
- Spinach, goat cheese, and toasted pine nuts
- Sautéed mixed mushrooms with truffle oil
- Arugula, ricotta, and pistachios
- Roasted or sautéed beets with goat cheese and lemon zest
Tools for making ravioli
The first few times I made ravioli, I used a rolling pin and a cookie cutter. It takes a lot of elbow grease, but it’s doable. That said, having the proper tools will make your life easier. Here are the tools I reach for:
- Pasta maker: This is the pasta maker I have, and it makes a big difference. It helps create evenly thin sheets of pasta with much less effort, starting on the widest setting and gradually rolling the dough until it’s nearly see-through. You can absolutely do this by hand with a rolling pin, but the machine takes on most of the hard work.
- Piping bag: A piping bag makes filling the ravioli quick and tidy, allowing you to portion the filling evenly. If you don’t have one, a spoon works just fine—just take a little extra care not to overfill.
- Ravioli stamp or cutter: A ravioli stamp creates neat, uniform pockets that look beautiful and cook evenly. A simple cookie cutter works just as well if that’s what you have on hand.
How to store homemade ravioli
Making homemade ravioli ahead of time is a great idea. I love having some ready to go for easy dinners, and if I’m hosting friends, it’s far less messy (and much more relaxed) to pull premade ravioli from the fridge or freezer instead of assembling them at the last minute. Here’s how I store homemade ravioli, depending on when I plan to cook them.
- Short term: Ravioli can be stored in the fridge for 3–4 hours. Arrange them in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet, making sure they aren’t touching. I like to loosely drape a clean kitchen towel over the top so they have a bit of airflow without drying out.
- Long term: For longer storage, the freezer is your best option. Place the ravioli in a single, non-touching layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until solid, about 1 hour. Once frozen, transfer them to a freezer bag. When you’re ready to cook, boil the ravioli straight from frozen, adding about 1 extra minute to the cooking time.
Ravioli Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (see notes)
- 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 it 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. (I use this time to make the filling.)
- 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
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
Haven’t tried yet. Going to make it soon, is there a way I can make this in bulk and freeze it? What would be the best way to do that?
Yes! Simply make them as per the recipe instructions then freeze them in a single layer on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Once they are frozen, you can move them into a resealable freezer bag. Cook them from frozen!
I’d like to try this but I would like to know if I can do the same thing but with Whole wheat flour 🙂
I haven’t tried this recipe using whole wheat flour so I can’t say. If I ever do I’ll update the post to let you know!
Hi!! I am currently making this now and waiting for the 30mins to pass. I’ve never made pasta before….. but this dough seems super dry for me…. couldn’t make 1 full ball with it because it kept falling apart. any recommendations or is that how its supposed to be?
It shouldn’t be super dry. That can happen because of small differences in measurements. The size of eggs or a little bit more flour in a measuring cup. I would recommend adding a tiny bit of water (start with a teaspoon) and working it into the dough. You don’t want it to be sticky but you don’t want it crumbly and dry either.
Did it! I enjoyed all of it. Including eating with my new lover. I just followed recipe. Made up some delicious guts and bam! Easy as. Thanks a bunch cutie you.
I’m so happy to hear the recipe was a hit!
Hi! I have a great recipe for filling, but my dough recipe isn’t very good. I was going to try your dough, but I had a question. If my filling includes Italian sausage, should I cook it before stuffing ravioli? Seems like boiling for 2-3 minutes wouldn’t give the meat enough time to cook.
Yes, I would cook the sausage first! 🙂
Hello, do i need to put the dough in the fridge for an hour? Or do I just need to leave it on the counter for 30 minutes? Would be very helpful if you replied, thanks!
As long as the dough is covered so that it doesn’t dry out, on your counter is fine. 🙂
Can I leave the dough in all day?
Once you make the ravioli you can leave them on the counter. Don’t cover them or they will get sticky. They will start to dry when you leave them out, which is totally fine. 🙂
I’m happy to hear it turned out well for you!
