Fresh, hand-made ravioli is one of those things that sounds impressive but is genuinely simple. The dough takes 10 minutes and a half-hour to rest. The filling is three cheeses mixed in a bowl. The brown-butter sauce comes together while the ravioli cook. Total time: under an hour.
This recipe makes about 24 ravioli — enough for 4 people as a primi or 2–3 as a main.
The pasta dough
Italian fresh pasta uses egg-rich dough — flour, eggs, a splash of oil, salt. No water. The eggs do all the binding.
- 2 cups (250g) "00" flour or all-purpose flour
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
Mound the flour on a clean surface and make a well in the center. Crack the eggs into the well, add oil and salt. Beat the eggs with a fork, gradually pulling in flour from the sides until a dough forms. Knead by hand 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic — it should bounce back slightly when poked. Wrap in plastic and rest 30 minutes.
The three-cheese filling
- 1 cup (250g) whole-milk ricotta, drained
- ½ cup (50g) parmigiano-reggiano, finely grated
- ¼ cup (30g) pecorino romano, finely grated
- 1 large egg yolk
- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Salt and black pepper to taste
If your ricotta is wet, drain it in a fine-mesh strainer for 30 minutes (or overnight). Mix all ingredients in a bowl until smooth.
Shaping the ravioli
Cut the rested dough into quarters. Work with one piece at a time, keeping the others covered. Roll each piece thin — about 1mm — by hand or with a pasta machine (setting 5 or 6).
Lay one sheet of dough on a floured surface. Place teaspoon-sized mounds of filling 2 inches apart. Cover with a second sheet. Press gently around each mound with your fingers to remove air pockets.
Now seal and cut with a wooden ravioli stamp: dip in flour, press straight down on each filling mound, twist 90°, lift. The wood gives a gentler grip than metal or plastic — the delicate egg dough doesn't tear.
For more shaping detail, see our step-by-step technique guide.
The brown butter and sage sauce
- 6 tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter
- 12–15 fresh sage leaves
- 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts (optional)
- Salt, black pepper, more parmesan for finishing
Melt butter in a wide skillet over medium heat. Cook, swirling occasionally, until the milk solids turn golden brown and the butter smells nutty — about 4–5 minutes. Add the sage leaves and cook 30 seconds (they'll crisp up). Turn off heat.
Cooking the ravioli
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a rolling boil. Drop in the ravioli 8 at a time. Cook until they float and the edges look done — 3 to 4 minutes for fresh pasta. Lift out with a spider strainer and transfer directly to the brown butter pan. Toss gently to coat.
Plate immediately. Top with extra parmesan, a crack of black pepper, and a few crisp sage leaves. Eat right away.
Make-ahead
You can shape ravioli a day ahead and refrigerate them on a floured tray (cover with a damp towel). Or freeze them like dumplings — see our complete guide to freezing fresh pasta and dumplings.
More filling ideas
Many of our 15 dumpling filling ideas work beautifully for ravioli too — especially the pumpkin and sage, mushroom and tofu, and shrimp.