My absolute favorite restaurant in Florence, Italy is called Osteria Santo Spirito. I’ve been there five times in my life and each time I’ve ordered the same thing, their tortelacci in walnut sauce. Don’t worry, I usually go with friends or family so I’ve tried most things on the menu by now, but that is my favorite. This fresh ricotta ravioli with walnut sauce is my at-home recreation of that dish.
I will say straight off the bat it is not the exact same dish. For starters they have beautiful tortelacci and I’ve made ravioli since they are easier. Plus my walnut sauce is Ligurian style instead of Florentine so it is a bit different. Even so, it is a great homage in my opinion, and an absolutely delicious fresh pasta dish.
If you aren’t a fan of making fresh pasta, then you can just by store bought ricotta ravioli and save yourself the time. I find pasta making soothing so I don’t mind making a mess in my kitchen, but it is totally up to you. Also, if you just want to make the walnut sauce you can just go directly to my Walnut Sauce recipe and use it for whatever dish you like!
Fresh Ricotta Ravioli With Walnut Sauce Ingredients
Fresh Ricotta Ravioli
- 250 grams Flour. You can use All Purpose, but I used a 50/50 mix of AP and Tipo 00
- 3 Eggs; large
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 tsp Salt
- 100 grams Ricotta
- 1 tbsp Basil Oil
Walnut Sauce
- 200 grams Walnuts; fresh if able, but in a cool dry place walnuts last a long time, so no worries if you buy them pre-shelled.
- 1 tbsp Pine Nuts
- 50 grams Butter; melted.
- 40 grams Parmigiano Reggiano, grated.
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 200 ml Heavy Cream. Also known as double cream, or whipping cream
- 1 tsp Salt; or to taste
- 1 tsp Black Pepper; freshly cracked.
Fresh Ricotta Ravioli With Walnut Sauce Instructions
1. As the sauce can be made beforehand and just heated up before serving, we’ll start with that recipe. Put all of the walnut sauce ingredients in a food processor or high powered blender and emulsify. That’s all you need to do.
2. Using a stand mixer add the flour, egg, salt, and pepper, and combine with a dough hook. I let mine run on the lowest setting for about 10 minutes. Then remove, dust with flour if it is still sticky-tacky, and place in a bowl covered with a towel or plate and let rest for a half hour.
3. Break the dough into 4-6 smaller pieces (depending on the length of your table) and run it through a pasta maker. I go until the second thinnest setting. Make sure the table is dusted with flour, and continue to dust as you do each run through the machine so it does not stick to anything.
4. Using a ring mold (I’m using the same one I use for my wildly popular Japanese Pancakes and my Tres Leches cake) cut out circles from all the dough sheets.
5. Place down a dough sheet circle and put about 1.5 tsp of Ricotta cheese right in the middle. Place over that another dough sheet circle and close the two sheets together using the tines of a fork.
6. Boil the fresh ricotta ravioli in salted boiling water for about 3 minutes each. Remember, fresh pasta cooks a lot faster than dry pasta. While this is happening, add some walnut sauce to a small saucepan on low heat and whisk it a bit. If it is too thick add some water to thin it out.
7. Plate the ravioli and spoon over some walnut sauce. Drizzle around some basil oil (or regular olive oil) and garnish with some walnuts and parsley.
Notes
I like to use a traditional filling, but you can get creative and use whatever filling you want. Just make sure that whatever ingredients you use for the filling will not clash with the walnut sauce.
The plate featured in the main picture for the best chocolate cake, and the one below is my absolutely gorgeous Churchill Stonecast Duck Egg Blue 11 Inch Round, available on Amazon. I like to serve these on an overlarge plate to class it up a bit and Churchill is one of my favorite brands.
Fresh Ricotta Ravioli With Walnut Sauce
Equipment
- stand mixer
Ingredients
Pasta
- 250 grams Flour AP or 00 or a blend
- 3 large Eggs
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 100 grams Ricotta
Walnut Sauce
- 200 grams Walnuts
- 1 tbsp Pine Nuts
- 50 grams Butter melted
- 40 grams Parmigiano Reggiano grated
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 200 ml Heavy Cream
- 1 tsp Salt or to taste
- 1 tsp Pepper black, freshly cracked
Instructions
- As the sauce can be made beforehand and just heated up before serving, we’ll start with that recipe. Put all of the walnut sauce ingredients in a food processor or high powered blender and emulsify. That’s all you need to do.
- Using a stand mixer add the flour, egg, salt, and pepper, and combine with a dough hook. I let mine run on the lowest setting for about 10 minutes. Then remove, dust with flour if it is still sticky-tacky, and place in a bowl covered with a towel or plate and let rest for a half hour.
- Break the dough into 4-6 smaller pieces (depending on the length of your table) and run it through a pasta maker. I go until the second thinnest setting. Make sure the table is dusted with flour, and continue to dust as you do each run through the machine so it does not stick to anything.
- Using a ring mold (I’m using the same one I use for my wildly popular Japanese Pancakes and my Tres Leches cake) cut out circles from all the dough sheets.
- Place down a dough sheet circle and put about 1.5 tsp of Ricotta cheese right in the middle. Place over that another dough sheet circle and close the two sheets together using the tines of a fork.
- Boil the fresh ricotta ravioli in salted boiling water for about 3 minutes each. Remember, fresh pasta cooks a lot faster than dry pasta. While this is happening, add some walnut sauce to a small saucepan on low heat and whisk it a bit. If it is too thick add some water to thin it out.
- Plate the ravioli and spoon over some walnut sauce. Drizzle around some basil oil (or regular olive oil) and garnish with some walnuts and parsley.
