Ricotta and Spinach Ravioli with Butter and Sage (Ravioli di Ricotta e Spinaci con Burro e Salvia)

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Pasta is one of my favorite things on the planet. I can’t get enough of it. Pasta is happy food. Fresh or dried, I don’t care, I love it all. Today, I’m sharing a recipe for an iconic stuffed pasta dish – Ricotta and Spinach Ravioli with Butter and Sage. Happy food indeed! This beloved dish is an Italian classic for a reason. It’s delicious, satisfying, simple, comforting, fun and, for many Italians, full of memories. In other words, it’s everything that Italian food is about. These beautiful ravioli filled with fresh ricotta cheese, spinach, aged Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and freshly grated nutmeg topped with a simple butter and sage sauce are hard to stop eating. Thankfully this recipe yields a large quantity of these beauties so there will be plenty to go around. You’re welcome.

Ravioli di Ricotta e Spinaci con Burro e Salvia

I can’t think of a better way to start learning how to make stuffed pasta than with these beautiful ravioli. For one thing, they are not difficult to form. Especially when you compare them to something like Tortellini in Brodo. Mastering ravioli is a good way to learn how to properly handle stuffed pastas that need to be pleasant to eat, cook evenly, have a good balance of filling to pasta, with a filling that doesn’t explode in your pasta water!

While deciding on how to fill my ravioli for this post, I debated whether to create something new. Eventually, though, I went with my natural tendency to obsess and swoon over traditional preparations… These dishes have been around forever because they’re perfect. The classics are the ones that capture my passion and heart most, so why fight it?! I chose to create a recipe using a traditional ricotta and spinach filling because it truly is something that everyone interested in Italian cuisine should know how to make. In addition, knowing how to make a simple butter and sage sauce is a must for so many dishes. The preparation is scrumptious too, so, win-win!

Ricotta and Spinach Ravioli – Some Background

These ricotta and spinach ravioli are popular throughout the country. You may see them with different names from place to place, in different sizes (or shapes even, they are sometimes round), and paired with different sauces. At times, swiss chard or other greens replace the spinach.

For instance, in Tuscany, their incarnation of the dish is called Tortelli alla Maremmana. The tortelli (ravioli can also be called tortelli) are close cousins to these ravioli but are a little bigger and have a larger border around the filling. Other subtle differences are that the pasta dough may contain a drop of olive oil and/or salt, and the cow’s milk ricotta might be swapped out for sheep’s milk ricotta. I would say that the preparations are nearly identical twins but I do believe that a Tuscan would say they are completely different things! (Insert laughing emoji here…) Often, these tortelli are topped with butter and sage. Otherwise, you frequently see them served in a Tuscan meat sauce which is absolutely delicious. (As you can imagine!)

Another name you might hear is Ravioli di Magro. In Italian, magro means thin or lean but in this context, it means meatless. A magro filling is something that is generally eaten when one has to avoid meat for religious reasons, such as Lent. These ravioli are so well-loved that many serve them on holidays and on Sundays as a cherished ritual.

Ingredients and Tips for Success

Before I get to the recipe, I want to give you some tips to ensure that you have excellent results. As with many Italian recipes containing so few ingredients, the quality of those ingredients needs to be high. The high quality of the basic ingredients in Italy is why, generally speaking, everything tastes better here. It is part of the art of the cuisine. The care that growers and artisans take to create good products is not to be undervalued. Also, a cook’s knowledge about when something is fresh, when it’s in season, where to buy it, and how to get out of the way of good ingredients is part of an Italian cook’s skill set. It’s how such simple and pristine recipes work and are so full of flavor.

Ricotta cheese

Since one of the main ingredients is ricotta cheese, I urge you to try to find the best available. If you live near an Italian market, seek it out and purchase fresh ricotta. It is far superior to supermarket ricotta (such as Polly-O). If the only thing handy in your area is industrial ricotta cheese, here are a couple of tips.

First of all, you are going to have to drain your ricotta overnight in the fridge. Place it in some cheesecloth, in a sieve nesting in a bowl. You never want a pasta filling to be soggy and wet. If it is, you will have a terrible time and will never make stuffed pasta again! A runny filling makes it very difficult to seal the pasta, allowing the ravioli to release their precious filling into the water. Secondly, industrial ricotta doesn’t have much flavor when compared to good quality fresh ricotta. Since my recipe calls for 500 grams (17.5 oz) of ricotta, add some fresh goat cheese to bump up the quantity to the correct amount. It will also enhance the flavor and make your filling more interesting.

