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5 from 2 votes

Ravioli Filling Recipe

Ravioli is a delicious Italian tradition! If you are looking for an authentic and delicious filling for making ravioli at home, this recipe straight from Italy cannot be beat!
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Servings 1.75
Calories 1205kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp Olive Oil
  • 12 oz baby spinach leaves see note about chopping
  • 15 oz fresh ricotta cheese
  • 1 egg
  • ½ tsp Salt
  • ¼ tsp Pepper
  • ¼ tsp Nutmeg
  • ½ cup parmesan cheese Grated

Instructions

  • Place a large pan over medium heat and add 1 tbsp olive oil. Then add 12 oz spinach leaves into the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the spinach leaves are wilted.
  • Allow the cooked spinach to cool. When it is cool enough to touch, pour it into a clean dish towel or cheesecloth. Squeeze all of the excess water from the spinach.
  • In a medium bowl, mix the cooked spinach, 15 oz ricotta cheese, 1 egg, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper, ¼ tsp nutmeg, and ½ cup parmesan cheese together.
  • Use in homemade ravioli or as a filling to manicotti! Enjoy!

Video

Notes

Recipe Copyright The Foreign Fork. For educational or personal use only. 
  • Spinach: I recommend using fresh spinach for this recipe, but if you only have frozen on hand, you can thaw it and use that instead!
  • Ricotta Cheese: Try this recipe to make your own at home
  • Grated Parmesan Cheese: It’s always a good idea to grate your own cheese for a recipe rather than buying it pre-grated. Pre-grated cheese sometimes has a coating that messes with the texture of your dish.
  • Nutmeg: A small dash of nutmeg is the secret to really bringing out the flavor of the cheese and spinach
  • Any extra filling can be used for lasagna, manicotti, these Easy Stuffed Shells in the Instant Pot or even in a calzone or pizza.
  • If you are not a fan of spinach you could substitute kale or Swiss chard.
  • You could add some garlic to this recipe. I recommend cooking it in your olive oil before adding the spinach to ensure the best, soft texture.
  • If your ricotta cheese has a lot of moisture it may be a good idea to drain it in a cheesecloth before using it. You do not want your mixture to be too wet.
  • If you don’t want long pieces of spinach in your filling, try chopping up your spinach before sauteeing it so that it will blend easier into the cheese.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 1205kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 81g | Fat: 88g | Saturated Fat: 47g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 31g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 415mg | Sodium: 2653mg | Potassium: 2460mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 34424IU | Vitamin C: 96mg | Calcium: 1838mg | Iron: 12mg