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Spinach-Ricotta Ravioli

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Makes 30 to 60 ravioli 1x

Time About 1 hour, with prepared pasta sheets

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Ingredients

  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup (about 2 ounces) cooked spinach, squeezed dry and chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups ricotta, drained for a few minutes in a strainer
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • A small grating of nutmeg
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • Salt
  • 1 recipe Fresh Egg Pasta or Eggless Pasta Dough, rolled into sheets

Instructions

  1. Put the egg, spinach, ricotta, parsley, garlic, nutmeg, and Parmesan in a bowl and mix well. Use immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to a day.
  2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Cut each pasta sheet into 4-inch-wide strips and lay them out on the counter. Drop heaping teaspoons of the stuffing in 1 1/2-inch intervals about 1 inch from one long edge of a strip (that is, about 3 inches from the other edge). Set a second strip of pasta on top, pressing with your fingers to seal (you can brush the dough with a little water to help it stick). Trim the dough with a sharp knife or fluted pastry wheel, then cut into individual ravioli. (You can prepare the ravioli up to this point in advance. Put them on a parchment paper–lined baking sheet in a single layer, not touching, dust with fine cornmeal or semolina, cover loosely with plastic, and refrigerate for up to a day or freeze. When frozen, transfer to a heavy plastic bag, and keep up to several months. Cook directly from the freezer without thawing.)
  3. Cook the ravioli 20 or 30 at a time for just a few minutes, until they rise to the surface. Drain, sauce, and serve immediately.

— Recipe from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian

Recipe variations

SPINACH-RICOTTA TORTELLINI Cut the pasta sheets into 2- to 2 1/2-inch squares and brush very lightly with water so they will stick together when you shape the tortellini. Put a rounded teaspoon of stuffing on each square and fold into a triangle, pressing tightly to seal the edges. Fold the widest point toward the stuffing, then pick up the triangle and press the two bottom points together. Put your finger inside the newly formed ring and fold over the top of the dough inside the circle. Press to seal. This will make about 60 tortellini.

SPINACH-RICOTTA CANNELLONI Tomato sauce is best here: Heat the oven to 375°F. Cut the pasta sheets into rectangles at least 4 × 6 inches; boil them for 2 minutes and drain. Lay out the pasta rectangles on the counter. Use a tablespoon to dollop a line of the stuffing along the short edge of each piece of pasta, about an inch or so from the edge; roll the pasta into a tube. Spread a little sauce in the bottom of a 9 × 13-inch baking dish. Add the cannelloni, placing them side by side, seam down and in a single layer; cover with sauce, sprinkle with grated Parmesan, and bake until bubbling, about 20 minutes.

SPINACH-TOFU RAVIOLI This filling also makes a great vegan dip: Use Eggless Pasta Dough and omit the egg, ricotta, and Parmesan from the filling. Double the spinach. Put 1 pound firm tofu, 3 tablespoons olive oil, the grated zest of 1 lemon, 2 tablespoons mild miso paste, 2 cloves garlic, 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, and a sprinkle of salt in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth and stir in the spinach. Proceed with Step 2.

MUSHROOM-RICOTTA RAVIOLI Use any kind of mushrooms you like: Substitute 3/4 cup Sautéed Mushrooms for the spinach and reduce the ricotta to 1 1/4 cups. Drain the mushrooms and finely chop.