Ricotta & Spinach Ravioli from a Tuscany Cooking Vacation

While a handful of Italian cities lay claim to the original ravioli recipe that dates back to the 14th century, every family today has their own way of making, and filling, the stuffed pasta. This simple but delicious ricotta ravioli recipes hails from the Tuscan countryside, specifically our cooking vacation “Cook in the Heart of Chianti“. While the dish goes well with most red sauces, we suggest you pair it with another one of the chef’s creations, Chianti Classico sauce!

Please contact us for details on this or any of our Tuscany cooking vacations.

Ricotta and Spinach Ravioli

Ingredients

Serves 4
Prep time: 60 minutes
Cook time: 3 minutes
Cook method: Boil

• 200 grams (7 oz) 00 flour
• 200 grams (7 oz) Semolina flour
• 4 eggs
• Salt
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 200 grams (7 oz) fresh ricotta (learn how to make your own ricotta)
• 100 grams (3.5 oz) spinach, cooked and water squeezed out
• Nutmeg
• Parmesan

Instructions

Ravioli Filling
1. Put the ricotta in a medium-sized bowl, and then crumble it with a fork.
2. Add the spinach and parmesan cheese. Mix these ingredients together until they form a smooth paste.
3. Add the salt, pepper, nutmeg, and mix it all in.
4. Cover the bowl, and place the cheese mixture into the refrigerator for at least a half hour.

Ravioli Dough
5. While the cheese mixture is in the fridge, place the flour in a mound on your work surface.
6. Form a well in the center of the flour and add the eggs to the well.
7. Add the salt.
8. Using a fork, beat the eggs inside the well.
9. Incorporate a little bit of the flour into the egg mixture until it thickens. Then use your fingers to gradually work in the rest of the flour with the eggs.
10. Using your hands, mix the eggs and flour together to form a smooth dough. Knead the dough for 10 to 15 minutes until it becomes elastic.
11. Separate the dough into two pieces. Put this dough through the pasta maker a few times by starting on the widest setting and then working your way down to the thinnest setting. Eventually you’ll want the dough as thin as a dime.

Finishing the Ravioli
12. Trim the edges of the pasta sheet until you have a rectangle.
13. Drop spoonfuls of the ricotta mixture onto the pasta sheet about half an inch rom the edge of the sheet, and 1.5 inches from each other.
14. Carefully fold the pasta over so it covers the ricotta.
15. Use your fingers to seal the dough together around the edges of the sheet, and then seal the dough together between each drop of ricotta.
16. Use a pizza cutter to cut the ravioli into individual pieces.
17. Seal the edges of each ravioli with a fork so they don’t leak while they cook.
18. Place the ravioli on a plate and dust them with flour so they don’t stick together.
19. Cook the ravioli by dropping it into boiling water. They will cook quickly, and when they’re done, they’ll float to the surface.
20. Add your favorite sauce, and buon appettito!

By Peg Kern

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