What’s that one food that you always order in a restaurant but don’t usually make at home? For me, that’s ravioli.
I adore a giant ravioli floating in a pool of cheese the way lillypads layer across a pond. And I’m not picky about the filling—there’s something extravagant about delicate pasta that is stuffed with a bite of flavor.
I started making my own pasta last year and have finally perfected my dough recipe. All pasta is the same dough, just different shapes, so I rolled out my dough into sheets to make ravioli.
The trick is to have thin dough firmly pressed around a heaping scoop of filling. Sound complicated? It’s not! Here’s the gist of it:
- The dough is 1 cup of flour and ½ cup water, then kneaded for 5 minutes.
- The filling is pesto, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese.
- Roll out the dough into large rectangles.
- Spoon the filling onto the dough.
- Layer another rectangle of dough on top.
- Press, seal, and cut out the ravioli.
- Boil for a few minutes.
- ENJOY!
Ravioli seems like a restaurant-only specialty food, but the reality is that it’s hard to mess up! The most important thing is that you carefully seal each ravioli, and that you gently remove them from the boiling water with a spoon. Do those two things and you’re set to be an Italian chef!
Homemade Cheese and Pesto Ravioli
Homemade ravioli is easier than you think. 2-ingredient dough, 3-ingredient filling, 30 minutes of labor, and 4 minutes to boil!
Ingredients
- 2 cup all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
- 1 cup water, room temperature
- 2-3 Tbsp pesto
- 1/2 cup mozzarella, diced
- 1/2 cup parmesan, finely grated
- Salt
Instructions
For the dough:
- Prepare the pasta dough by combining 1 cup of flour with ¼ cup of water. Stir with a fork and gradually add more water until the dough sticks together and pulls away from the bowl.
- Knead the dough with your hands for 5 minutes until smooth. Set aside in a bowl and cover with a towel for at least 30 minutes, but no longer than 2 hours.
For the filling:
- Combine the pesto, mozzarella, and parmesan in a small bowl.
To prepare the ravioli:
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. (Make sure you add at least 1 Tbsp of salt!)
- Divide your dough ball into 6 equal balls. Flour a wooden cutting board, and roll each ball as thin as 1/16th of an inch, approximately 6-8inches wide by 10-12 inches tall.
- Mentally divide the rectangle of dough into 6-8 squares. Spoon 1 Tbsp of filling onto each “square.”
- Dip your finger into water and "paint" the water around each ball of filling. This acts as glue.
- Lay another rectangle on top, pressing down around the filling.
- Cut out the ravioli with a ravioli cutter or knife. If using a knife, use a fork to seal the edges. Continue until all dough and filling are used (approximately 16-20 square ravioli).
- Boil for 4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon. (Do NOT pour into a colander, or the ravioli will break open.)
- Serve with your favorite topping: olive oil, tomato sauce, pesto, or butter with cheese.
Notes
Be sure to seal each ravioli well or it will open up while boiling! Do this by using water as glue, and firmly pressing your finger around the filling, and sealing the edges with a ravioli cutter or a fork.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 447Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 28mgSodium: 585mgCarbohydrates: 52gFiber: 2gSugar: 1gProtein: 16g
