11 Rich Ravioli Recipes

Of all the types of pasta out there, it's hard to deny the sheer decadence of ravioli, and its capacity to transform any meal into something truly special. Though pasta doesn't inherently make for an elegant dish — in fact, most pasta is comprised of inexpensive, bare-bones ingredients — ravioli offers a way to add a flair of elegance, and encourages creativity to shine when preparing homemade ravioli with filling flavors. There's no stopping what you could stuff into a ravioli shell, though you'd be wise to make it something rich, cheesy, and comforting.

We'd be remiss to not mention that making homemade pasta with kitchen tools causes many home cooks to quiver with fear, and often, it's for good reason. Pasta, especially delicately stuffed ravioli, is not the easiest thing to whip up in your own kitchen, as it often requires a certain level of finesse and perhaps some special machinery. That said, there's nothing quite like a fresh bowl of pasta, especially one that you put time and effort into so that it tastes extra delicious. Essentially, making homemade ravioli does offer up certain difficulties, but it's not impossible to do, and even the most amateur-level home chefs can make pasta magic happen with a little patience.

Whether you're gearing up for a special date night or want to impress your family, these rich ravioli recipes will ensure that everyone is left full and satisfied. And don't worry — many of these recipes don't require any special tools or techniques.

If there's one ravioli recipe that really packs in the richness, it would be this one filled with ricotta and egg yolks; you'll pretty much use up your entire carton of eggs, but in a way that's very much worth it. We can't pretend like this is the easiest ravioli recipe to make, as you will prepare everything — from the delicate pasta dough to the bright lemon-ricotta filling — from scratch. Moreover, you will need tools like a stand mixer and pasta roller to make and flatten the dough, and it'd also be a good idea to have a round cookie cutter on hand (though you can just use the rim of a round glass in a pinch).

Once you've successfully made and rolled out the ravioli dough, you'll notice that this recipe gets a little easier from there. Neither the tomato sauce nor the ricotta filling is particularly difficult to make, and the only other tricky part of this recipe is making sure that each raviolo is thoroughly sealed shut, seeing as you're loading a full egg yolk into each one in addition to the filling. You don't want those bad boys busting open until it comes time to serve, so take extra care that your ravioli are tightly sealed as to avoid any frustration when cooking them.

Recipe: Egg Yolk- and Ricotta-Filled Ravioli

Home cooks who want to enjoy a fresh plate of ravioli but don't want to fuss with the pasta-making process will no doubt breathe a sigh of relief at the sight of this shortcut recipe. Believe it or not, flour is not an ingredient on this ravioli's recipe list. How can that be? Well, the "pasta" in this recipe is actually wonton wrappers, which provide a similar look (and mouthfeel once cooked) to thin, light, and delicate ravioli dough. Sure, this recipe may not yield actual pasta, but the end result is close enough — and tasty enough — to be worth the effort regardless.

So, as you might have guessed, you'll need two wonton wrappers per raviolo, which you'll seal together as you would regular pasta dough, but not before stuffing them with a savory, cheesy, creamy filling — but always remember, don't make ravioli filling too creamy. Speaking of that filling, it's simple but effortlessly delicious, consisting of Italian sausage, ricotta cheese, mozzarella, lemon zest for a touch of brightness, and a little bit of salt. You'll dollop some of that filling onto a wonton wrapper, seal it up with another wrapper, then cook the ravioli as you would traditional pasta, in a pot of boiling water. 

As a final shortcut, this recipe calls for serving the ravioli with a pre-made marinara sauce. Keep things super easy and opt for a jarred kind, or jazz things up a bit and make a homemade sauce. 

Recipe: Shortcut Homemade Ravioli

Most ravioli fillings lean in an exclusively savory direction, perhaps incorporating salty, herbaceous, or umami elements when appropriate. This butternut squash ravioli recipe ultimately yields a savory dish as well, but one that is packed with hints of sweetness for a truly well-rounded bite. Between the fresh, homemade pasta dough to the buttery, maple-syrup-infused, roasted butternut squash filling, this dish is the embodiment of decadence, and is one that is best reserved for special occasions or romantic date nights.