Note: I have created a recipe with a large yield because I know that in the US, ricotta is sold in 15 oz or 1-pound quantities. I chose to write a recipe that would allow you to use the full amount seeing as most of you probably can’t go to a deli and buy just a small quantity. All that means for you is you get more ravioli!

Spinach & Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Even though frozen spinach is a wonderful convenience, I recommend that you use fresh spinach. It tastes so much more delicate and lovely. When prepped well, it won’t contain any stringy bits like frozen spinach can. (If you want to take advantage of another convenience product, purchase pre-washed fresh spinach! I usually do!) Keep in mind that you need to squeeze out excess liquid very well after cooking and cooling the spinach. If you do not, it will make your filling soggy.

Note, there is no substitute for real Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. (It is the King of cheeses, after all!). Grate it fresh at the last minute to maximize the flavor. Pre-grated cheese can dry out. Also, unless you have a trusted source, always buy the cheese in whole pieces and grate it yourself. Dishonest vendors sell lesser cheeses and charge you for the real stuff, even here in Italy. Beware. Real Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese has the name stamped on the rind. I prefer a more aged cheese for this recipe but use what you have and add more to taste if needed.

One last note on the ingredients, use whole nutmeg and grate it fresh. The flavor is far superior to pre-ground. It keeps in your pantry longer too.

Sauce Options and Thoughts

In my recipe, I serve these ricotta and spinach ravioli in a butter and sage sauce but you may also serve them in a simple tomato sauce. In the summer you can use a fresh tomato sauce and in winter, use canned tomatoes. As I mentioned above, a meat sauce can be fabulous too.

In Italy, butter and sage sauces are incredibly popular. In America, a butter and sage sauce usually means a brown butter sauce with crispy sage which I think reflects the influence of chefs with French training. I’ve never in my 18 regions (out of 20) of travel and eating, come across a brown butter and sage sauce. (I know there must be exceptions but I have yet to encounter one.) All you need to do is melt your butter and cook the sage until its fragrance is released and call it a day. Remember, Italian cooking is all about simplicity. Use good butter and some nice fresh sage and that’s all you’ll need.

Recipe Yield and Serving Sizes

This recipe makes a lot of ravioli! If you are feeding big eaters it will serve 6-8 people. If your guests have smaller appetites or you are serving several courses, the recipe could feed 8-10. Each time I tested the recipe I prepared over 1 kg (2+ pounds) of ravioli. I generally serve 6-8 ravioli per person which comes to 125 g (4.5 oz). As for the butter, I use 25 g (1 oz) per person. However, the butter can be to taste. You can add more if you like or less and use some pasta water as I do to stretch the sauce out a bit and make it more fluid.

Some Last Tips

In the preparation of this recipe, there is the possibility that you may have some extra filling left. I have left the ratio of pasta to filling this way on purpose to enable you to really stuff those babies well if you want to! I am leaving the size of the ravioli up to you as it is a matter of taste. Since I’m not doing a recipe from a specific town with rigid rules, things are more flexible. No nonna with a wooden spoon is going to come and beat you if you don’t make them in a certain way! You can make them round, rectangular, triangular, or into half moons if you wish. Note that circular ravioli leave more pasta waste and your yield will be lower.

After you make the recipe one time and find that you have a lot of excess filling, just add an extra 100 grams of flour and 1 more egg to your pasta dough the next time around. The ratios of pasta to filling in recipes is difficult to state precisely, because everyone rolls out their pasta to a different thickness and stuffs it with a different quantity of filling. Prepare the recipe once as is, and adapt it to suit your taste.

If you have a kitchen scale, I think the process will be easier. I have adapted to the metric system over the years and prefer it. If you have an electronic scale, you can toggle between the metric and imperial systems at will with no issue. I find recipes simpler to memorize too.

Waste Not, Want Not

If you do find yourself with extra filling it can be used for other Italian favorites such as stuffed shells, manicotti, cannelloni, crespelle, or you can even make gnudi by adding a small spoonful of flour to the mixture. See why I wanted you to learn how to make this filling? There are so many glorious dishes that use it.

If on the other hand, you have pasta leftover, you can use scraps of rolled-out pasta to make maltagliati, quadrucci, cannelloni, lasagna and all sorts of things. Knowing how to use up scraps is part of being a good cook! I’m here to help.

The recipe for Ricotta and Spinach Ravioli

Enjoy this classic recipe! Please leave a comment if you have any pasta questions.

Lastly, I leave my fellow stuffed pasta lovers with the following recipe links: Tortellini in Brodo, Egg Yolk Ravioli (Uovo in Raviolo), and lastly, Spoja Lorda. Buon appetito!

