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GoodtoKnow
  • 19/04/2025
This easy 'how to make ravioli' guide makes fresh, filled pasta simple thanks to expert advice from celebrity chef Theo Randall.
Transcript
00:00Hello, my name is Theo Randall from Theo Randall at the Intercontinental. Today
00:03I'm going to show you how to make ravioli.
00:10So first of all we're going to start with the filling. So the filling we have some spinach.
00:14Now you can do anything you want. You could use broccoli, you could use the classic chimerape
00:19which is the turnip tops, you could use Swiss chard. Anything kind of green and slightly robust
00:24that you can cook, blanch and then finely chop and mix in some ricotta and some parmesan cheese.
00:30So we've just got spinach here, so I've left the stalks on the spinach, so it's got a nice texture to it.
00:34Then I'm just going to finely chop the blanched spinach which I've squeezed out.
00:38Now it's important that you take out a lot of the water because if it's too wet the mixture will be too wet
00:43which will make the pasta soggy. So it's really important to make sure that you've squeezed it out.
00:50Now I find if you blanch the spinach and you then put it into a colander and let it cool down
00:55to room temperature, it's much better flavour than by putting it into ice cold water
01:00because when you put it in ice cold water it dilutes the flavour.
01:02So it takes a little bit longer but you get a much nicer result.
01:06So finely chop the spinach so it's really fine.
01:09You can leave a little bit of texture in there but it's quite nice if it's nicely finely chopped.
01:13And then we're going to add some ricotta cheese and we're going to add some parmesan and some salt and pepper.
01:18It's a very, very simple filling.
01:20Okay, so we put the chopped spinach into a bowl then we're going to add our ricotta cheese.
01:28So just lovely fresh ricotta.
01:30Mix that in together with the spinach and then we're going to add some parmesan,
01:38a nice amount of freshly grated parmesan cheese, some salt and pepper,
01:44freshly ground black pepper and sea salt.
01:46So make sure it's quite well seasoned because it's going to be blanched in the pasta
01:51so the filling has to be really quite strong.
01:53Just mix the spinach and the ricotta and the parmesan.
01:57Using a teaspoon we're going to put the filling.
02:00Now the temptation is to make really large balls of filling,
02:04make them quite smallish because if they're too big,
02:07when you push the pasta together it's all going to come out the side.
02:09So it's very important.
02:10One, there's a gap and two, it's very, very clean in between each ravioli.
02:13Otherwise what will happen is the filling will get stuck in between the two sheets of pasta
02:18so when it cooks it will open up.
02:20Now if you're doing this on a larger scale or professional level you can use a piping bag
02:24but I'm just using a teaspoon because we are cooking at home.
02:27Portions of filling with a decent gap and take at least two fingers in between each gap.
02:33Then what we're going to do, we're just going to get some water
02:34and we're going to run some cold water over each part of the pasta dough.
02:40So it basically acts like a sealant, almost like a glue.
02:44So just some water, just cold water, pastry brush, then rub that in between.
02:48Not too much, don't make it too wet but just enough so it gives a bit of moisture
02:52and then along the bottom of each bit of pasta
02:55and then we just fold the pasta over.
02:57Just fold this over the top.
02:59Pasta's just nice, slightly moist because I put that tea towel on top which kept it nice and juicy.
03:03If you don't do that, what will happen is when you fold it over the pasta will break and crack
03:07and that is a disaster.
03:10So fold this over, push down, sort of pushing it almost towards you
03:14but making sure that that bit of dough is not sticking to the other piece of dough yet.
03:19And then using your two little fingers, just push down
03:22and what we're trying to do now is get rid of all of the air.
03:25There's no air in between the little pasta parcel
03:28because if there's air and you pop it into the water
03:32what will happen is the air will expand and it'll explode.
03:35You'll end up with some horrible ravioli.
03:38That's all sealed and then using the cup of your hand
03:40over the ravioli and push down and that will release all of the air.
03:45So push down and then just keep pushing down so all that air comes out
03:49and you end up with lovely sealed raviolis.
03:52Again this as well and then we're going to get our cutter and cut the ravioli.
03:56If you've got on the zigzag one even better but I've just got a straight-sided one here
03:59and then just cut along, make sure that you've got those bits of pasta sealed nicely.
04:04This side as well, getting rid of the little trimmings of pasta
04:07and then just cut the pasta and take off the surface.
04:11And then once you've done that, just go through the ravioli
04:14and make sure that all the edges are sealed.
04:16By literally picking up each one and then just press so it's all sealed.
04:20It's definitely worth doing this because if you don't then you might get a little hole in there.
04:24A little bit of semiline flour on the bottom just to make sure it doesn't stick.
04:26And then we're actually going to put this onto a tray and pop it in the fridge.
04:30Now the temptation with anything that goes in the fridge is to cover it with cling film.
04:34If you cover it with cling film, what will happen is the pasta will remain really soggy.
04:38You want the pasta to almost dry out and the fridge is brilliant because it'll evaporate the moisture.
04:43Squeezing each edge and making sure that filling is nice and tight inside.
04:47And then once you've done that, put it straight in the fridge.
04:54Okay, so the pasta's been in the fridge for about 20 minutes so it's got a slight dryness to it
04:58so that when you cook it will have a lovely al dente bite.
05:01Now if you have any leftover bits of pasta like here, the best thing to do is just scrunch them up
05:05and then put them through the pasta machine again and make some tagliatelle or tagliarini.
05:10If they're a bit dry, put them in the food processor with a little bit of water
05:13and then just give it a quick blitz and then wrap it in cling film and use it another time.
05:17But a good kitchen is a frugal kitchen so use up every scrap of pasta you have left over.
05:22I'm going to now cook the ravioli.
05:24So just put the ravioli in one by one in simmering water, not fast boil, just simmering water for three to four minutes
05:34and then take the pasta out and put them into a pan with some butter and some sage and a ladle of the pasta water.
05:40Move the pasta and the pan together so it emulsifies.
05:44So the ravioli is really nice and emulsified.
05:46It's got the lovely kind of juice from the pasta water and the butter and the sage.
05:50So we're just going to plate up. Nice, generous, large ravioli.
05:55So the sage is just soft. It's not fried. It's just kind of soft and it has a nice lovely sort of flavour to it.
06:01It's really made the buttery sauce that goes with it.
06:05And then serve with some parmesan cheese and some black pepper.
06:08Very simple, very delicious ravioli.
06:20Thank you very much.