Spinach and Ricotta Ravioli in Caper Butter Sauce

Homemade spinach and ricotta ravioli may sound lahdedah but it is really easy as is the delicious lemon caper butter sauce!

Spinach and ricotta is a classic filling for either tortellini or ravioli for good reason, it is delicious!

Rather than adding the traditional nutmeg this recipe runs with lemon zest and lots of black pepper in the filling.

Spinach and Ricotta Pasta

I love making pasta. Of course, I do not do it all of the time and sometimes dried pasta is better.

But when it comes to homemade ravioli you cannot beat fresh pasta. It is also super simple to make.

You could use my duck egg pasta recipe or make up a batch as per the recipe below.

The vibrant lemon caper butter sauce that we serve with the ravioli is the perfect complement to our ricotta cheese filling.

I adore these flavours, they feature in everything from my ricotta cheese gnocchi to my tuna steak with a capers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make ravioli in advance?

Yes, in fact, in many ways they are best left sitting for an hour or so before cooking although it is not vital. Just sit them on some greaseproof paper.

You can make the pasta up to two days in advance and keep it wrapped in film in the fridge.

The filling can be made up to 8 hours in advance although it is best used within 2 hours. I find leaving it overnight leads to some liquid separation.

Can I Freeze Ravioli?

Yes, you will need a larger freezer though as you need to freeze them in a single layer on a tray. Then you can bag them when frozen solid.

Cook them from frozen in well-salted boiling water for 4-5 minutes.

Should I use salted or jarred capers?

All of my recipes use jarred capers and this spinach and ricotta ravioli is no different.

Sure dried salted capers taste better, but they are both more expensive and require much more work before you get to eat them.

I personally do not find the extra cost or time is worth it.

What’s the best ratio of egg to flour for pasta?

I personally advocate weighing the eggs when making fresh pasta and multiplying that by 1.5 to get the amount of flour required.

This allows me to the precise and get perfect pasta every single time. It also means I can add extra egg yolk, this makes for a much richer pasta.

It also allows me to use duck or goose eggs to make pasta whenever I get my hands on them.

Pros and Cons of Ravioli Moulds

This recipe joins my balsamic mushroom ravioli recipe and in that one, I make hand-formed ravioli.

In this recipe, just like my crab ravioli and mushroom ravioli recipes, I use a ravioli mould. You should use whichever you are most comfortable with.

Both my pasta machine and ravioli moulds are made by Imperia.

I personally find a mould a little slower to work with than making ravioli by hand.

However, I do find that they create ravioli that are better sealed and are less likely to burst when cooked. This is probably because it is more difficult to rush.

The mould has become my go-to way of producing ravioli in recent years.

Equipment Used

I only name-check brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.

• Pasta rolling machine, you could in theory do it by hand with a long rolling pin! My machine is made by Imperia.
• Ravioli moulds, you can make ravioli by hand, however, I strongly prefer using a mould. I use moulds made by Imperia.
• Ravioli cutter or roller. You could use a knife.
• Stovetop.
• 24cm or 10″ saucepan.
• 30cm or 12″ saucepan with a lid.
• Mixing bowl.
• Weighing scales and or measuring cups and spoons.
• Citrus zester.
• Chopping board.
• Kitchen knife.
• Kitchen towel to squeeze out the liquid from the spinach.