Ravioli di Ricotta e Spinaci
This spinach ricotta ravioli recipe makes fresh egg pasta from scratch, fills it with wilted spinach, creamy ricotta, Parmigiano and a grating of nutmeg, and tosses it in brown butter with sage. One serving is about 300 g, with roughly 10 plump ravioli per plate.
Ravioli filled with greens and cheese are one of Italy's oldest stuffed pastas — a version with herbs and cheese appears in a 14th-century Venetian cookbook, and spinach and ricotta became the classic pairing as the dish spread through Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany. The combination works because the spinach gives the rich cheese something green and earthy to lean on, and the nutmeg — the traditional seasoning of the filling — ties the two together. Brown butter with sage is the simplest dressing, and the one that lets the filling speak.
Pairs well with: A simple green salad, crusty bread and a light white wine
Provenance
Italy
Italian Classic
Mediterranean & Italy
Time Dedication
1h 20m
60m prep • 20m cook
Batch Yield
4 Servings
557 kcal per serving
1 serving ≈ 300 g
Technical Skill
Advanced
Advanced (Handmade Pasta)
Meal Timing & Digestive Fit
Breakfast
Not Advised
Lunch
Hearty Midday Main
Dinner
Ideal Hearty Main
Snack & Tea
Inappropriate
Italian Classic
Photo: Ruth Hartnup, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Heritage Formulary
Estimated cost: Low — about $3–4 per serving at home (USD)
A true raviolo is plump but not overstuffed — about a teaspoon of filling per piece — and the pasta is rolled thin enough to see the filling through it.
Execution Methodology & Culinary Technique
Prep Stage: Dough and Filling
60 Mins • Dough and Filling
Make the pasta dough first: pile the flour on the board, make a well, add 2 of the eggs and knead for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Wrap it tightly and rest it for 30 minutes at room temperature. Meanwhile, wilt the spinach in olive oil with the garlic, squeeze it until almost dry, chop it fine and mix with the ricotta, Parmigiano, the remaining egg, lemon zest and nutmeg.
Maestro Tip: If the dough feels dry, wet your hands rather than adding water to the flour — a little moisture goes a long way.
10 Mins Room temperature
Pile the flour on a clean work surface, make a well in the centre and crack in 2 of the eggs. Beat the eggs with a fork, drawing in the flour a little at a time, then knead for 10 minutes until the dough is smooth, elastic and no longer sticky. Wrap it tightly in cling film and rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
A rested dough rolls thin without tearing — skip the rest and the sheet will spring back and fight you.
Done when: The dough is smooth and springs back slowly when pressed with a fingertip.
10 Mins Medium heat, about 160°C (320°F)
Heat the olive oil in a wide pan, add the spinach in handfuls and cook for 2–3 minutes until fully wilted. Tip it into a sieve, press out as much water as you can, then squeeze it in a clean tea towel until almost dry. Chop it fine and mix with the ricotta, Parmigiano, the remaining egg, garlic, lemon zest, nutmeg and a pinch of salt.
Squeeze the spinach twice — once in the sieve and once in the towel. A wet filling is the one thing that ruins ravioli.
Done when: The filling is thick enough to hold its shape on a spoon, with no liquid pooling at the bottom of the bowl.
12 Mins Room temperature
Roll the rested dough into a thin sheet, about 1 mm — thin enough to see your hand through it. Lay it flat, place teaspoons of filling in rows about 5 cm apart, brush the dough around each mound with water, lay a second sheet on top and press around each mound to seal out the air. Cut into squares with a fluted wheel and pinch the edges shut.
Work on a floured surface and keep the unused dough covered — dry pasta cracks and will not seal.
Done when: Each raviolo is a tight, plump square with no air trapped inside and no filling leaking from the seam.
6 Mins Gentle simmer, about 95°C (203°F); butter browned at about 160°C (320°F)
Bring a large pot of salted water to a gentle simmer and drop the ravioli in a few at a time. Cook for 3–4 minutes until they float to the surface and the pasta is tender. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a wide pan with the sage leaves until it foams and turns nut-brown. Lift the ravioli out with a slotted spoon and toss them gently in the butter with a splash of the pasta water.
Cook the ravioli in water, not in the sauce — the pasta water left in the pan makes the butter cling to every piece.
Done when: The ravioli float, the pasta is tender with a slight bite, and the butter is nut-brown and fragrant.
2 Mins Serve hot, above 74°C (165°F)
Divide the ravioli between four warm plates, spoon over the brown butter and crisp sage leaves, and pass extra Parmigiano at the table. Serve at once, while the butter is still glossy.
