If you’ve ever imagined yourself in an Italian kitchen making fresh pasta from scratch, this ravioli recipe brings that dream a lot closer and delivers a dish that’s as rewarding to cook as it is to eat.
Ravioli emerged in 14th-century Italy, taking its name from riavvolgere, meaning “to wrap.” Some historians trace ravioli’s origins to Chinese dumplings brought back by Marco Polo, while others believe it developed naturally as Italian cooks wrapped leftover fillings in fresh pasta. Whatever its origins, ravioli is a delicious base for flavor-forward dishes like our Spinach Ricotta Ravioli with Parmesan Cream Sauce.
This recipe begins with homemade pasta. Making your own pasta dough is easier than it sounds, and the results are worth it. Our Fresh Pasta Dough is an all-yolk recipe that gives the dough a richer flavor and deeper golden color. The yolks’ fat and protein create a smoother, silkier texture, giving the dough a supple stretch that makes it easy to roll thin enough for ravioli. Using all yolks also helps the cooked pasta hold sauce better.
Add your ravioli to salted boiling water; once they float to the surface after about 2–4 minutes, they’re done. Remove them from the water with a slotted spoon, toss them in warmed Parmesan Cream Sauce and, voilà, your from-scratch pasta is ready to serve.
Here are a few pro tips from Chef Mia:
Freeze uncooked ravioli in a single layer, then store in an airtight bag and cook straight from frozen. The frozen pasta will keep for up to a month.
Drain your ricotta well so the filling stays rich and never watery. Line a fine-mesh strainer with a few layers of cheesecloth or paper towels, place it over a bowl, and spoon the ricotta into the lining.
Use a pasta machine to roll out the pasta dough. “Rolling by hand is such a pain,” Chef Mia says, “and usually results in uneven thickness.”
Chef Mia recommends pairing this recipe with our Parmesan Cream Sauce, Marinara Sauce, or Easy Tomato Sauce.
Be sure to visit the Vitamix Recipe Center to save this recipe to your collection.
In about thirty seconds, the Food Processor Attachment pulls ingredients together into a ready-to-knead dough ball. New to kneading? Start by pushing the dough forward with the heels of your hands, folding it over, and repeating this motion. Add just a pinch of flour whenever it sticks—if it no longer clings to your hands, you’re doing it right. After about 10 minutes, the dough should feel soft and flexible, stretch more easily, and look smoother all over. Wrap it tightly and let it rest for at least 30 minutes so the gluten relaxes and the dough becomes much easier to roll out.
The Food Processor Attachment does double duty: use it first to make the dough, then again to evenly chop and combine the filling ingredients. Once the spinach-ricotta filling is made, chill it until you’re ready to assemble the ravioli. When you’re ready, use a pasta machine to roll the dough into thin, even sheets about 1 millimeter thick. Rolling by hand? Roll the dough as thin as possible without tearing it, until you can see the shadow of your hand through it. Lay one sheet of pasta on a lightly floured surface and add small mounds of filling, spaced evenly apart. Brush the dough with water, top with a second sheet, and press firmly around each mound to seal, pushing out any air.
Ingredients:
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 10 ounces fresh spinach
- 1 lb. ricotta cheese
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, optional
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ cup parmesan cheese
- 14 ounces Fresh Pasta Dough
Instructions:
Place the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the spinach and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. Once all the leaves are wilted, take the pan off the heat. Allow to cool before handling.
Place wilted spinach in a cheesecloth or kitchen towel (a clean apron works too), and squeeze excess moisture out. This spinach water can be discarded.
Fit the Food Processor with the Multi-Use Blade.
Place all ingredients except pasta dough into the Vitamix container and secure the lid. Start the machine and process for 5–10 seconds or until evenly chopped and desired consistency is reached. Chill filling in an airtight container until ready to use. (Filling can be made up to 2 days in advance.)
Assemble Ravioli: Prepare the dough by using a pasta machine to roll the dough into thin, even sheets, about 1 millimeter thick. Keep any additional portions of dough tightly covered with plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out. Dust your work surface and tools generously with semolina flour to prevent the pasta from sticking to anything, including itself.
Place one sheet of your rolled-out pasta dough on the floured work surface. Use a teaspoon, a small scoop, or a piping bag to place mounds of filling on the dough. Leave about a 2-finger-width or 1–2 inches of space between each dollop. Lightly brush water around and between each mound of filling. Place a second sheet of pasta directly over the first one, sandwiching the filling. Gently press down around each mound of filling with your fingertips to seal the edges and push out any air pockets.
Use a ravioli stamp, a fluted pasta wheel, or a sharp knife to cut around the mounds of filling to form the ravioli.
To cook the ravioli, bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the ravioli to the boiling water, being careful not to overcrowd the pot. Cook in batches if needed. Ravioli are done when they float to the surface of the water, about 2–4 minutes. Gently remove the ravioli with a slotted spoon and toss them immediately into a prepared warm sauce to serve.
