A really easy to follow guide for homemade four cheese ravioli. I mean, it doesn't HAVE to have four cheeses but it sounds good right?! This is a great base recipe to customize and make your own. For a really in depth ravioli tutorial make sure you check out my Guide to Homemade Ravioli too!
Hi! Can I first be really upfront and honest about something? The photos of this dish are with a store bought marinara sauce. I have a bunch of incredible homemade pasta sauces but sometimes after slaving away making fresh ravioli I need something easy. This recipe really is just for ravioli shaping and cheese filling.
If you are a purist (and a saint) then can I suggest my Roast Tomato Pasta Sauce or my Easy Arrabbiata Sauce. Not feeling a tomato vibe? You can't go past my 10 Minute Brown Butter Sauce. My Ravioli in a White Wine and Butter Sauce would also be a dream. I hope these cheese ravioli will be gracing your dinner table soon!
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Ingredients:
Pasta dough
Lucky for you I have the absolute best fool proof Easy Homemade Pasta Dough recipe. It never fails and the post has a fantastic step-by-step guide to rolling the pasta sheets too. You'll need a pasta roller for this, you can use a rolling pin but it's a lot more work and hard to get even sheets.
Flour - I use a combination of '00' or all purpose flour with very fine semolina flour. You can skip the semolina if you want.
Eggs - My recipe has a weight of eggs to guarantee the perfect ratio. Room temperature always.
Cheese
I have used four cheeses but as long as you use the same overall weight then you could use two or three if four is too much! Below is what I used. As long as you use the same amount of ricotta as a base please feel free to experiment with different cheeses.
Ricotta cheese - This is the non negotiable cheese. Ricotta creates a really stable base for the filling. You can make homemade ricotta if you want to go one step further!
Smoked Gruyere - I wanted a really big flavor note so I opted for a smoked cheese. I highly recommend. Any smoked cheddar will work.
Burrata - I had some in the fridge and knew it would add some creaminess. You could also use some fresh mozzarella cheese instead.
Parmesan cheese - A classic addition! Parmesan or pecorino adds a nice dose of seasoning and depth of flavor.
Black pepper - I use a good ½ - 1 tsp of black pepper.
Optional extra flavorings
Herbs - Add a tablespoon of chopped fresh herbs for a flavor boost. I love using fresh rosemary or thyme.
Lemon - Adding lemon juice and some zest is a great way to cut through the richness. A tablespoon of fresh lemon juice and the zest of a small lemon is delicious to add.
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How to make this cheese ravioli recipe
Please see recipe card below for full step-by-step instructions and ingredient list.
Make the fresh pasta dough and the filling
ONE: Make the filling by combining all the ingredients in a food processor. Put into a piping bag or airtight container and refrigerate for at least an hour.
TWO: Make my Homemade Pasta Dough, rest and roll out into sheets (rolling guide is in the pasta dough recipe).
Shaping the ravioli
For a slightly more in-depth ravioli tutorial please check out my guide on how to make homemade ravioli. Fold the sheet of dough lengthwise lightly so you get a centre line.
ONE: Pipe or spoon generous tablespoons of the cheese mixture right up against the centre line about an inch and a half apart.
TWO: Fold the sheet over and try and keep it lifted up with your left hand while your right goes around the mounds of filling pressing all the air out. Don't stress if you end up with a few air bubbles or pleats in the pasta.
THREE: Press really firmly so the two layers are stuck together really well. I often use a wooden dowel or pencil to do this.
FOUR: Using a ravioli cutter, pizza or pastry cutter or a knife, trim the edges. Re-roll the offcuts!
FIVE: Depending how far apart the filling blobs were you might need to trim a bit off each side. There are no rules they can be whatever size you like!
SIX: Remember that they don't need to look uniform like mine, practice makes perfect. Place on a lined tray in a single layer, loosely covered with plastic wrap.
Expert tips for the best cheese ravioli
- Make ahead - My best tip always is to pre-make ravioli and freeze it. It means when you go to serve the pasta all you have to do is make a sauce and boil. I have the BEST Guide for How to Store Ravioli.
- Refrigerate the filling - It's a great idea to make the filling and refrigerate it for at least an hour (even overnight is fine). When assembling ravioli, a cold, slightly stiffer filling is easier to work with.
