Cheese & Meat Ravioli Recipe, the best homemade ravioli ever!

ricotta cheese

🥗Healthier: cottage cheese

💰Cheaper: cream cheese

Cottage cheese lowers calories while maintaining creaminess.

parmesan cheese

🥗Healthier: nutritional yeast

💰Cheaper: grana padano

Nutritional yeast provides a cheesy flavor with fewer calories.

olive oil

🥗Healthier: avocado oil

💰Cheaper: vegetable oil

Vegetable oil is a cost-effective substitute for sautéing.

spinach

🥗Healthier: kale

💰Cheaper: frozen spinach

Frozen spinach is more affordable and has a longer shelf life.

First make the pasta dough, see my recipe link above.

In a large pan add over medium heat, add olive oil, chopped shallots, chopped or minced garlic, and sweat ingredients.

Add the chopped or ground veal and continue stirring over high heat until it has colour (approx. 4 minutes). Use a fork to break up any lumps.

Deglaze with ½ cup white wine, add a bay leaf, and reduce over high heat until mixture is dry. Remove bay leaf and leave to cool, then refrigerate.

In a food processor add the cut mortadella pieces, add the milk-soaked bread, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, chopped parsley, oregano, and one large whole egg. Season with salt and pepper. (Note: Ravioli filling requires a little more salt than usual). Add the cooked veal (cold). Pulse all ingredients until fine. Cover and refrigerate until ready.

Lay the pasta sheet on a lightly floured kitchen bench surface. (Thin and wide is best, and keep it covered in plastic or damp cloths when not in use or it will dry fast)

Using a pastry brush, brush the pasta side closest to you lengthwise with tap water, and in between each portion, enough to moisten, but don’t soak it. This will be to seal once you fold it over.

Using a spoon, scoop out small portions (about the size of a cherry tomato or a large grape) and place them with one inch gaps, lengthwise along the pasta dough. Place them not in the centre but a little closer to the brush mark closest to you. If it appears dry, moisten again so the sheets will stick together.

Fold the pasta sheet over edge to edge. Press the pasta sheets together sealing the edges around each filling (like a karate chop but gentle) and press out any trapped air bubbles, this is important. Then using a patterned ravioli cutter or a knife, cut in between to form a ravioli. If you have too much pasta on each side of the ravioli, trim down further.

Place the cut ravioli on a floured sheet pan or plate to avoid them sticking. Refrigerate them uncovered for an hour so they dry a little. Then cover with cling film for when you’re ready to use.

On high heat, bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Drop raviolis in water and cook 2-3 minutes.

For the Marinara sauce, see link below: Napolitana (Marinara) Tomato Sauce.

Place a few spoons of the sauce into a pan with a little olive oil and some of the pasta cooking water. Bring to a simmer and toss in ravioli once cooked, shake the pan so the sauce coats them a little and serve immediately with grated Parmesan cheese and freshly picked basil leaves.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens