A classic recipe for homemade ravioli pasta filled with a combination of herbs, cheese, and ricotta then cooked and tossed with butter and cheese. With this Herb And Ricotta Cheese Ravioli Pasta Recipe you will feel as if you were in an Italian kitchen.
2ouncesFresh flat-leaf parsley leavesor basil or oregano
12ouncesfresh ricotta cheese
4ouncesfinely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheeseplus more for garnish
2mediumlemonzested
1largeegg yolk
kosher salt and Freshly ground black pepper
unsalted butter
Instructions
To Make The Pasta: Follow the instructions to make one full recipe of our Basic Egg Pasta Dough all the way through (as in, mix it, let it rest, and roll it into sheets).You want the sheets to ideally be at least 4-inches wide and, if you'd like, you can trim them 12 to 15 inches in length to make them easier to work. Lightly sprinkle both sides of each pasta sheet with flour then fold on itself. Cover the pasta sheets with a dry kitchen towel and set aside while you make the filling.
For The Ravioli Filling: Bring a small saucepan or tea kettle of water to a boil. Trim the stems off the herbs so you mostly have leaves (it's okay if you have a few tender stems) then place the herbs in fine mesh sieve set in a bowl. Pour the boiling water over the herbs and let sit 20 to 30 seconds so they wilt.Drain off the water then run the herbs under cold water then place the herbs in a paper towel and squeeze out excess water. Finely chop the herbs then mix together with the ricotta, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, lemon, egg yolk, and a pinch of salt and a few cranks of freshly ground black pepper. Set aside until ready to use.
To Form The Ravioli: Place one of the sheets of pasta on a clean, dry surface with one of the long edges facing you. Brush off any excess flour with a dry pastry brush then fold the sheet down its midline to make a light crease and then re-open it.Spoon small 1/2 teaspoon mounds of the filling down the lower half of the dough, leaving a 1-inch space between each mound. If the dough is dried out, wet the dough near the mounds of filling lightly with a bit of water (either by using a spray bottle of water or by lightly applying it around the mound with your fingers or a pastry brush). Fold the pasta sheet over along the crease, pressing from the folded point outward to remove excess air. Gently pat the dough down around each lump of filling to create a seal. Use a small biscuit cutter or square cookie cutter to stamp the ravioli into even circles or squares. Repeat until all of the filling and pasta is used up, gathering and rerolling the scraps as needed.
To Cook The Ravioli: Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to the boil. Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Once the water boils, add about 15 to 20 ravioli and cook until the pasta floats to the top and is just cooked, about 2 to 3 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water.Use a slotted spoon to remove the pasta and drain carefully, then transfer to the frying pan with the melted butter and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes until tender and golden. Remove the pan from the heat, add 1 more tablespoon of butter and swirl until the sauce is thickened slightly. Serve immediately topped with freshly grated cheese. Repeat to cook the remaining pasta.