Homemade ravioli is among the greatest comfort foods in the history of Italian cuisine. The classic dish is easily customizable and perfect for a weeknight dinner.


Classic Ravioli Recipe: 3 Tips for Making Perfect Ravioli

Ravioli are a style of Italian pasta, typically featuring a cheesy filling encased in a thin envelope of pasta dough. Ravioli have been a staple of Italian cuisine since the fourteenth century and were enjoyed by the aristocracy and the working class alike. Ravioli dough can be cut in various shapes, like squares, crescents (*mezzalune*), or circles. You can also customize ravioli by size, like *ravioletti*, a bite-size portion, or *raviolo al’ uovo*, a larger style featuring a single egg yolk nestled inside. Ravioli are typically served in a broth or sauce or with a drizzle of [brown butter](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-brown-butter) or olive oil. 

There are many different techniques for making fresh pasta. These three tips will guarantee a great batch of ravioli:

1. __Seal the edges__. Unlike tortellini, another pasta shape that relies on folding to seal its contents inside, ravioli are best sealed with a bit of water before being cut with a crimping-style pasta cutter or paring knife. Sealing the pasta with water helps ensure that the filling will not leak out in the cooking process.
2. __Roll the dough into a thin sheet__. The thinner the dough, the more delicate and snappy the pasta will be. As the old saying goes, you should be able to read the newspaper through a sheet of properly rolled pasta dough. Rolling the dough correctly also makes it easier to seal the edges and encase your filling. After being cooked, the ravioli should have the gentlest give as you bite into it, rather than a thick, doughy chew.
3. __Pair the filling with the sauce__. You can pair ravioli with various fillings and sauces. For a rich, decadent dish, fill your ravioli with silky butternut squash purée and serve it with brown butter and crisp, fried sage leaves. For a creamier dish, fill the ravioli with a spinach-ricotta filling and cover it in a traditional [marinara sauce](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-marinara-sauce) or alfredo cream sauce. For brighter flavor, add lemon zest to the cheese filling and cover in a bright olive oil and herb-based sauce, like [pesto](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-basil-pesto-easy-recipe-and-tips-for-making-perfect-pesto). 

Homemade ravioli is among the greatest comfort foods in the history of Italian cuisine. The classic dish is easily customizable and perfect for a weeknight dinner.


Ravioli are a style of Italian pasta, typically featuring a cheesy filling encased in a thin envelope of pasta dough. Ravioli have been a staple of Italian cuisine since the fourteenth century and were enjoyed by the aristocracy and the working class alike. Ravioli dough can be cut in various shapes, like squares, crescents (mezzalune), or circles. You can also customize ravioli by size, like ravioletti, a bite-size portion, or raviolo al’ uovo, a larger style featuring a single egg yolk nestled inside. Ravioli are typically served in a broth or sauce or with a drizzle of <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-brown-butter' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-brown-butter","linkCopy":"brown butter","category":null}'>brown butter</a> or olive oil.

What Is Ravioli?

There are many different techniques for making fresh pasta. These three tips will guarantee a great batch of ravioli:<ol class="mc-m-4"><li class="mc-my-4"> 1. Seal the edges. Unlike tortellini, another pasta shape that relies on folding to seal its contents inside, ravioli are best sealed with a bit of water before being cut with a crimping-style pasta cutter or paring knife. Sealing the pasta with water helps ensure that the filling will not leak out in the cooking process. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 2. Roll the dough into a thin sheet. The thinner the dough, the more delicate and snappy the pasta will be. As the old saying goes, you should be able to read the newspaper through a sheet of properly rolled pasta dough. Rolling the dough correctly also makes it easier to seal the edges and encase your filling. After being cooked, the ravioli should have the gentlest give as you bite into it, rather than a thick, doughy chew. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 3. Pair the filling with the sauce. You can pair ravioli with various fillings and sauces. For a rich, decadent dish, fill your ravioli with silky butternut squash purée and serve it with brown butter and crisp, fried sage leaves. For a creamier dish, fill the ravioli with a spinach-ricotta filling and cover it in a traditional <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-marinara-sauce' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-marinara-sauce","linkCopy":"marinara sauce","category":null}'>marinara sauce</a> or alfredo cream sauce. For brighter flavor, add lemon zest to the cheese filling and cover in a bright olive oil and herb-based sauce, like <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-basil-pesto-easy-recipe-and-tips-for-making-perfect-pesto' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-basil-pesto-easy-recipe-and-tips-for-making-perfect-pesto","linkCopy":"pesto","category":null}'>pesto</a>. </li></ol>

3 Tips for Making Perfect Ravioli

Classic Ravioli Recipe

Homemade ravioli is among the greatest comfort foods in the history of Italian cuisine. The classic dish is easily customizable and perfect for a weeknight dinner.