Meat Ravioli
intro
Tender fresh pasta parcels stuffed with savory seasoned beef and pork, tossed in nutty brown butter sage sauce for a rich, comforting Italian classic.
Ingredients
Steps
Make pasta dough
Mound 240g 00 flour on a clean wooden work surface, create a deep well in the center, and crack 4 large eggs into the well. Use a fork to gently beat the eggs, gradually incorporating flour from the inner edges of the well until a shaggy dough forms. Knead by hand for 10 minutes until the dough is smooth, elastic, and pale yellow. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before rolling.
Cook meat filling
Heat 15ml (1 tbsp) olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat (175°C / 350°F). Add 60g finely diced yellow onion and sauté for 3 minutes until soft and translucent, then add 6g minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add 225g ground beef and 115g ground pork, break apart with a spatula, and cook for 8 minutes until fully browned with no pink remaining. Drain excess rendered fat, stir in 2g (approx 1/2 tsp) kosher salt, 1g black pepper, and 0.5g nutmeg, then transfer to a mixing bowl to cool for 10 minutes. Once cool, stir in 50g grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and 1 beaten egg to bind the filling mixture.
Roll pasta sheets
Unwrap the rested pasta dough and cut it into 4 equal pieces. Flatten each piece into a 1cm-thick disc, then run it through a manual pasta machine starting on the widest setting, folding and re-rolling 3 times per setting before narrowing the roller incrementally. Roll until the pasta is 1mm thick (thin enough to see the outline of your hand through the sheet), creating long, even strips. Lay the rolled sheets on a lightly floured work surface, covering with a damp tea towel to prevent drying as you work.
Fill and seal ravioli
Scoop 5g (1 teaspoon) of cooled meat filling onto one pasta sheet, spacing mounds 5cm (2 inches) apart in neat, even rows. Lightly brush the exposed pasta around each filling mound with plain water to create a tight seal. Lay a second matching pasta sheet over the top, pressing firmly around each filling mound to push out all trapped air and press edges together completely. Use a fluted ravioli cutter or sharp knife to cut between mounds into 5cm (2 inch) square ravioli, crimping edges firmly to prevent opening during cooking. Set assembled ravioli on a baking sheet lightly dusted with 30g all-purpose flour.
Boil fresh ravioli
Bring a large stockpot of 4L (1 gallon) water to a rolling boil over high heat, add 15g (1 tbsp) kosher salt to season the water. Gently drop ravioli into the water in 2 batches, taking care not to overcrowd the pot, and cook for 4 minutes until the ravioli float to the surface and the pasta is tender al dente. Reserve 60ml (1/4 cup) of starchy pasta cooking water before draining ravioli gently with a slotted spoon, avoiding rough stirring that could tear the delicate pasta.
Toss in brown butter sauce
While ravioli cook, heat 113g unsalted butter in a large deep skillet over medium-low heat (160°C / 325°F). Add 10 fresh sage leaves and cook, swirling the pan frequently, for 3-4 minutes until the butter turns deep golden brown, releases a rich nutty aroma, and the sage leaves are crisp and slightly curled. Add drained ravioli to the skillet, toss gently to coat fully in the brown butter, adding 15-30ml (1-2 tbsp) of reserved starchy pasta water as needed to create a light, silky sauce that clings to the pasta. Season with the remaining 3g (approx 1/2 tsp) kosher salt to taste before serving.
Tips
2.Do not skip the 30-minute pasta dough rest period; resting relaxes the gluten in the flour, preventing the dough from shrinking back as you roll it and resulting in tender, not tough, pasta.
3.Watch the brown butter closely as it cooks: once it turns golden and smells nutty, add the ravioli immediately, as it can burn and turn bitter in as little as 20 seconds if left over heat.
OMG, this ravioli was the star of our Sunday family dinner! I was nervous to make homemade pasta for the first time, but the filling came out so juicy and the brown butter sage sauce is *chef’s kiss*. My kids even asked for seconds before they finished their first plate!
Game changer! I’ve only ever made ravioli from the frozen aisle before, and this blew every store-bought version out of the water. The nutty brown butter with the crispy sage? I could drink that sauce straight, no joke. Brought the leftovers to work for meal prep and my coworkers kept stopping by my desk asking where I got it.
