Shortcut Homemade Ravioli Recipe

There's no denying that fresh homemade pasta inevitably tastes better than anything store-bought. That being said, making pasta from scratch is a pretty labor-intensive process, and it often involves special tools like a pasta maker machine. Well, thanks to this shortcut homemade ravioli recipe — courtesy of developer Kate Shungu — you don't have to compromise between freshness and convenience. "I love how impressive (yet easy) it is to make ravioli at home," Shungu says.

So, what makes this a shortcut recipe? "This recipe uses wonton wrappers instead of making your own pasta dough, which makes it both easier and faster to make homemade ravioli," Shungu explains. This simple method retains the homemade feel without skimping on the wow factor. All told, you'll have cheesy, savory ravioli that only looks like it took hours to make. In reality, this ravioli comes together in less than an hour — but none of your guests have to know!

To make this shortcut ravioli recipe, you'll need the aforementioned wonton wrappers, along with ground Italian sausage, ricotta cheese, mozzarella, lemon zest, salt, an egg, and marinara sauce. To garnish, fresh basil and freshly grated Parmesan are a great finishing touch. 

To kick off this recipe, place a skillet over medium heat and add in the sausage. Break it down into crumbles and allow it to cook for 5 to 6 minutes, until it's browned and no longer pink. Remove the sausage from the heat and finely chop it up, then set it aside to cool down.

With the sausage cooked, you can mix up the ravioli filling. In a bowl, add the chopped cooled sausage along with the ricotta, mozzarella, lemon zest, and salt. Stir up all of the ingredients to create a cohesive filling.

Now, it's time to assemble each of the ravioli pieces. First, beat the egg in a small bowl. Lay out several wonton wrappers on a clean work surface (a cutting board, countertop, or whatever you prefer), and brush each one with the beaten egg. Next, dollop 2 teaspoons of the ricotta-sausage mixture into the center of each wrapper, then place another wrapper directly on top. Press the edges of the top wrapper into the edges of the bottom one — which should stick quite nicely thanks to the egg— to form a perfect square shape. Repeat this process until you've gotten through all 50 wonton wrappers and have 25 ravioli. 

You'll be cooking the ravioli in batches, but even then, it won't take long. First, bring a large pot of water to a boil and season it with salt as desired (this is recommended as it will help prevent the ravioli pieces from sticking to one another). 

Working in batches of 7 or 8 ravioli at a time, lower them down into the boiling water and cook them for just a minute or 2. Then, drain the ravioli and place them onto a baking sheet in a single layer to prevent sticking. Repeat the cooking process until each ravioli piece is cooked and tender.

"Take care that the ravioli don't stick together," Shungu advises of the aftercare process. "Keep them in a single layer before and after boiling. After you toss them with the sauce, you don't have to worry about them sticking together."

Once you've finished cooking the last of the ravioli, simply toss all the pieces with the marinara sauce then place them on a serving platter. Garnish the ravioli with fresh basil and, to stick with the cheesy theme, some grated Parmesan. This ravioli recipe makes for a fulfilling dish on its own, but Shungu does have some other suggestions. "I love serving this dish with a leafy green salad and a hunk of homemade garlic bread," she says. 

Who said making homemade pasta has to take up your entire evening? This shortcut recipe gives you perfectly cheesy ravioli without the hassle — and we guarantee that your guests will be raving about it.