Homemade Ravioli with Goat Cheese and Spinach filling in a delicious creamy Mushroom and Parmesan sauce. Learn how to make ravioli completely from scratch into a complete meal. I use a ravioli mold for this recipe.
My ravioli mold proved once again that 26 bucks I spent on it was not a waste of money. If you want to see what kind of ravioli mold I use here, scroll down for lots step-by-step photos and you'll see what the ravioli mold looks like. After I posted my first recipe for ravioli in a red, tomato-based sauce, I got obsessed with the thought of making the homemade ravioli from scratch in a different type of sauce, this time - white, creamy, and cheese-based. So, I made these Homemade Ravioli Recipe with Goat Cheese and Spinach filling in a delicious creamy Mushroom and Parmesan sauce. And, I didn't want ravioli to be filled just with cheese as most store-bought ravioli seem to be: instead I wanted a veggie and creamy ravioli filling, and goat cheese and spinach proved to be a perfect match for each other. I am very happy to present you with this simple recipe for ravioli with goat cheese and spinach filling in a light Parmesan cream sauce with mushrooms.
The accompanying sauce is pretty basic but it's made completely from scratch: cheese and cream with sauteed mushrooms and garlic plus seasonings. The sauce lightly coats ravioli creating the perfect creaminess to complement the pasta. The ravioli filling, made with goat cheese, chopped spinach, and nutmeg plays a leading role in this recipe, with each ingredient contributing something different to the overall flavor: goat cheese provides richness and creaminess, spinach - savory side, and nutmeg contributes sweetness with a savory accent.
Ravioli mold did a great job this time, just like before. 100% of my ravioli came out free of air pockets, and upon boiling 24 ravioli (double the recipe here), only 2 of them got little cracks in pasta and even that because I overfilled some of them with the filling and the pasta dough got really thin in some places and burst. None of ravioli got open along the seams. The texture of pasta dough was perfect, too: so soft and thin and yet just of the right consistency to keep ravioli together.
I absolutely recommend this recipe: it's easy, it's creamy, it's vegetarian. You could serve it as is, or with chicken or fish. Definitely a crowd-pleaser.
How to make ravioli with spinach and goat cheese filling from scratch
Below are some photos illustrating major steps of how to make ravioli from scratch, how to make ravioli filling, and then how to make the mushroom and parmesan sauce. These photos just help you see what tools I used and some of the processes. But, for the complete recipe, make sure to scroll down below the photos.
Wrap pasta dough in a plastic wrap and let it sit on the counter for 1 hour for gluten to do its work
Cooking spinach - for ravioli filling
Cooked spinach - for ravioli filling
Goat cheese and parmesan cheese - for ravioli filling
Goat cheese and parmesan cheese - for ravioli filling
Mixing everything together for ravioli filling: spinach, goat cheese, parmesan cheese, nutmeg, salt and pepper
Rolling dough into 2 equal parts
Flour ravioli mold, especially the bottom of indentations
Place one layer of ravioli dough on top of floured ravioli mold
Place small amount of goat cheese and spinach filling into the mold indentations, making sure not to overfill (filling should be at the same level as the flat area of the ravioli mold)
Cover with the second layer of pasta dough
Ravioli mold covered with the two layers of dough with the filling in between
Using roller pin, roll along the surface of the ravioli mold to remove air pockets and seal ravioli
Remove outer portion of the pasta dough
Using roller pin, roll along the edges of individual ravioli to separate them from one another
Flip the ravioli mold to release ravioli
Saute mushrooms and garlic in olive oil
Deglaze with a little bit of wine
Add half-and-half, bring to boil, remove from heat, then add parmesan cheese
Mix until parmesan cheese is melted. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste
Add cooked ravioli to the sauce
Homemade Ravioli with Goat Cheese and Spinach Filling
Ingredients
Ingredients for ravioli dough from scratch (makes 12-18 ravioli using mold):
- 1 ¼ cup flour
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup hot water
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Ingredients for ravioli filling (makes 12-18 ravioli, using mold):
- ⅓ cup spinach , cooked
- 2 oz goat cheese
- ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese , shredded
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- salt and pepper
Ingredients for mushroom and parmesan cream sauce:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ lb mushrooms sliced
- 4 garlic cloves chopped
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons white wine
- 1 cup half and half
- 1 ½ cups parmesan cheese shredded
- ¼ cup chives chopped, for garnish
Instructions
How to make ravioli dough from scratch:
- Mix flour with salt.
- Stir water with egg until well mixed.
- In a bowl, combine flour and egg-water mixture together and mix until well incorporated. Sprinke some flour over working surface and over your hands as you knead the dough. Knead the dough until well-textured and firm. The dough should not be too wet or too sticky. It should only stick to itself, but not to your hands. It should not be too dry, either. Make the dough into a ball or disk, wrap with plastic wrap. Let the dough stand for 1 hour at room temperature before using. This allows gluten to work.