Took me a little longer than the listed cook time because my pasta dough kept tearing when I rolled it out, but the end result was SO good. I added a tiny bit of nutmeg to the meat filling like my grandma used to, and it paired perfectly with the brown butter. Will absolutely be making this again now that I’ve got the pasta rolling trick down.
Made this for date night with my partner last night and we both agreed it’s better than the ravioli at our go-to Italian spot downtown. I used a mix of ground beef and Italian sausage for the filling and it added such a nice depth of flavor. 10/10, will be in our regular rotation.
Whoa, I was intimidated by the medium difficulty rating but this was way more approachable than I thought! I don’t have a pasta roller so I rolled the dough out with a rolling pin and it worked totally fine, just took a little extra arm muscle. The brown butter sage sauce is so simple I’m already planning to use it on roasted veggies and chicken later this week.
My kids are super picky eaters and they devoured this! I skipped the sage on their portions because they think “green stuff” is gross, but they ate every last bite of the ravioli and asked if we could have it for their birthday dinner next month. Win for mom!
Tried this for a potluck at my fire station and the whole crew went crazy for it. I made a double batch because those guys can eat, and there were zero leftovers. The only change I made was adding a sprinkle of parmesan and red pepper flakes on top for a little kick. Will absolutely be making this again for the station.
Okay, I’ll be honest — my first batch of ravioli burst open while boiling because I didn’t crimp the edges tight enough. Total user error, not the recipe’s fault! The ones that stayed closed were absolutely incredible, though. The meat filling is so flavorful it doesn’t even need extra seasoning, and the brown butter is just *perfect*. I’ll be more careful sealing them next time for sure.
Meal prep win! I made a big batch of these on Sunday, froze half of them, and they reheat perfectly for quick weeknight dinners. Way better than the frozen ravioli from the grocery store, and I know exactly what’s in them so I feel good feeding them to my family. The brown butter sauce takes 5 minutes to whip up, so it’s no hassle on busy nights.
This recipe is so good I made it two weekends in a row! Last weekend I made it for my parents when they came to visit, and this weekend I taught my roommate how to make it. The brown butter sage sauce is low key addictive — I may have eaten a spoonful of it straight while waiting for the ravioli to cook. No shame.
I’m a pretty experienced home cook so I thought this would be a breeze, but I will say getting the pasta dough to the right thickness took a minute. The payoff was 100% worth it though. The meat filling has such a great balance of garlic, onion, and ground beef, and the brown butter cuts through the richness so nicely. Served it with a side salad and some crusty bread to soak up extra sauce, chef’s kiss.
I made this for my anniversary dinner and my husband thought I ordered takeout from a fancy restaurant! I was sweating making the pasta from scratch because I’ve never done it before, but the instructions were so clear and easy to follow. We paired it with a bottle of red wine and it was the perfect cozy night in.
Eh, it was good but not quite what I expected. I think I over-toasted the sage so it was a little bitter, and my filling came out a bit dry? Not sure if I overcooked the ground beef before stuffing it. Probably will give it another shot though, because the parts that turned out were really tasty.
As someone who’s been making homemade pasta for years, I can confidently say this recipe is a keeper! The meat filling is perfectly seasoned, not too heavy, and the brown butter sage sauce is the classic pairing that never misses. I brought a batch to my book club last week and every single person asked for the link to the recipe.
Total game changer for weeknight meals! I usually don’t have time for fancy cooking on work nights, but I blocked off time on Sunday to prep these and it made dinners all week so easy. My only note is that the cook time felt a little short for me — I needed an extra 20 minutes total because I was taking my time with the pasta, but that’s just me being slow. Still 5 stars all the way.
I’ve been on a homemade pasta kick lately and this is easily the best ravioli recipe I’ve tried! I swapped half the ground beef for ground pork to make the filling extra rich, and it was so good. The brown butter sauce is so simple but feels so luxurious — I’m never going back to jarred sauce with ravioli again.
Made this for a casual game night with friends and everyone was raving. We ate way too much of it while playing Mario Kart, no regrets. I added a handful of toasted walnuts on top for some crunch, and it paired so well with the brown butter and sage. Will definitely be making this for our next game night.