This Three Cheese Ravioli post may contain affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission if you purchase something I recommend – at no additional cost to you! Thank you for supporting this blog!

Ravioli is one of those recipes that sounds intimidating until you actually make it. The truth is, if you can make pasta dough and stir together a filling, you can make ravioli. The folding and sealing part is the fun part – it’s the part where you slow down, work with your hands, and turn simple ingredients into something truly special.

This is a classic Italian filled pasta. Our dough is a straightforward egg pasta that comes together in minutes, and the three cheese filling is rich, creamy, and simple – just ricotta, Parmigiano Reggiano, and mozzarella with a little parsley. No egg in the filling, which keeps it light and lets the cheese flavor really come through.

Making ravioli has always been a family activity in our house. Whenever my granddaughter comes home from college on break, she will often ask if we can make ravioli. It’s a time to enjoy bonding with her and making something delicious together. We usually like to serve ours with a brown butter and herb sauce, but a simple tomato sauce or our pink sauce are both beautiful with these too. We could spend all day making ravioli, talking, laughing, and of course making sure there are leftovers for her to take home.

Why This Ravioli Recipe Works

The dough is forgiving. It uses just flour, eggs, salt, a little water, and olive oil. The olive oil makes it slightly more pliable and easier to roll thin, which is exactly what you want for ravioli. If it’s too dry, you add a splash of water. If it gets sticky, you dust with flour. There’s no special equipment required – a rolling pin works perfectly, though a pasta machine makes it faster if you have one.

The filling is intentionally simple. Three cheeses, parsley, and nothing else. The ricotta provides the creamy base, the Parmigiano Reggiano brings a sharp, salty depth, and the mozzarella adds that stretchy, melty quality when the ravioli hit the hot water. Together, they create a filling that is rich without being heavy.

If you already have a favorite pasta dough, you can absolutely use it here. Our sourdough egg pasta makes incredible ravioli with a subtle tang. Our homemade gluten-free pasta works too if you need a GF option. The filling stays the same no matter which dough you use.

What You Need

For the dough: 1 1/2 cups flour, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 to 3 tablespoons water (add gradually), and 1 tablespoon olive oil. This makes enough dough for about 24 to 30 ravioli depending on how thin you roll it.

For the three cheese filling: 1 cup ricotta, 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano, 1/8 cup shredded mozzarella, and 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley (or 1 tablespoon dried). Use good quality ricotta here – if you’ve never tried making your own, our homemade ricotta recipe takes about 20 minutes and the difference in flavor is incredible.

For serving: Your sauce of choice. We love these with brown butter and herbs, but they are also delicious with our simple tomato sauce, pink sauce (Parma Rosa), or creamy garlic sauce. Freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano on top is a must.

How to Make Homemade Ravioli

Make the dough. Place the flour in a bowl or in a heap on your counter. Make a well in the center and add the eggs, salt, 1 to 2 tablespoons of water, and the olive oil. Mix with a fork or your hands until it can be gathered into a ball. If the dough is still dry, sprinkle with a little more water until it holds together. If it gets sticky, add a bit of flour as you knead. The dough should be smooth and should not stick to your hands. Knead for an additional 5 to 7 minutes after the flour has all been incorporated. The dough should feel smooth and elastic. Wrap it in plastic or cover in a bowl and let it rest for 30 minutes while you prepare the filling.

Make the filling. In a bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmigiano Reggiano, mozzarella, and parsley. Mix well until everything is evenly distributed. That’s it – the filling is ready.

Roll and fill. Divide the dough in half. Roll each half into a long rectangle using a rolling pin or pasta machine. Each piece should be about 5 to 6 inches wide and as thin as you can get it without tearing – you want to be able to almost see your hand through it. Place the strips of dough on a floured surface. Place 1 teaspoon of filling on one of the strips, spacing them about 1 inch apart. You want enough room between each mound to seal the edges. Brush a small amount of water between the filling using a small pastry brush – this helps the dough stick together.

Seal and cut. Place the second strip of dough on top of the filling. Press down firmly between each mound to seal the edges, working from the center outward to remove any excess air. Trapped air can cause the ravioli to burst while cooking, so take your time here. Cut into squares with a knife, a pastry wheel, or a ravioli stamp.

Cook. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the ravioli 7 to 8 at a time so they aren’t crowded. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, gently turning them halfway through. They’re done when the edges of the dough look tender and slightly translucent. Scoop them out with a slotted spoon and place on a plate. Coat with the sauce of your choice and serve immediately with plenty of freshly grated cheese.

Tips for Perfect Ravioli

Rest the dough. Don’t skip the 30-minute rest. The gluten needs time to relax so the dough rolls out smoothly and doesn’t spring back on you. If you try to roll it immediately, you’ll fight it the entire time.

Roll it thin. Ravioli dough should be rolled thinner than you think. If the dough is too thick, the ravioli will be chewy and doughy instead of tender. You want it thin enough that you can almost see your hand through it.

Press out the air. When you place the top sheet of dough over the filling, press down around each mound starting from the center and pushing outward toward the edges. This removes trapped air pockets that can cause the ravioli to burst in the boiling water.

Don’t crowd the pot. Cook them in small batches – 7 to 8 at a time. If you dump them all in at once, they’ll stick together and the water temperature will drop too much. Be gentle when you stir and use a slotted spoon to remove them.

Freeze for later. Ravioli can be eaten fresh or frozen to enjoy later. Place the uncooked ravioli on a parchment-lined baking sheet in a single layer, freeze until solid (about 2 hours), then transfer to a freezer bag. Cook from frozen – just add an extra minute or two to the cooking time.

Sauce Pairings for Three Cheese Ravioli

These ravioli pair beautifully with almost any sauce. Our family favorites include a brown butter and herb sauce (melt butter until golden, add fresh sage or basil, toss with the ravioli), our simple tomato sauce for a classic red, our pink sauce (Parma Rosa) for something creamy and rich, or our creamy garlic sauce when you want a lighter white sauce. No matter which you choose, finish with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano.

If you’re new to making fresh pasta, this is a great recipe to start with. The dough is the same base we use for our sourdough egg pasta and our semolina pasta. Once you get comfortable with how it feels to knead and roll, you can branch out into other shapes and fillings – the cookbook has several more to explore.

This recipe is from our family cookbook, Roots of Sicily. It has 167 authentic Sicilian recipes and 139 family stories passed down through four generations – including several more filled pasta recipes and every sauce you could want to serve with them.