How to Make Italian Beef Ravioli, Step by Step
Don't be intimidated by the title! Making homemade beef ravioli is so simple once you have the right tools. Roll out some already made fresh ravioli dough and you'll be eating a ravioli dinner in about an hour! A classic Italian meat ravioli filling the whole family will love...or make it a ravioli party with some cheese ravioli or butternut squash ravioli!
Servings 4
Equipment
- food processor I use the Magimix 14 cup processor
- ravioli mold optional
Ingredients
For Filling
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 Tablespoons butter
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- ½ cup white wine
- ¼ lb ground beef 80-85%
- ¼ lb ground pork
- 4 egg whites beaten stiff
- 1 cup fresh baby spinach leaves
- 1 cup soft breadcrumbs equal to 2 slices soft white bread
- ½ cup Pecorino Romano cheese grated
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
For ravioli dough
- 4 cups flour
- 1 ½ cup water start with 1 ¼ cup
- 1 egg
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
For the Ravioli Filling
- Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Saute chopped onion until translucent about 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds or until you can smell it.1 Tablespoon olive oil, 1 Tablespoons butter, 1 cup chopped onion, 2 cloves garlic
- Deglaze the pan with the white wine, stirring up any brown bits at the bottom. Cook for 2 minutes.½ cup white wine
- Brown ground beef and pork until cooked approximately 8 minutes.¼ lb ground beef, ¼ lb ground pork
- Sprinkle in a big handful of spinach (about 1 cup).1 cup fresh baby spinach leaves
- Blend the meat mix in a food processor and then add the breadcrumbs (or slices of soft white bread). Add romano cheese,and garlic salt, kosher salt and nutmeg.1 cup soft breadcrumbs, ½ cup Pecorino Romano cheese, 1 teaspoon garlic salt, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Gently fold in egg whites until fully incorporated.4 egg whites
Mixing and assembling ravioli dough
- Pour the flour tossed with the salt on a wooden cutting board or clean countertop and make a well in the middle. Add the whole eggs along with the egg yolks to the center. Use a fork to gently mix the eggs pulling in flour a little at a time. Work your way around the middle pulling flour in until most of the flour is incorporated. Start by adding ¼ cup of water to the flour. Now add a little more flour. Keep adding water and flour until a ball is made. It’s ok if you don’t use all the flour and water.4 cups flour, 1 ½ cup water, 1 egg, 2 egg yolks, 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Using either a hand crank pasta machine or a mixer attachment, roll out pasta dough until you get to setting #5 or 6. For more information on rolling the dough and using the book method as described, follow my Homemade Ravioli Dough recipe.
Fill and Roll the Ravioli
- Lay the length of dough onto a floured surface (clean table, board or countertop).Find the center of the long side of the dough. You’ll fill one half and use the other half to cover the filled ravioli. Lightly mark the dough using the ravioli stamp (loooove this one especially). Another option: lay the short side of a sheet of ravioli dough at the top of a ravioli mold and let the rest hang over the bottom, ensuring that the remaining dough is long enough to cover the mold.This will help you to know where to place the filling.
- Using a small spoon, place up to 1 tablespoon of the ravioli filling in the center of each ravioli "stamp". Use a pastry brush to brush water around the outside edge of each ravioli. Pull the half of the dough over the filled side. Use two fingers to pat the dough firmly and gently around the filling sealing the ravioli as you go, pressing the air pockets out at the same time. Don't skip this step to avoid the ravioli from bursting open.
Cook meat ravioli
- Remove prepped ravioli to a floured baking sheet or clean surface. Cover with a dish towel and refrigerate if cooking later in the day. Add the ravioli to lightly boiling, heavily salted water (I use kosher salt). The ravioli might float immediately and then will sink down. Cook the ravioli for 3-5 minutes after the ravioli floats a second time. Test for doneness to your preference.
Notes
Make ravioli dough the same day you plan to use it. Sprinkle flour over ravioli dough and wrap in plastic. Store the whole thing in a plastic bag until ready to use. Freeze. Freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet until frozen solid. Remove to a freezer safe bag or container. Freeze up to 3 months. Two great ravioli pasta sauces are my homemade Italian red sauce or three ingredient tomato sauce. Timing:
The total time to make the ravioli above is for a cook who has made ravioli before.
Prep time above includes cooking and cooling the filling.
Cook time is only for cooking the finished ravioli.
If your dough and filling are already prepped, you can make ravioli in about an hour, especially if you are experienced. If you consider yourself a beginner, give yourself a little more breathing room and expect a minimum 2 hours to cook and cool the filling, mix/rest the the dough and roll out the pasta. Enjoy the process and have fun with it!