Warm the plates first — cold plates seize the butter and cool fresh pasta in seconds.
Done when: The plates are hot, the ravioli are glossy with butter, and the sage leaves are crisp.
Finishing Touches & Plating
Toss the ravioli gently in the brown butter so every piece is glossy, then plate at once with extra Parmigiano and a few crisp sage leaves on top. Serve hot — fresh pasta cools fast.
Nutritional Physiology & Benefits
Energy
557
kcal / serving
Protein
25g
Complete AA
Carbs
54g
Complex
Fats
27g
Healthy
| Energy | 557 kcal |
| Protein | 25 g |
| Carbohydrates | 54 g |
| Fat | 27 g |
| Fibre | 3.6 g |
| Sugar | 1.1 g |
| Sodium | 562 mg |
| Energy | 186 kcal |
| Protein | 8.3 g |
| Carbohydrates | 17.9 g |
| Fat | 9 g |
| Fibre | 1.2 g |
| Sugar | 0.4 g |
| Sodium | 187 mg |
Nutrition values are estimated — calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for the listed ingredients.
Vitamins & minerals: Vitamin K, folate and iron (spinach), calcium and phosphorus (ricotta, Parmigiano) and vitamin B12 (egg, cheese).
Good Protein from Cheese and Egg
About 25 g of protein per serving from ricotta, Parmigiano and egg — the filling is small but concentrated.
Real Spinach, Real Cheese
Fresh spinach brings iron, folate and vitamin K, and the filling is made from real vegetables rather than processed cheese.
A Light, Simple Sauce
The sauce is just brown butter, sage and a little garlic — no cream, no heavy jarred sauce, and nothing the pasta has to hide behind.
Food Pairings
To optimize nutrient absorption and elevate the sensory depth, pair with these authentic accompaniments:
Vegetables
A Bitter Green Salad
A bitter green salad after the pasta cleanses the palate and balances the richness of the ricotta and butter.
Sides
Crusty Bread
Crusty bread is for the last of the brown butter in the bowl — it is too good to leave behind.
Drinks
With a Dry White Wine
A dry white wine, such as a Pinot Grigio, has the acidity to cut through the butter without overpowering the delicate filling.
Full Menus
A Simple Italian Dinner
Serve as the main course of a simple Italian dinner, with bruschetta first and fruit to finish.
Complete menu
Serve the ravioli as a main course after a light tomato bruschetta starter, with a green salad and crusty bread, and finish with fresh fruit.
Digestive Guardrails
To prevent digestive distress, sluggishness, or palate clash, avoid pairing the dish with these elements:
A Wet Filling
A wet filling bursts out of the pasta in the boiling water and turns the sauce cloudy. Squeeze the spinach until it is almost dry before mixing the filling. This is general guidance, not medical advice.
Boiling the Ravioli Hard
Boiling the ravioli hard tears the delicate pasta and dumps the filling into the pot. Cook them at a gentle simmer and lift them out with a slotted spoon. This is general guidance, not medical advice.
General information only, not medical advice — consult a doctor for personal dietary decisions.
Who Should Eat It
Health Conditions — Adjust or Avoid
If you have a medical condition, consult your doctor before changing your diet.
Storage & Use
Italy
4h 25m
Slow-braised soffritto and coarse ground heritage meats layered over handmade egg yolk dough for mid-day stamina.
Lean Protein
Slow-simmered beef ragù tossed through fresh egg tagliatelle.
Italy
45m
This pizza margherita recipe makes a proper Neapolitan-style pizza at home: a soft, airy dough, San Marzano tomato sauce, fior di latte mozzarella and fresh basil. One serving is about 325 g — two slices.
Simple & Satisfying
Wood-fired-style pizza with tomato, fior di latte mozzarella and basil — three ingredients, done properly.
Italy
50m
This mushroom risotto recipe stirs Arborio rice slowly with hot stock, white wine and two kinds of mushrooms, then finishes it the Milanese way with cold butter and Parmesan. One serving is about 500 g.
Comfort & Warmth
Creamy Arborio rice, slowly stirred with mushrooms, white wine and Parmesan.
Italy
30m
This spaghetti carbonara recipe is the Roman classic as it should be: spaghetti tossed with crisp guanciale, egg yolks, Pecorino Romano and black pepper — no cream, no bacon, no garlic. One serving is about 275 g. It takes 30 minutes, and the sauce comes together in the time the pasta cooks.
Comfort & Rich
Silky egg-and-cheese sauce over spaghetti with crisp guanciale and black pepper, ready in 30 minutes.
