How to Make Homemade Ravioli: Step-by-Step Tutorial

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Learn my secrets to making perfectly fresh Homemade Ravioli! Using my step-by-step guide, you will be creating mouthwatering ravioli just like grandma used to. From preparing the perfect pasta dough to creating customized fillings, discover my tips and tricks to making delicious ravioli at home.

Ravioli on a marble countertop with a rolling pin.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

I inherited a ravioli stamp from my Grandma and really wanted to make homemade ravioli, so that’s what I did. That’s right, I made these with no special equipment! Just a ravioli stamp and the love in my heart.

Some may say I’m crazy for even thinking to attempt making these with no special pasta machine or ravioli maker. In an ideal world, I would have all the bells and whistles I need to make these babies with little to no hassle. However, if I don’t have most of the tools, odds are YOU don’t have most of the tools. And if I were to post such a recipe, it would be fun to read but completely impractical to you.

Therefore, I opted for the old school method. One which anyone can do! I promise it’s very doable. You just need a good chunk of time because it’s time consuming, but totally therapeutic. Let’s get started!

What is a Ravioli Stamp?

A ravioli stamp is a simple kitchen tool used to cut and seal ravioli. Mine has two flat, circular pieces of metal attached to a handle. One piece is perforated with ridges to cut the dough, while the other is smooth to press down and seal the edges of the ravioli pockets. Using this tool makes all of your little raviolis uniform!

Ingredients Needed to Make Homemade Ravioli

Fresh Pasta Dough:
- All-purpose flour
- Eggs
- Salt
- Extra virgin olive oil
Cheese Filling:
- Ricotta cheese
- Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (finely grated)
- Egg
- Fresh basil (chopped)
Garlic Cream Sauce:
- Butter
- Heavy cream
- Clove garlic (finely minced)
- Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (finely grated)
- Fresh basil chiffonade (for garnish)
Pantry Staples: salt, black pepper

Ravioli on a white plate with gold forks.

How to Make Homemade Ravioli

Below are my step-by-step instructions for making the pasta dough, cheese filling and creating the ravioli. At that point, you can boil them up and make the garlic cream sauce for dinner tonight OR put your sheets of ravioli into the freezer for 24 hours and transfer to a freezer bag for a quick meal later in the month. For full recipe details, including ingredient measurements, see the printable recipe card down below.

1. Make the Pasta Dough

Mound the flour on a clean work surface, like a large cutting board or counter. Using a fork, create a well in the middle of the flour with high sides.

A person using a fork to mix flour on the counter

Crack the eggs into the well. Add in salt and oil. Using a fork, beat the eggs and slowly incorporate the flour by pulling it in from the sides of the well. As you continue to pull more flour and mix, the dough will start coming together. Yes, at first this just looks like a big fat mess!

Using your hands, the fork or a bench scraper, work the dough until it comes together into a ball. Sprinkle a little more flour if it is sticky, add a few splashes of water if it is too dry.

A piece of dough on a marble countertop.

Knead the dough for 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic-like. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let dough rest for 20 minutes or so.

2. Make the Filling

Next, you can make the cheesy ricotta filling.

While pasta is resting, make the cheese filling by stirring all ingredients together into a small bowl. Set aside.

A bowl of ricotta cheese with a spatula in it.

3. Make the Raviolis

Sprinkle a baking sheet with flour and set aside.

Unwrap pasta dough and cut into four sections. You will work with one section at a time. Wrap the remaining three up in plastic in the meantime. Flour your work surface liberally. Roll out dough with a floured rolling pin, working from the middle and rolling out. Try to get the thinnest and longest rectangular shape you can. Keep rotating and turning the dough to prevent sticking.

A person cutting a piece of dough with a knife.

Once your dough is rolled very thin (but with an even thickness), place dollops of the filling (about a teaspoon) onto the dough about 1 1/2-2 inches apart.

Pro Tip: Your filling amount and spacing will depend on how large or small your ravioli stamp is! For best results, try your best not to overfill. It might take a few tries to figure out the perfect amount.

