Homemade Ravioli Pasta Dough

A basic ravioli dough and a popular classic macaroni Sunday dinner in Italian households.

There is something special about making ravioli from scratch.

Homemade ravioli dough is surprisingly simple to make, and once you learn the basic technique, you can fill it with almost anything you love—from creamy ricotta and spinach to savory meats, cheeses, or roasted vegetables.

This traditional Italian pasta dough uses just a few simple ingredients, but the result is tender, silky pasta that cooks beautifully and holds all that delicious filling inside.

Whether you're making ravioli for a special birthday or a lover of ravioli for a family dinner, a holiday meal, or simply because you want to enjoy homemade Italian food, this recipe is a great place to start.

Tender pasta filled with fabulous-flavored cheese inside, topped with Traditional Italian Sunday Sauce.

Why You Will Love Homemade Ravioli Dough

• Only a few simple ingredients
• Makes tender, silky homemade pasta
• Perfect for ravioli, tortellini, and other stuffed pasta
• Easy to roll by hand or with a pasta machine
• Can be prepared ahead of time
• Freezes beautifully
• Works with countless savory ravioli fillings

Best Sauce Suggestions

Mom always said ravioli is best topped with Traditional and Classic Italian meat sauce.

You can make your own sausage-style meat bolognese sauce, which has ground sausage in it, or get a good store-bought brand.

I have topped them with marinara sauce and shredded mozzarella, and broiled the top with all that melted cheese heaven.

We also love to use an Alfredo sauce or Vodka Sauce, now and then for a change.

These ravioli are delicious with so many sauce toppings; we even love them with a little pasta water, butter, a little black pepper, and grated cheese on top!

What flour is best for homemade ravioli?

• Italian 00 flour is an excellent choice because it creates a smooth, tender pasta dough. However, all-purpose flour works beautifully and is convenient for everyday homemade ravioli.
• Why does my ravioli dough feel tough? The dough may need more resting time. Gluten develops as you knead the dough, and resting allows that gluten to relax so the pasta becomes easier to roll
• Can I make ravioli without a pasta machine? Absolutely. A rolling pin works perfectly well. The key is to roll the dough evenly and thinly.
• How thin should ravioli dough be? The dough should be thin enough to produce tender pasta but sturdy enough to hold the filling. If you're using a pasta machine, roll it gradually until it is thin and smooth rather than immediately going to the thinnest setting.
• If you love ravioli, you may also like Italian Fried Ravioli.

Tips for Making Perfect Ravioli Dough:

1. Don't overfill the ravioli. It can be tempting to add a generous amount of filling, but too much makes the ravioli difficult to seal and can cause it to burst while cooking.
2. Remove the air. Gently press around the filling before sealing the edges. Trapped air can cause ravioli to open during cooking.
3. Keep the dough covered. Pasta dough dries quickly. Keep unused portions covered with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel.
4. Don't skip the resting time. Resting makes the dough much easier to roll.
5. Use plenty of flour when rolling. Lightly flour your work surface and pasta sheets to prevent sticking, but avoid using excessive flour.
6. Seal the edges well. Firmly press around the filling before cutting the ravioli.

Looking for Gourmet fillings?

1. Try our filling combinations: for seafood, use a scampi sauce instead of tomato sauce
2. Spinach and crushed meatballs in tomato sauce
3. Mushrooms with spinach and ricotta cheese
4. Butternut squash puree, eggs, and nutmeg
5. Crab meat or lobster meat mixed with ricotta and grated cheese
6. Crushed sausage in tomato sauce
7. Meatballs crushed with tomato sauce
8. Ground beef cooked without sauce with grated cheese and garlic, eggs mixed
9. Ricotta and spinach
10. Three-cheese ravioli
11. Italian sausage and ricotta
12. Ground beef, spinach and Parmesan
13. Mushroom and ricotta
14. Roasted butternut squash
15. Lobster and ricotta
16. Spinach, mozzarella, and Parmesan
17. Pumpkin and Parmesan
18. Chicken and cheese
19. Prosciutto and cheese

More Recipes We Love

Mom's Homemade Italian Sausage Recipe

Pasta and Broccoli Aioli

Homemade Orecchiette

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Mom's Recipe

As I said earlier, this is an easy recipe for ravioli dough that takes a little time and you will never buy them again.


The dough is delicious, soft, and nothing like anything you can buy.


Treat yourself and try mom's recipe.

homemade ravioli, homemade pasta dough, filled pasta dough, ricotta filled pasta, ravioli, Italian pasta dough

pasta, macaroni, Italian food, homemade pasta dough

Italian

Yield: 35

Author: Claudia Lamascolo

Homemade Ravioli Pasta Dough

These are a delicious light egg dough to make Italian pasta called ravioli. The pasta has a Ricotta filling inside and served with tomato sauce on top.

