Mushroom Ravioli With Bacon And Spinach Recipe

In this recipe, earthy mushroom ravioli is served in a bacon and spinach cream sauce. The filling is creamy and meaty – - without any meat at all. Recipe developer Leah Maroney recommends using a mix of several mushrooms. "I love using shitake mushrooms, but you can use whatever blend of mushrooms you wish," she says. "The more types you use, the more complex the flavor will be." 

The sweetness of the cream pairs well with the bitter spinach and smoky bacon. The sauce is simple and only contains a few ingredients, but the flavor packs a serious punch. You can't go wrong when combining bacon and cream, especially on top of homemade ravioli.  Although making the homemade ravioli in this recipe is an extensive project, this makes a large batch that's perfect for freezing. You can also use frozen or fresh store-bought mushroom ravioli and serve them with this sauce. 

The pasta dough is made by combining both semolina flour and all-purpose flour. Eggs and oil are whisked into the flour and then kneaded to form a smooth and elastic dough. While the dough rests, you prepare the filling by sauteeing mushrooms and onions and then blending them with ricotta and parmesan cheese.

Prepare the sauce by sauteeing bacon until very crispy. Then, you'll cook the spinach and onions in the bacon fat. Heavy cream and chicken broth are added to the saucepan to form the creamy spinach sauce. For toppings, parmesan cheese adds the perfect bite, and we also love using Pecorino Romano for even more zing.

‌On a flat surface, combine the semolina flour and all-purpose flour.

Form a well in the center of the flour and add the eggs to the center.

Add the salt and olive oil and begin whisking the wet ingredients into the flour. Continue to incorporate until a dough begins to form, adding a tablespoon of water if it is too dry.

Knead until the dough becomes an elastic ball.

Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let rest for 1 hour.

After resting, Cut the dough into four, equal-sized pieces.

Using a pasta roller on the largest setting, roll one of the dough pieces into a sheet.

Fold the dough into thirds.

Pass the dough through the largest setting again.

Continue to pass the dough through the pasta roller, making the setting smaller and smaller on each pass until you reach the last setting.

Fold the sheet in half and cut into two, equal-sized pieces. Repeat with the remaining balls of dough, keeping the dough sheets moist by covering with plastic wrap while you prepare the filling.

Clean the mushrooms thoroughly.

Slice the mushrooms.

Dice the onion and mince the garlic.

Place the butter in a saucepan and heat on medium-high heat until melted.

Add the mushrooms and saute until lightly browned.

Add the half of the onion and garlic to the mushrooms and continue to brown for about 2 minutes.

Add the mushroom mix, ricotta cheese, and parmesan cheese to a food processor.

Pulse until combined and still chunky.

Add about 1 tablespoon of filling to a sheet of dough near the edge. Continue in ½-inch increments.

Put the other dough sheet on top and press down around the filling to seal.

Using a ravioli cutter, cut out the ravioli. Repeat with the remaining dough sheets.

Bring a salted pot of water to boil.

Boil the pasta for about 3 minutes.

Drain the ravioli.

Dice the bacon.

Add the bacon to a saute pan.

Cook until brown and all the fat has been rendered, about 5 minutes.

Remove the bacon from the pan, leaving the bacon fat in the pan.

Add the remaining onion and garlic to the pan and saute until softened, about 3 minutes.

Add in the white wine and baby spinach and cook until the spinach has wilted.

Add the heavy cream and chicken bouillon and cook until thickened, about 3 minutes.

Add the cooked ravioli to the sauce and heat until warmed through.

Serve, topped with crispy bacon and parmesan cheese.

Mushroom ravioli make for delicious leftovers. You can freeze them immediately after shaping and cutting them with a ravioli cutter. Place them on a parchment paper–lined baking sheet that is dusted with some of the semolina flour. Freeze on the sheet tray and then add the frozen ravioli to a plastic storage bag. The ravioli will keep in the freezer for up to 6 months. 

The cooked ravioli can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can also store the uncooked ravioli in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Either way, store them in an airtight container. If possible, store the cooked ravioli separately from the sauce. Then, add the sauce when you're ready to heat and eat. If the sauce is already added to the ravioli, you can heat it up by placing it in a saute pan with a few tablespoons of water or heavy cream. 

The filling for these mushroom ravioli is already vegetarian! Only the sauce contains bacon. However, the bacon can be omitted in this sauce recipe. Use salted butter instead of the bacon fat to saute the onions and garlic. If you want that smoky flavor from the bacon in the sauce, you can add a tiny bit of liquid smoke to the sauce. ½ teaspoon of brown sugar can also add some sweetness that you are missing by omitting the bacon. 

This recipe is difficult to make vegan. However, you can use wonton wrappers instead of the homemade pasta dough. They are often vegan and can be found in the produce section. Swap the ricotta cheese for a vegan cream cheese or ricotta cheese and use nutritional yeast instead of parmesan cheese. These ravioli will taste delicious with any sauce of your choice since the sauce above is not vegan.