Spinach Ricotta Ravioli is an Italian dumpling where the spinach appears alongside ricotta in the filling OR can be found as an ingredient in the egg pasta dough. Either way, spinach and ricotta are a perfect pairing. This recipe is quick and easy, it needs 1 pot and 15 minutes of your time!
Serving Spinach Ricotta Ravioli with olive oil, roasted garlic, wilted spinach, sun-dried tomatoes and toasted pine nuts makes this recipe a lighter alternative compared with a traditional tomato or cream sauce.
Ingredients
- Pre-made fresh Spinach Ricotta Ravioli.
- Fresh baby spinach.
- Garlic.
- Sun-dried tomatoes.
- Pine nuts.
- Red chili flakes.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Instructions
Cut a quarter of the height off a garlic bulb. This will expose the tops of the garlic cloves. Place the garlic into the basket of an air fryer. No foil needed. Pour about 1 tsp of the extra virgin olive oil over it and roast the garlic for about 10 mins at 400 degrees F.
Then toast the pine nuts. Put them in a large pot (I”ll use it later to cook the pasta,) and toast them over a medium heat. Do not add oil, this is a dry procedure. Stir frequently to allow all sides of the nuts to become brown. This will take about 5 minutes.
Slice the sun-dried tomatoes into strips as thinly as you would like. I cut mine into thirds. With a fork, pull out the garlic cloves.
Using the pot the pine nuts were toasted in, fill it ¾ full with water, and 1 tbsp salt and bring to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the manufacturer’s instructions. I cooked mine for 4 minutes. Drain the ravioli in a colander. I put the lid of the pot on top of the colander to maintain the heat. Return the empty pot to the stove top. Add the olive oil. When warm, add the spinach, chili flakes, sun-dried tomatoes and garlic. Stir together for about 1 minute, or until the spinach wilts. Place ⅓ of the raviolis on individual plates or a large serving platter. Add ⅓ of the pot contents over these raviolis. Repeat this procedure alternating the pasta and topping mixture. Finally, top with pine nuts to garnish. Cooked raviolis tear apart easier, so layering the raviolis this way avoids breaking them.
Flexibility with Ingredients
Buy any pre-made Spinach Ricotta Ravioli. I recommend buying the fresh version available in the refrigerated section of grocery stores. Some pastas have the spinach in the pasta itself, so it will appear green in color. Other pastas will have the spinach mixed with ricotta cheese in the filling part of the ravioli, so choose whichever Spinach Ravioli sounds and looks the most appealing.
Fresh spinach adds color and nutrition. If you don’t want to add it, add fresh parsley instead or anything else that’s green such as kale, or broccoli bits.
Garlic is roasted for flavor. If you don’t have garlic add any member of the onion family, such as chives, sautéed leeks, onions, or shallots.
Use sun-dried tomatoes stored in olive oil, if possible. They are moist with a little chew, exactly what you want from a sun-dried tomato. Avoid using dehydrated ones, keep them instead for another recipe where they are cooked in liquid. If you don’t like sun-dried tomatoes then use a jar of roasted red peppers, fresh sautéed bell peppers, or fresh cherry tomatoes.
Pine nuts complete this recipe, but any other nut can be chopped and used as a garnish. Nuts can also be omitted.
Red chili flakes add heat and additional color. Omit them if preferred.
Melted salted butter is a good substitute for extra virgin olive oil.
Uses for Spinach Ricotta Ravioli
This is a fantastic weeknight meal. From start to finish, it takes about 10-15 minutes. Using only 1 pot, it makes dish duty quicker. It is satisfying and will put smiles on everyone’s face!
Another easy weeknight meal is Chicken and Peas. Hearty and delicious it will be a family favorite in no time!
It is also a great recipe for hospitality. Invite your friends over and serve this for dinner. Complete it with a green salad, bottle of Pinot Grigio and a simple dessert and you’ll have your guests thanking you!
Storage
Storing leftover Spinach Ricotta Ravioli can be problematic. They can stick together. Before placing them in an airtight container, ensure each ravioli has a coating of oil on each side. Then store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Cooked Spinach Ricotta Ravioli can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator.
Equipment
If you choose to roast the garlic in the air fryer, then this is the one I recommend.
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A Tip From Me
Did you know that when boiling water for pasta, chefs will add the salt to the water when it is close to boiling? That’s because the salt brings the water to the boil that bit quicker. In the restaurant industry doing this is vital. Now you know!
Got Questions?
I’ve got answers – hopefully!
- What can I do to stop the cooked ravioli from sticking to each other? I recommend adding the olive oil mixture (mentioned above) as quickly as possible to each single layer of Spinach Ricotta Raviolis. The oil will help make them non stick.
- Are there other sauces I can make to serve over the Spinach Ricotta Ravioli? There’s lots of creamy or tomato based sauces to add to Spinach Ricotta Ravioli, so add or make whatever sauce sounds good.
- I don’t have an Air Fryer to roast the garlic, what can I do? Roast it in the oven. Prepare it the same way and place it in a preheated 400 degree F oven for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown.
- How can I prevent overcooking my Spinach Ricotta Ravioli? Some chefs and experienced home cooks undercook pasta by 1-2 minutes. The instructions on the package of pasta I used said to boil for 4 minutes. So boiling for 3 minutes should help to not overcook the pasta. The pasta will continue cooking in the pot even when it has been removed from the heat and for a few seconds after the water has been drained off. This approach will diminish all chances of overcooked pasta.
Spinach Ricotta Ravioli
Equipment
Ingredients
- 20 oz fresh spinach ricotta ravioli from the refrigerated section of your grocery store.
- 2 oz fresh baby spinach
- 2 tbsp pine nuts
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp chili flake
- 4 tbsp sun-dried tomatoes preferably in oil
- 1 fresh garlic bulb
Instructions
- Cut the top off a garlic bulb (about the top ¼ of it). Place the garlic into the basket of an air fryer. Pour about 1 tsp of the extra virgin olive oil over it and roast the garlic for about 10 mins at 400 degrees F.
- Toast the pine nuts in a large pot over a medium heat. Do not add oil, this is a dry procedure. Stir frequently to allow all sides of the nuts to become brown. This will take about 5 minutes.
- Slice the sun-dried tomatoes into strips as thinly as you would like. I cut mine into thirds. Remove the garlic from the air fryer. With a fork, pull out the roasted garlic cloves.
- Using the pot the pine nuts were toasted in, fill it ¾ full with water, and 1 tbsp salt and bring to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the manufacturer's instructions. I cooked mine for 4 minutes. Drain the ravioli in a colander. Put the lid of the pot on top of the colander to maintain the heat. Return the empty pot to the stove top. Add the remaining olive oil. When warm, add the spinach, chili flakes, sun-dried tomatoes and garlic. Stir together for about 1 minute, or until the spinach wilts. Place ⅓ of the raviolis on individual plates or a large serving platter. Add ⅓ of the pot contents over these raviolis. Repeat this procedure alternating the pasta and topping mixture. Finally, top with pine nuts to garnish. Cooked raviolis tear apart easier, so layering rather than mixing the raviolis with the oil mixture, avoids breaking them. It also helps them not stick together.
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