Ricotta and Spinach Ravioli with Butter and Sage (Ravioli di Ricotta e Spinaci con Burro e Salvia)

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Serves: 6-8

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Ingredients

• For the pasta:
• 400 grams (14 oz/4 scant cups) 00 flour, or unbleached all-purpose flour, plus extra as needed
• 4 eggs
• For the filling:
• 500 grams (17.5 oz/2.25 cups) cow's milk ricotta, preferably fresh, well drained (see note)
• 70 grams (2.5 oz) goat cheese* (if using supermarket ricotta only)
• 300 grams (11 oz) fresh spinach (150 g cooked & squeezed dry)
• 80 grams (3 oz) Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, freshly grated, or more to taste
• 1 egg
• freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
• salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
• For the sauce:
• unsalted butter, I use 25 grams (1 oz/2 Tbsp) per person
• fresh sage leaves, to taste, I use 2 per person
• freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, to taste

Instructions

1. Carefully wash the spinach and remove any large stems or yellow leaves. Lightly drain. (If using pre-washed spinach you can skip this step.) Place a large stockpot over medium-low heat. Add the spinach with a pinch of salt and cover. Stir frequently until the spinach wilts. Drain the spinach in a colander and let cool. (If using pre-washed spinach, add a tablespoon or two of water to the pot to help the wilting process.) Once cool, squeeze dry to remove all excess water. Chop finely with a knife and set aside.

2. Prepare your pasta dough. Place the flour on a clean work surface and form a well in the center by creating a circular wall of flour with a wide enough space in the center to hold the eggs comfortably. Crack the eggs into the well and start beating them with a fork, adding the flour bit by bit in a circular motion from the surrounding wall of flour to create a smooth dough that is moist, yet firm and not sticky. Once you’ve incorporated all of the flour into the eggs (you might not need it all, or you might need more), gently knead the dough until it’s very smooth, pliable, and doesn’t stick to your hands. It should take about 10 minutes. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and let it rest for at least 30 minutes or up to an hour.

3. While the dough rests, make the filling. Place the ricotta cheese, goat cheese*, spinach, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, egg, fresh nutmeg, salt, and pepper in a bowl and stir to combine well. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary. Make sure that your filling is highly seasoned.

4. Place the filling in a piping bag or resealable bag and set it aside. It can be made 1-2 days in advance and stored in the fridge. Just before using, cut off the tip if needed.

5. Set a large pot of water to boil. Once it comes to a boil, add salt. (It should taste like seawater.)

6. Next, roll out the dough. If doing it by hand, use a long rolling pin to roll out the dough until thin but not too thin or the pasta will not be strong enough to contain the filling. Fold your round of dough in half to mark the halfway point pressing lightly on the seam to leave an impression. Open it up again and pipe dollops of your filling into even rows on half of the dough. You can make your ravioli whatever size you wish. I make them very filled (see picture above) and about 5 cm/2-inches per side. Fold over the empty half of dough. Seal each raviolo well to push out any air pockets. Press down hard where you have a double layer of pasta in order to create an even thinness as best you can. With a pastry cutter with a fluted edge, cut your ravioli into squares. (If you do not have a fluted pastry wheel, use a pizza cutter and seal the edges with a fork.)

7. If using a pasta machine, divide the dough into 6 pieces. Cover the pieces not in use to prevent drying out. Flatten each piece with a rolling pin to the width of the machine and the thickness of the #1 setting. Starting with the #1 setting, roll the pasta (inserting width-wise) through each number in order, making sure to not skip a number or you will crush the dough. Roll out until thin but not too thin. (On a Marcato Atlas, about #6.) Fold the piece in half as above to mark the halfway point. On half of the dough, place dollops of the filling, evenly spaced and seal and cut as above. If you find that your dough is drying out and you fear that your pasta won't seal well, use a spray bottle filled with water to lightly moisten the dough before sealing. Do this for each piece of pasta until you have used all of your pasta and filling and cut all of your squares.

8. To serve: Melt the butter over medium-low heat in a large skillet. Once the butter melts, add the fresh sage leaves and cook gently until you can smell the aroma of the sage and the leaves look slightly wilted. Turn off the heat. Gently place the ravioli in the salted water and cook until tender at the edges, about 4-5 minutes. How much time it takes will depend upon the size and thickness of your pasta. Taste a corner to know when it's done. Once cooked, scoop the ravioli and place them in the butter sauce. Turn the heat on low again under the skillet and lightly coat the ravioli with the butter, adding some pasta water if you desire to make things more fluid. Turn off the heat and serve with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese on top.

Notes

*If you using supermarket ricotta cheese, drain it in some cheesecloth, in a sieve nesting in a bowl. To reach 500 grams (17.5 oz) of cheese, add goat cheese to add more flavor.