- Use a piping bag - I know this seems a bit chef like but I find it a much easier and cleaner way to dollop the filling on. Twist the bag at the top so the filling is firmly down the bottom, hold it upright and squeeze from the top.
- Roll out small sections - I work with ⅙th of the dough at a time. You can use a ¼ but you end up with quite long sheets. If it's your first time making pasta or handmade ravioli then rolling out smaller pieces of dough is so much easier.
- Cooking - Boil in a really large pot of water so they have room to move around.
Easy Arrabbiata
One of my favorite pasta recipes and a perfect accompaniment to this cheese ravioli.
Other pasta shape ideas
Making your own homemade ravioli is so fun! I have outlined a classic square or rectangular shape ravioli but you could use this filling for any filled pasta shape. Here are some ideas for next time.
Recipe FAQs
As long as you use the amount of ricotta I specify then there aren't too many rules. I love using a smoked cheddar to add great flavor. Any combination of grated cheddar, gruyere, provolone, parmesan, pecorino and mozzarella will be great! Experiment with different fillings. Feel free to just use 2 or 3 cheeses, it doesn't have to be four.
As I mentioned above I actually used a jarred sauce (no shame!). If you feel like making a sauce my Roast Tomato Pasta Sauce or Simple Tomato and Basil Sauce would be delicious! My Brown Butter Pasta Sauce is a classic option if you don't want a tomato based one.
Great question! I love having frozen ravioli in the freezer as it means you can make it well in advance and just drop into boiling water. Check out my guide on How to Store Ravioli for my method.
Did you make this recipe?
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Recipe
Delicious Homemade Four Cheese Ravioli
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Equipment
- Pasta roller
- Baking tray lined with parchment paper
- Pastry or pizza cutter (or a sharp knife)
- Piping bag (optional)
Ingredients
- 1 batch of homemade pasta dough
- 250 grams ricotta see notes
- 100 grams fresh mozzarella or burrata
- 70 grams smoked gruyere grated
- 40 grams parmesan grated
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Optional filling additions
- 1 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (plus the zest if you wish)
- 1 tablespoon fresh herbs (finely chopped, I like rosemary or thyme)
Instructions
For the filling:
- Combine all the cheeses in a food processor and blend until smooth and well combined. Taste to see if you need some salt, it depends a lot on what cheeses you are using.
- Put into a piping bag or covered in a bowl and refrigerate for at least an hour. It makes it a lot easier to work with if it has the chance to solidify in the fridge slightly. Make it the day before if you wish.
For the pasta:
- Use my homemade pasta dough recipe linked above, it's perfect.
- Roll out your pasta as per the rolling instructions in my dough recipe. For ravioli I go to setting 6 on my Marcato roller or setting 7 on my Kitchen Aid. You don't really want to go thinner than that.
- I only work with about ⅙th of the dough at a time. Check out all the photos above for the shaping.
- Fold the sheet in half lengthwise to create a line in the middle.
- Pipe or spoon generous tablespoons of filling right up against the centre line about an inch and a half apart.
- Fold the sheet over and try and keep it lifted up with your left hand while your right goes around the filling mounds pressing all the air out.
- If the folded edge of the dough is facing me I start at the bottom right of the circle of filling and make my way around the circle, pressing the air out as I go. Don't stress if you end up with a few air bubbles, there are worse things in life!
- Press really firmly so the two layers are stuck together really well. This is key so the pasta doesn't end up too thick. Don't worry if there are pleats.
- An optional step is using a wooden dowel or pencil to gently roll in between the filling. This helps to create neater squares of filling as you can press right up along side the mounds to move them into a square shape. It also helps to thin out the pasta layers a touch. Fingers are fine if you think the dowel or pencil is too fiddly.
- Cut along the long side and then down between each one. Depending how far apart the filling blobs are you might need to trim a bit off each side. There are no rules they can be whatever size you like!
- Place them on a baking tray lined with baking paper and dusted with coarse semolina. Loosely cover with plastic wrap.
- See notes below about storing.
- Boil in well salted water for 4 - 5 minutes and add to your favorite sauce.
Rory says
Fantastic recipe
Anna says
Such a great filling, I used all the same cheeses but feel like I could mix it up next time depending what I have. Great instructions as always!
Emilie Pullar says
It's a great filling to play around with! I made it again recently and added a few tablespoons of pesto too 🙂