Fold the top of the ravioli dough over the filling. Press the top piece of dough over and around the filling to remove any air pockets.

a person folding dough over the top of the filling

Press your ravioli stamp in flour and then press down firmly to cut out raviolis. Place cut ravioli on prepared floured baking sheet. Form the leftover dough into a ball and place in the plastic wrap to rest. Continue this pattern until all the raviolis are filled and cut out. And voila! Cute little raviolis!

A person pressing a ravioli stamp in flour

4. Freeze or Cook Ravioli

At this point, you can either cook the ravioli for dinner tonight and make a quick garlic sauce to go with! Super easy and super delicious! Alternately, you can freeze them for a quick meal later.

To freeze: Place your baking sheets of raviolis in the freezer for 24 hours and then transfer to plastic freezer bags for up to 3 months.

To cook: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Drop in your raviolis and stir gently. Raviolis will be finished cooking once they float to the top. Steal about 1/2 cup of pasta water and set aside. Drain pasta and pour back into the hot pot. Place on the warm burner. (You don’t need the burner on!)

5. Make the Garlic Cream Sauce (if you cooked your ravioli)

To make a simple garlic cream sauce, melt butter in small saucepan. Grate in the garlic, then add heavy cream, parmesan cheese, salt and black pepper. Stir for a minute or two or until sauce thickens slightly. Add pasta water as needed to thin the sauce out. Toss with ravioli and serve immediately.

Ravioli on a white plate with parmesan cheese.

What to Serve with Ravioli

Storing Ravioli

If you have leftover cooked ravioli, allow to cool to room temperature. Place in an airtight container and into the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave until heated through.

More Ravioli Recipes to Try!

So, there you have it! Once you’ve had fresh homemade ravioli, you’ll never want to go back. They are so worth the wait! The printable recipe card is below. Have a great day, friends! 🙂

If you make this recipe, I would really appreciate it if you would give it a star rating and leave your review in the comments! If you have a picture of your finished dish, post it on Instagram using the hashtag #laurenslatest and tagging me @laurens_latest.

How to Make Homemade Ravioli

Learn how to make Homeade Ravioli filled with tender cheese to make pasta night extra special. It’s a lot easier than you think it is!

Ingredients

For the Fresh Pasta Dough-{recipe taken from Kelsey Nixon}

for the garlic cream sauce-

Instructions

to make the raviolis

Sprinkle a baking sheet with flour and set aside.
Unwrap pasta and cut into four sections. You will work with one section at a time. Wrap the remaining three up in plastic in the meantime. Flour your work surface liberally.
Roll out dough with a floured rolling pin, working from the middle and rolling out. Try to get the thinnest and longest piece of dough you can. Keep rotating and turning the dough to prevent sticking.
Once your dough is rolled very thin, place a small amounts of the filling (about a teaspoon) onto the dough about 1 1/2-2 inches apart. Your filling amount and spacing will depend on how large or small your ravioli stamp is! Try your best not to overfill! It might take a few tries to figure out the perfect amount.
Fold the top of the dough over the filling. Press the top piece of dough over and around the filling to remove any air bubbles. Press your ravioli stamp in flour and then press down firmly to cut out raviolis. Place on prepared floured tray.
Form the leftover dough into a ball and place in the plastic wrap to rest. Continue this pattern until all the raviolis are filled and cut out.

to freeze or cook

To freeze, place your trays of raviolis in the freezer for 24 hours and then transfer to plastic freezer bags for a quick meal.
To cook, bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Drop in your raviolis and stir gently. Raviolis will be finished cooking once they float to the top.
Steal about 1/2 cup of pasta water and set aside. Drain pasta and pour back into the hot pot. Place on the warm burner. You don’t need the burner on!

for garlic cream sauce

Melt butter in small pot. Grate in the garlic, then add heavy cream, parmesan cheese, salt and black pepper.
Stir for a minute or two or until sauce thickens slightly. Add pasta water as needed to thin the sauce out. Toss with ravioli and serve immediately.