Worst recipe ever. I followed it to a T and it was this wad of flaky, crumbly crap. Not dough like whatsoever. I have no idea how this has 5 stars. It went right into the trash. What a waste of ingredients and time.
I’m so sorry to hear the recipe didn’t turn out for you. It sounds like the dough needed more moisture, which is something that can happen when measuring flour with cups (as I’ve written the recipe) instead of in more accurate grams or ounces. If you have this same experience with a different recipe, try adding a little more egg. Whisk the egg first then add a little at a time until the dough comes together.
I’ve tried his recipe and it was AWESOME!! Thank you so much for sharing this!
You’re so welcome! I’m so happy that you like the recipe!!
Some people are awful. I haven’t made it yet but the recipe sounds fine. Its not that hard to make pasta
Best pasta dough I have tried so far! Make sure you knead, and let rest properly! 30 minutes was perfect for me, but if you over knead, it’ll need more time to rest or a rolling machine won’t work right (found this out when I tried to reshape and reroll, which made the dough tough and hard to roll out)
I’m not the biggest fan of Al Dente, so my raviolis were a little undercooked for my taste, but easily rectified, and the leftovers were then PERFECT. keep in mind that the dough grows a lot. I had about 2in diameter discs and was rewarded with massive raviolis (which still tasted great, but still keep in mind!)
I’ll be using the dough to try my hand at penne this evening. Thank you for the detailed recipe!
I’m so happy it worked out well for you! And thank you for the note about letting it rest if it gets tough. I’ve had to do that, too!
Thank you so much, Sukanya!
Never made my own pasta before. Great recipe. Thanks for sharing. Simon
Homemade pasta is totally the way to go. Happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe!
Enjoyed the flavor, but my dough or noodle was tough. What do you think happened? Really want this to work. Please respond
That can happen if the dough is overworked. The best thing to do is to let the dough rest (covered) until the gluten in it relaxes. 🙂
Hi there just came across this on Pinterest. Wanted to know how you would store them in the freezer. Should I boil them first or freeze them before boiling them. Thank
I’ve never tried freezing pasta before, but I know it can be done. I would let them air dry (uncooked) for a few hours then freeze them in a single layer until they’re frozen. Once they’re frozen you’ll be able to store them in a plastic bag all together. I would cook them from frozen, rather than letting them unthaw. Hope that helps!
hihi 🙂 just wondering if i can use whole wheat flour instead of all purpose?
Hi Masa,
I haven’t tired it with whole wheat flour before but I suspect it would work fine. It will probably be a bit more dense, but then whole wheat pasta generally is. If you do try it I would love to hear how it turns out!
going to try it out tomorrow and let you know for sure! 🙂 i like to experiment with different flours so might try buckwheat too
Definitely let me know if you try it with buckwheat flour. I’ve gone mostly gluten free so sadly this pasta hasn’t been a part of my repertoire for a while now. I absolutely love it though and would love to be able to eat it again 🙂
made them with buckwheat flour today and they turned out great! i did a single serving size.. 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 tbsp oil, salt & 0.75 of an egg ( used the rest for the wash) & filled them with spinich, mushrooms & parmesan cheese…yumm!
The dough was a tiny bit wet when i was rolling it out but it was fine when i floured the surface.
here’s a link to a semi-crappy picture i took with my phone before i poured the sauce on :3 they’re not the preetiest but still yummy
thanks again for this great recipe! ^-^
I am unable to view the photo ☹️.. thank you for sharing your recipe it sounds delicious. I am going to give it a try this week.
Any suggestions on filling combinations, my family is not hugs on mushrooms.
One of my favorites is butternut squash with sage. Ricotta with some lemon is really nice, too.
They look delicious! I’m going to go pick up some buckwheat flour this week and give it a go with that. Thank you so much for the inspiration!!
Hi Jocelyn,
Lobster ravioli sounds delicious! If you make it I’d love to hear about your recipe and how it turns out 🙂
This looks soooooo yummy! I am going to make this with my boys!
Thanks, Amy! This is the perfect meal to get the kids involved in 🙂
Your ravioli look perfect and you make it sound so simple. I love the options you list, they all sound delicious!