Prep time: 1 H & 25 MCook time: 14 MinTotal time: 1 H & 39 M

Ingredients

• 4 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 6 cups flour
• 3/4 cup water
• 4 tablespoons oil
• Put flour in a bowl, make a well in the center, add oil and eggs and yolks. Work enough water with your fingers to make a soft dough, and mix till well blended. With floured board knead until smooth, and cover rest for 1 hour.
• Do not over-mix and knead just for a few minutes...till smooth.
• Filling:
• 3 pounds of Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese
• 6 eggs
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
• 1/2 cup grated Romano Cheese and more for garnish
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 fresh chopped basil leaves
• Optional: 1/2 cup whole milk mozzarella cheese
• Mix all together in a medium-sized bowl and set aside.
• Assorted Sauce toppings: Tomato sauce, Marinara sauce, Meat sauce, Alfredo sauce, Pesto sauce

Instructions

1. On a floured board, roll out dough thin 1/4 inch thick. Each square should be 2x3 inches.
2. Or cut with a round fluted edge cookie cutter. I do the squares.
3. Note: If using a ravioli tool plastic or metal board directions:
4. Roll 1 sheet of dough to fit to cover the plate, fill the holes with the ricotta filling. Top with another thin sheet of dough and using a rolling pin roll over the top. Turn the plastic or metal ravioli tool upside down and if needed cut using a crimping tool to loosen each ravioli. Place them on a floured parchment paper-lined baking sheet. This can be frozen or cooked right away. See notes for other suggestions.
5. Fill each square with 1 or 2 teaspoons of filling.
6. Cover with another square, and seal with a fork around the edges.
7. I prefer to freeze these on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.
8. You can then place them after frozen in freezer bags or boil in salted water with, a little oil in the water to keep them from sticking together.
9. Boil until they float to the top. Drain, and add to a large serving bowl top with the sauce.
10. Serve with Traditional Sunday Sauce. or another kind you prefer homemade or bottled.
11. Sprinkle the top with plenty of Romano Cheese that's freshly grated and garnish with red pepper flakes.

Notes

Different Ways to Make Homemade Ravioli

1. Rolling out the dough: this can be done by using a wooden rolling pin the dough should be no thicker than a USA nickel. Next, cut them filling and crimp them with a fork or cut by using a fluted-edged cutting tool
2. Aluminum or steel ravioli tool makers can be found online in specialty stores. Roll the dough by hand, and fill the cavities. Place another sheet on top. Roll that sheet with a wooden rolling pin. Place the ridged-edged second piece on top. Press down to make the pattern. Flip them over and pop them out. Cut them with a ridged-edged pastry cutter if they do not cut perfectly.
3. Use a manual crank-handled pasta machine to make the sheets of dough instead of rolling by hand on number 6 again this should be no thicker than a nickel. Then fill the sheets, Cut squares or round with a fluted edge, and seal using a fork all the way around. 
4. Round 3-inch glass: you can cut rounds out with glass and then crimp the edges with fork tines.
5. Electric pasta maker: for the sheets of pasta follow the guide in the pasta maker's directions, fill, cut with a round cookie cutter seal edges with water then crimp with a fork,
6. Place the ravioli on a flour parchment-lined cookie sheet.
7. Cook them until they float to the top or freeze them in a single, unstacked line in the freezer. When solid, place them in freezer bags.

Tips:

• It's hard to get them all the same size unless you have a machine Use a square cookie cutter with fancy edges or even use a round glass that has a 3-inch width in size
• seal edges with fork tines or a crimping tool
• if using a mold spray with cooking oil first for easy removal
• do not overuse flour or this will make the dough tougher
• keep the dough covered when not in use with a wet dish towel so it doesn't dry out
• roll the dough out to 1/4 inch in thickness (the size of the depth of a nickel)
• always salt the water
• homemade ravioli cook quickly when they float to the top of the boiling water they are done

Dough

Preparation for the dough.

Dump the flour in a pile on a work surface.

Make a deep, wide well in the center and pour in the eggs, olive oil, and salt.

Wash and dry your hands. Wrap the dough loosely in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 8 hours.

If you love ravioli you may also like Italian Fried Ravioli.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

192.59

Fat (grams)

9.08 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

4.33 g

Carbs (grams)

18 g

Fiber (grams)

0.64 g

Net carbs

17.34 g

Sugar (grams)

0.37 g

Protein (grams)

9.18 g

Sodium (milligrams)

162.38 mg

Cholesterol (grams)

80.46 mg

The default measuring system for this website is US Customary. Unit conversions are provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. While we strive to provide accurate unit conversions, please be aware that there may be some discrepancies.

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More Recipes To Try

Traditional Sunday Sauce
Homemade Orecchiette
Baked Cavatelli


Disclosure: This recipe was originally shared in 2010. It was edited and re-published in 2018.