- This amount of dough enough to make dough for 12 raviolis, using the mold (ravioli mold makes 12 ravioli). If you need to make 24 ravioli, make a second batch of this dough.
How to make ravioli filling:
- If you don't have cooked spinach on hand, cook spinach until wilted and all liquid is gone. All liquid should be evaporated – it’s important. Chop spinach.
- Soften goat cheese by heating it up in microwave oven for about 5-10 seconds.
- Mix all ingredients together in a medium bowl: chopped spinach, goat cheese, Parmesan cheese. Add a little bit of nutmeg to taste. Salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
- Your filling should not be runny, it should be pretty firm, which is why it’s important to make sure spinach has no liquid from step 1. If your filling is a bit runny from softened cheese, put the bowl with ravioli filling in the refrigerator to firm up.
How to make ravioli from scratch:
- Unwrap ravioli dough from plastic, divide in 2 equal parts. Flour working area. Roll out each part of pasta dough very thinly, on a floured surface, using a roller. Make sure to flour the upper portion of pasta dough and the roller to avoid sticking. Lift the rolled dough several times during rolling to make sure it doesn’t stick to the counter, and flour working surface with more flour, if necessary.
- Flour the ravioli mold. After you have rolled the 2 portions of dough very thinly, place first layer of dough on the ravioli mold, so that it covers all 12 holes.
- Place a small portion of ravioli filling into each indentation, making sure not to overfill. The filling should be at the same level or lower as the flat part of the mold. Place second layer of pasta dough on top of filled ravioli.
- Using a roller pin, roll across the mold and along the edges to separate ravioli. As you roll the pin, it also removes all air from ravioli, which is very important for ravioli success. By now you should have extra dough hanging off the outside 4 edges of ravioli mold – carefully separate it. Continue rolling the pin along the inside edges of 12 raviolis to separate them from one another: you could also use your fingers to press across the edges to separate ravioli.
- Flip ravioli mold to release ravioli. Bring a large pot of water to boil Boil ravioli for 5 minutes, drain and set aside – to be used with sauce below.
- Or, alternatively, if you’re not using ravioli right away, place them on a plate or baking sheet in the freezer to freeze. After they are frozen, place them in a plastic bag and keep frozen until needed.
How to make mushroom and parmesan sauce:
- Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, garlic, a bit of nutmeg and cook for about 7 minutes until mushrooms soften and garlic is fragrant.
- Add half-and-half, bring to boil. Remove from heat, add grated parmesan cheese, mix until cheese is melted and mixture thickens. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- After you have boiled ravioli for 5 minutes, drain them and add ravioli to the sauce to coat. To serve, place ravioli and sauce on plates. Garnish with with chopped chives or leeks.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
More ravioli recipes:
[catlist name=Ravioli numberposts=-1 excludeposts=this]
Could I ask, does the sauce require half a cup of Parmesan or 1 and a half cups please?
Pete, even though the ingredients for the sauce say 1 and 1/2 cups of Parmesan, add the shredded Parmesan cheese gradually (not all at once), and you probably don't have to use all of the cheese. Use about 1 cup of cheese or even less. I should probably update the recipe.
Also, I would use a block of Parmesan cheese and shred it yourself (don't use the pre-shredded kind). Also, do this step (shredding the cheese) as the very first step of the recipe. Cover the shredded cheese with plastic wrap. The reason for this is to ensure that the shredded cheese is at room temperature when you add it to the sauce. When the shredded cheese is at room temperature - it will melt much better and it will make the recipe more foolproof. You can also briefly (20 seconds or 30 seconds) microwave shredded cheese - without melting it! - to warm it up before adding to the sauce. ENJOY!
We loved this ravioli recipe. We didn't have a ravioli mold, but managed without one and were happy with our rustic looking ravioli. Delicious sauce. We served it with a simple green salad and an Italian dressing which complemented your dish well. Restaurant quality food at home, during a lockdown.Thank you!
Alice, so glad you tried this labor-intensive recipe and enjoyed it! Thank you for sharing a positive review - I really appreciate it!!!! 🙂
Do you have a recommendation for how to best freeze the ravioli (not the sauce) instead of serving it immediately? We like to make meals in advance and this one is AMAZING!
Just spread freshly made ravioli in a large container (or baking sheet) and freeze them this way. When they are frozen, you can add them to a freezer bag and store them frozen for up to 2 months.
Great recipe, easy to make and well explained. Everyone loved it including a toddler. I takes longer to make pasta from scratch but really worth it.
Carole, so glad you tried and enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for 5-star review - I really appreciate it! 🙂
We loved this and thought it was fine dining restaurant quality! For simplicity's sake (and preference) I used Wonton Wrappers instead of making Ravioli Dough, much easier and faster! Plus they take only a minute or two to boil. First time on your site but I will definitely check out some of your other recipes. Thanks Julia!