Salmon Ravioli with Lemon Cream Sauce
Elegant but surprisingly achievable, this salmon ravioli with lemon cream sauce is rich, fresh and packed with flavor. Hot smoked salmon is folded into a delicate ricotta filling, then paired with a light lemon cream sauce finished with capers and dill. I shaped mine into cappelletti, but any filled pasta shape will work beautifully.
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
For the pasta
For the filling
- 200 grams ricotta cheese
- 200 grams hot smoked salmon (you'll need 400 grams all up)
- 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
- salt and pepper
For the sauce
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 40 grams parmesan cheese, very finely grated
- 200 grams hot smoked salmon
- 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2-3 tablespoons capers
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill
Instructions
For the filled pasta
- Make your pasta dough and rest for 30 minutes.
- While the dough is resting, mix the filling ingredients together with 1 tablespoon lemon juice, adding more to taste if needed.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper. Salmon varies in saltiness but it will likely need a good pinch of salt and ΒΌ teaspoon black pepper. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Roll out your rested dough to setting 6 on a marcato or seven on a kitchen aid attachment.
- Shape the pasta into your preferred filled pasta shape. I used cappelletti for this recipe. See my detailed guides for shaping classic square ravioli or homemade cappelletti for step-by-step instructions.
- Keep them on a tray lined with baking paper and loosely covered with cling film. If making ahead then check out my guide for storing ravioli.
For the sauce and assembly
- Boil your ravioli in well salted water for 3-4 minutes, reserving a cup of pasta water before draining.
- At the same time heat the cream in a large skillet over a medium-low heat until it is just bubbbling around the edges.
- Add the finely grated parmesan in 2-3 separate lots, mixing and letting each addition melt before adding the next. The heat should be low enough so it is just the most gentle simmer.
- Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice to the sauce and whisk to combine, then taste and add more if you prefer a stronger lemon flavor.
- Add the pasta straight into the sauce with 2 tablespoons pasta water, adding more if needed to loosen the sauce.
- Flake the remaining 200 grams of salmon into the sauce and gently warm through for a minute.
- Divide between plates and top with the capers and dill. I love to grate some lemon zest on top and a big crack of black pepper.
Notes
Shaping the pasta - I shaped mine into cappelletti but any filled pasta shape will work well. See my detailed ravioli and cappelletti shaping guides for step-by-step instructions. You could also use a ravioli mold too.
Use hot smoked salmon - Make sure you use flaky hot smoked salmon rather than cold smoked sliced salmon as the textures are completely different.
Keep the sauce on a low heat - Once the parmesan is added, keep the heat low to help the sauce stay smooth and prevent splitting.
Adjust the lemon to taste - The amount of lemon juice you prefer will depend on your personal taste so start with less and add more as needed.
Freezing ravioli - If you want to make the ravioli ahead check out my guide for storing ravioli. Because of the salmon, only store for a month.