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My Lemon Ricotta Ravioli with Mint Butter Sauce is one of my dishes that is perfect for springtime and you’re absolutely going to love this one. My secret is that it’s made with delicate homemade pasta dough (this can be your secret too and it’s soooo easy). These lovely filled pasta pillows are finished in a light butter sauce with shallot, lemon and fresh mint. A perfect flavor combination that makes for a light, springtime dinner.

A lemon ricotta ravioli cut in half showing the filling

Now, this is not a healthy dish by any means! But… we all know that everything tastes better with butter. Besides, you can’t really serve lemon ricotta with a tomato sauce. Well, you can but it just wouldn’t taste right.

The ricotta filling is kept light tasting with lemon zest and fresh basil. There is no garlic is this dish as I wanted to keep the sauce balanced in flavor so it would not overpower the filing and the mint in the sauce. If you like, you can add a bit of garlic to your taste with the shallots, but it wouldn’t be my first choice.

Speaking of ricotta, if you want to try your hand at making your own, I have a really easy recipe for Homemade Ricotta.

What shape ravioli do you like?

Ravioli can be made in different shapes – round or square and with or without fluted edges. Let’s call it cooks choice! I made the round ones (in the picture below) using my 2 ¼-inch (5.7cm) fluted cookie cutter. The size you choose to make your ravioli is up to you. I made these 2 ¼-inches square and this recipe yields 30 ravioli. 

Freshly made ravioli in various shapes, round and square

For easy cutting, I have this really cool kitchen utensil that’s like a small pizza cutter with both straight and fluted edges (see picture below).

A ravioli cutter

Nutmeg with dairy

I always add a little nutmeg to recipes with dairy. I add it to my béchamel for my lasagna as it just adds another flavor element which is slightly nutty and adds depth of flavor.

For the homemade pasta dough

You can use my regular pasta dough for this Lemon Ricotta Ravioli with Mint Butter Sauce. But, next week I will be publishing an amazing recipe for eggless pasta dough which is simply fantastic, so be on the lookout for this one.

If you find you don’t have the time to make your own pasta dough, you can easily substitute store bought fresh pasta sheets or lasagna sheets.

Yield: 6

Lemon Ricotta Ravioli with Mint Butter Sauce

Lemon ricotta ravioli served with mint butter sauce

Fluff ricotta with lemon in homemade pasta dough with a mint butter sauce.

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 3 minutes
Total Time 23 minutes

Ingredients

  • For the filling
  • 1 cup/8 ounces (227 grams) ricotta, drained *see note
  • ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
  • ½ teaspoon fresh lemon zest
  • 1 tablespoon fresh basil chopped
  • ⅛ teaspoon or small grating of fresh nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • Ground black pepper to taste
  • For the sauce:
  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 3 tablespoons shallot, finely minced
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
  • ¼ teaspoon salt or taste (omit if using salted butter)
  • Ground black pepper to taste
  • Fresh pasta sheets (recipe link in instructions and notes)

Instructions

  1. When the ricotta is drained add to a mixing bowl. Add the Parmesan, lemon, basil, nutmeg salt and pepper, mix well. Taste and add more seasoning to your liking. Set aside
  2. Recipe for fresh pasta
  3. Cut the pasta sheets into 2 long lengths, 2 ¼-inch (5.7 cm) deep, lightly coat in flour both sides. Every 2 ¼-inches (5.7 cm) make marks along the edge (this is the size of your ravioli). Brush 1 sheet with water. Place a teaspoon of the ricotta filling in the center of where your ravioli will be. Take the other sheet and carefully place over the top of the other sheet and filling. Start at the filling and use your fingers to press out any air, working from the center out. Use a cutting tool of your choice and cut them into 2-¼-inch (5.7cm) squares. Repeat with the rest of your pasta dough until you have 5 ravioli per person. Dust lightly in flour and set aside.
  4. Bring a large pan of water to a boil.
  5. While the water is coming to a boil, to a separate large sauté/frying pan add the butter over medium heat. When melted, add the shallot, lemon juice, mint, salt and pepper. Stir to until the shallots soften, do not brown. Remove from the heat.
  6. When the water is at a gentle boil, add a little salt. Carefully add the ravioli (working in batches so you don’t overcrowd the pan and they don’t stick). Cook until they float, about 2-3 minutes. Place the butter and shallots back onto the heat (medium low) and use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked ravioli to the butter and shallots, swirl the pan to coat in the butter. Add the chopped mint, a small sprinkle of salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.

Notes

*Add the ricotta to a sieve to drain any excess water. You want it as dry as possible.

Click here for fresh pasta recipe > Pasta dough

Nutrition Information

Yield

6

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 266Total Fat 21gSaturated Fat 13gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 7gCholesterol 68mgSodium 372mgCarbohydrates 11gFiber 1gSugar 1gProtein 9g

This nutrition calculation is provided by Nutronix that is only a guideline and not intended for any particular diet.

© Janette
Cuisine: Italian / Category: Dinner Ideas