We should mention that this recipe is also best reserved for occasions where you have a little extra time to spend cooking, as this is not the type of dish you whip up on a whim. This beautiful pasta creation does take some planning to ensure that you've got each and every ingredient, and that you can give the squash apt time to roast. Luckily, cooking the pasta itself is a breeze — and the sauce, which is undoubtedly delicious, is relatively easy to make. With butter as the base for the sauce, you'll melt that down and add in flavorful goodies like sage, garlic, and chopped walnuts, allowing the butter to brown and take on a subtly nutty flavor profile. Toss in your fresh ravioli, and you've got a rich, warming, nutty ravioli dish that really doesn't need any side dishes — this is the type of fare that deserves to shine on its own.

Recipe: Butternut Squash Ravioli

Those looking for the ideal balance between the freshness of homemade ravioli and the ease of making it have met their match with this crab ravioli recipe. You will indeed be creating a from-scratch pasta dough and a fresh crab-ricotta filling, but you don't need any special machinery to make the ravioli magic happen. This recipe does call for using a ravioli cutter to ensure even, uniform little squares, but ultimately the task of cutting the ravioli is nothing that a knife can't handle (or square cookie cutter, should you have one). 

Pasta dough aside, this ravioli recipe is really for all the seafood lovers out there, especially those who love crab. Fresh or canned crabmeat comes together with ricotta cheese, lemon juice, and a little bit of parsley, proving that the tastiest ravioli fillings don't have to be overly complicated. The beauty of this recipe lies in its simplicity, proving that you can yield beautiful pasta dishes — even fancy ones, at that — without too much fuss or frustration in the kitchen.

As for serving the ravioli, that's where the recipe takes arguably the simplest approach of all, opting for melting butter in the microwave and drizzling it on top of the ravioli. You can, of course, easily enhance the sauce by adding in seasonings of choice or a sprinkle of fresh herbs.

Recipe: Crab Ravioli

Some fruit and cheese pairings just work effortlessly together, and we'd argue that pears and Gorgonzola cheese make for one of those iconic pairings. The dynamic duo stars in this ravioli recipe, offering up a perfect balance of sweet and savory flavors. A unique aspect of this recipe is that the filling calls for using both fresh Anjou pears and dried pears, which helps ensure that there's plenty of pear flavor without running the risk of the filling being too juicy. Gorgonzola also doesn't stand alone as the only cheese, with a little bit of ricotta helping to balance out the filling and help hold everything together.

This recipe is also one that doesn't call for making your own pasta dough; instead, you'll use wonton wrappers, which will save you quite a bit of time and allow you to focus on more important things, like the filling and the sauce. Speaking of the sauce, you can expect rich, warming, and nutty flavors thanks to two key elements: Walnuts add an obvious nutty element, while brown butter provides a more concentrated nutty flavor, which pairs exquisitely with the savory-sweet flavors inside of the ravioli. Beautiful, refined, yet secretly pretty easy to make, this is exactly the type of dish that will have your guests buzzing well after the dinner party concludes.

Recipe: Pear and Gorgonzola Ravioli

Do you struggle to get your daily serving of vegetables in? If so, you're in luck with this green-machine ravioli recipe, which packs spinach right into the pasta dough itself, making for both a beautiful and uniquely-colored ravioli dough and a healthy serving of greens all in one. You'll start by boiling the spinach for just a couple minutes to wilt it down, then you'll dry it off before incorporating it with flour, salt, and eggs to make the ravioli dough. It's really no more work than just making regular ravioli dough, but the vibrant green hue really adds a wow factor to the final dish and makes it a little more exciting than your typical fare.

Of course, there's much more to this ravioli recipe than just green pasta. In the filling, you'll find familiar ricotta along with some more creative inclusions like sun-dried tomatoes, capers, and basil leaves. The sauce keeps things nice and simple, consisting only of butter and sage, playing on the herbaceous flavor of the filling without overpowering it.

Though this recipe does call for using a pasta machine, it's important to note that such machinery is not strictly required. Though it will make your life a little easier and help ensure even sheets of pasta, you can ultimately roll out the dough the old-fashioned way, with a rolling pin.

Recipe: Sun-Dried Tomato and Spinach Ravioli

Sweet potatoes don't typically get star treatment at dinnertime, and more times than not, they're presented as nothing more than a supporting character rounding out a meal rather than showing off in it. Well, with this sweet potato ravioli recipe, sweet potatoes finally take center stage as the filling for the pasta, though they do get a significant amount of jazzing up before making their appearance. Ingredients like ricotta cheese, Parmesan, a rich egg yolk, and sage come together with mashed sweet potatoes to create a savory filling that also features hints of natural sweetness.

