Ravioli — Italian Meat-Free Dumplings

Welcome to the wonderful world of homemade pasta! Today, we're diving into a beloved Italian classic: ravioli. But this isn't just any ravioli recipe. We're preparing a delicious meat-free version filled with a creamy and savory mixture of tvorog (a delightful farmer's cheese), hard cheese, and fresh green onions. Making pasta from scratch is a deeply rewarding experience, and these tender little pillows of joy are the perfect result. It's a fantastic dish that bridges culinary worlds, reminiscent of Eastern European dumplings but with a distinctly Italian soul.

Ravioli — Italian meat-free 'dumplings'

Cooking: 45 minutes

Quantity: 3 Servings

Per serving

Calories: 395 kcal

Proteins: 19 g

Fats: 23 g

Carbohydrates: 27 g

For the ravioli dough:

• 1 chicken egg (+ 1 egg for brushing)
• 110 g all-purpose wheat flour
• cold water (as needed)

For the ravioli filling:

• 150 g full-fat tvorog (or farmer's cheese/quark)
• 80 g hard cheese
• 55 g green onions
• salt, pepper

For serving:

• smetana (or sour cream), fresh herbs

How to Make Italian Meat-Free "Dumplings" — Ravioli

For the ravioli filling, press full-fat tvorog (a type of farmer’s cheese or quark) through a sieve. If the tvorog has a smooth consistency without lumps, you don’t need to sieve it; simply mash it with a fork.

Sifting full-fat tvorog through a sieve for the filling

Grate the hard cheese on a fine grater and add it to the tvorog. For the ravioli filling, you can choose Parmesan or a piquant blue cheese for a richer flavor.

Adding grated hard cheese

Sauté finely chopped green onions in melted butter in a pan, and season with salt to taste.

Once the sautéed onions have cooled slightly, add them to the bowl with the tvorog and cheese.

Sautéing onions and adding them to the bowl with tvorog and cheese

Season the ravioli filling with salt and pepper to taste, mix the ingredients thoroughly, and place it in the refrigerator.

Thoroughly mixing the filling, seasoning with salt and pepper

Now, let’s make the ravioli dough. In a bowl, combine high-quality durum wheat flour and a fresh chicken egg. If the egg is small, add a tablespoon of cold water.

Knead the ravioli dough by hand in the bowl, then transfer it to a floured surface and continue kneading until it becomes elastic and smooth. Cover the dough ball with a plastic bowl and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Kneading the dough by hand in a bowl, letting it rest for 30 minutes at room temperature

Divide the dough in half. Sprinkle your work surface with flour and roll out one half into a thin rectangular sheet.

Take the ravioli filling out of the refrigerator. Using a teaspoon, place small portions of the filling on the dough sheet, leaving space between each one.

Brush the empty spaces between the portions of filling with a raw egg wash.

Roll out the second half of the dough just as thinly and lay it over the filling. Press the dough down with your fingers around the filling, then cut out the ravioli with a knife or a thin-rimmed glass.

You can also shape the ravioli in the traditional way, like regular pelmeni (Russian meat-filled dumplings). To do this, cut circles 8-9 centimeters in diameter from the dough, place a spoonful of filling in the center, and seal the edges.

Dividing the dough in half, rolling out a thin rectangular sheet

Placing the filling on the sheet with a teaspoon

Covering the filling with the second rolled-out sheet

Steaming the ravioli for 5-6 minutes

Serve the ravioli with tvorog, cheese, and green onions with a dollop of smetana (a type of sour cream common in Eastern Europe) and fresh herbs.

Serving the ravioli with herbs