Homemade Spinach & Ricotta Ravioli (Ready in 45 Minutes!)

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Buying boxed pasta is a personality trait, but rolling out your own dough is a spiritual awakening. If you've ever wanted to channel your inner Italian nonna without the multi-generational guilt, this spinach and ricotta ravioli is your golden ticket. We are talking pillowy pockets of rich, creamy cheese and vibrant greens swaddled in a velvety, citrus-kissed butter sauce that requires absolutely no culinary degree to master.

Plate of homemade spinach and ricotta ravioli topped with grated Parmesan, lemon zest, and herb butter sauce.

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The Ingredients

Great pasta doesn't hide behind a laundry list of mystery items. We're stripping it back to the absolute essentials: high-quality flour, fresh eggs, pillowy whole-milk ricotta, and bright baby spinach that actually wilts down to nothing (classic spinach behavior).

Ingredients for homemade spinach ricotta ravioli arranged on a countertop, including fresh spinach, ricotta cheese, flour, egg, grated Parmesan, olive oil, lemon, salt, and pepper before making fresh pasta.

What each ingredient does for you:

🥬 Fresh Baby Spinach – Packed with iron and Vitamin K to support bone health and lasting energy levels.
🧀 Ricotta & Parmesan – High-quality dairy provides essential calcium and a solid protein base to keep you feeling full.
🥚 Eggs – Binds the perfect dough while delivering brain-supporting choline and high-quality protein.
🍋 Fresh Lemon Juice – A burst of Vitamin C that naturally sharpens the flavor and helps your body absorb the iron from the spinach.

The Process

Step 1: Knead and Roll the Dough

Before you can fill, you must roll. Bring the flour and egg together until a smooth, elastic dough forms, then let it rest. Roll it out into thin, translucent sheets that are ready to house your creamy green filling.

Hands using a wooden rolling pin to roll fresh homemade pasta dough on a lightly floured surface for spinach and ricotta ravioli.

Step 2: The Perfect Filling and Assembly

Sauté your spinach until fully wilted, squeeze out every drop of moisture, and mix it with the rich ricotta and sharp Parmesan. Dollop the filling onto the pasta sheet, seal the edges tightly to trap any air pockets, and cut into perfect circles.

Close-up of a spinach and ricotta ravioli cut open to reveal its creamy cheese and spinach filling inside delicate fresh pasta.


Homemade Spinach & Ricotta Ravioli

Homemade ravioli filled with creamy ricotta, sautéed spinach, and Parmesan, finished in a simple butter-lemon sauce. Elegant, flavorful, and easier than it looks.

Recipe card for homemade spinach and ricotta ravioli featuring fresh pasta filled with creamy ricotta and spinach, served with butter sauce, Parmesan, and lemon zest. Save to Pinterest
Prep30 mins
Cook15 mins
Total45 mins
Servings4

Ingredients

For the Pasta Dough

  • 250 g (2 cups) all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 3 large eggs

For the Filling

  • 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
  • 280 g (about 10 oz) fresh baby spinach
  • 1 cup (245 g) whole milk ricotta, strained
  • ½ cup (50 g) Parmesan cheese, grated
  • ¼ tsp salt

For the Sauce

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 15 g butter
  • 2 tbsp fresh sage, shredded
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • Parmesan to finish
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

  1. Make the dough: Combine flour and salt, crack in eggs, and knead until smooth. Rest for 30 mins.
  2. Prepare Filling: Sauté spinach, squeeze dry, and mix with ricotta, Parmesan, and salt.
  3. Shape: Roll dough thin, dollop filling, seal with a second sheet, and cut.
  4. Cook: Boil in salted water for 2–3 mins until floating.
  5. Sauce & Serve: Meanwhile, melt the butter in a pan, then add the sage and lemon juice. Once the ravioli is cooked, drain it and gently toss it through the warm, fragrant butter sauce. Finish with a little seasoning to taste. Top with Parmesan and grated lemon zest.
Tip: The sauce thickens further as it sits. If it feels too thick when you toss the pasta, loosen it with a splash of the pasta cooking water — the starch helps it cling beautifully.

Hands grating fresh lemon zest over homemade spinach and ricotta ravioli with Parmesan and butter sauce, served alongside a glass of white wine.

Serve these stunning little ravioli packages immediately while the sauce is still perfectly emulsified and warm. Pair this decadent pasta plate with a crisp, dry white wine like a chilled Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc to beautifully cut through the rich butter and whole milk ricotta. A simple side salad of peppery wild arugula tossed with a light lemon-butter sauce will round out the meal without stealing the spotlight.

💡 Pro Tips

  • The Pantry Swap: If you don't have fresh lemons on hand to brighten the sauce, a tiny splash of dry white wine or a half-teaspoon of apple cider vinegar swirled into the melting butter can restore that essential acid balance perfectly.

  • Temperature Matters: Let your strained ricotta sit out on the counter to lose its fridge chill for about 20–30 minutes before mixing it with the cooked spinach. This prevents the filling from clumping and ensures it incorporates seamlessly into a perfectly smooth, pillowy texture.