Every ravioli filling needs a pasta shell, and this one comes together similarly to most pasta doughs, requiring both semolina and all-purpose flour, egg, olive oil, water, and a little bit of salt. If you have a ravioli form then you're in luck, as this recipe walks you through the steps of putting it to expert use. Even if you don't have the nifty pasta tool, fear not — a cookie cutter would work just fine here, or even just a knife in a pinch. 

As for the sauce, this recipe puts brown butter to good use and pairs it with toasted pecans for a warming flair. Paired with the sweet potato ravioli, you've got a fall-themed dish that tastes good any time of year.

Recipe: Sweet Potato Ravioli with Sage Brown Butter

Creamy, umami-rich, and packed with bacon, this mushroom ravioli is far more exciting than the kind you'd find at a restaurant. Mushroom ravioli is a classic pasta option, and while it is delicious on its own, it's even tastier when you incorporate salty bacon and wilted greens into the creamy sauce. This pasta is a great option for date nights and family dinners alike — thanks to the addition of bacon, something tells us that you'll have no trouble getting the kiddos to finish their plates.

As far as special tools are concerned, this recipe calls for using a pasta roller to ensure that you get super-thin and even pasta sheets. You'll then use a ravioli cutter or stamp to get those perfect circles with ridged edges, though if you don't have either of these tools at your disposal, you can still give this ravioli recipe a swing — just be prepared for your finished product to have a rustic look to it.

Recipe: Mushroom Ravioli with Bacon and Spinach

Lobster is one of the most decadent proteins out there, automatically adding a flair of elegance to any dish that it graces. Pair such a delicacy with rich and creamy mascarpone cheese and bright lemon zest, and then stuff it into homemade ravioli dough, and you've got a meal fit for a king (or for your date or dinner guests, anyway). The mascarpone cheese offers a refreshing switch-up from the typical ricotta, while still delivering similarly delicious flavor notes.

It's worth noting that this recipe doesn't walk you through the best way to cook lobster, so you'll need to have that sorted out before you begin. You can go the frozen-then-thawed route, or cook up your own lobster tails and cut the meat into chunks before beginning the recipe. Otherwise, this is a pretty standard ravioli recipe, and if you have a pasta roller at home, this is the perfect opportunity to whip it out. As for achieving those perfect little square shapes, a pastry cutter comes in handy for both precision and to leave that nice ridge on the edges of each raviolo.

Recipe: Lobster and Mascarpone Ravioli

Fans of artichokes will surely get a kick out of this acidic pasta recipe, which features the canned version of the unique vegetable alongside a simple ricotta, Parmesan, lemon zest, and garlic filling. Consider this recipe to be one for classic cheese ravioli with a twist — the twist being the inclusion of the artichokes, of course, which help add a certain brightness to the pasta without overpowering its decadence.

We'd be remiss to not warn you about — err, highlight — another unique ingredient inclusion, anchovies, which you'll find in the pasta's sauce. It's no secret that anchovies are a little bit polarizing (though star chef Bobby Flay uses them as a secret ingredient in almost everything). However, before you write this recipe off entirely, note that the anchovies will dissolve completely into the sauce, so you won't be getting any fishy chunks with your ravioli bites. Instead, the anchovies provide a deep umami flair to the sauce in a way similar to Caesar salad — just be sure to get higher-quality ones so as not to tamper your elegant pasta dish with cheap 'chovies. 

Recipe: Cheese Ravioli with Lemon-Artichoke Sauce

Sometimes it's not enough to be merely impressed by a pasta dish — no, sometimes we demand to be bewitched by pasta ... and if there's anything that this heart-shaped beet ravioli will do to your date, it's bewitch them. Aesthetics aside, this beet ravioli also packs a punch thanks to its unique ingredient inclusions; after all, how often do you stumble across a pasta recipe that incorporates Biscoff cookies in the filling? 

Naturally, this beet ravioli screams Valentine's Day, and would even be a good recipe to make in tandem with your special someone. Of course, any old date night is a good excuse to bust out the pasta roller and heart-shaped cookie cutter, so if you feel like getting extra cute with your meal, it simply doesn't get cuter than this recipe.

As for the flavor of the ravioli, envision subtly earthy undertones from the beets, slight sweetness from the Biscoffs, creaminess from the ricotta, and nuttiness from the brown butter sauce. A final garnish of Parmesan cheese helps add a final savory touch to the pasta, while a sprinkle of lemon zest offers a nice brightness to contrast all of that rich goodness.

Recipe: Bewitching Beet Ravioli