The homemade pasta is filled with a broccoli rabe and ricotta filling and then topped with a delicious broccoli pesto. And it’s a wonderful way to pack your ravioli with veggies.
💚 Reasons to Love Broccoli Rabe
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Why blanch rapini?
Blanching rapini (also known as broccoli rabe) helps tame its bitterness by drawing out water-soluble compounds called glucosinolates—responsible for most of its bitter flavor—into the boiling water. This process removes a significant portion of the bitterness, making the vegetable more balanced and enjoyable before further cooking.
👩🍳How to Make This Recipe
To serve shave parmesan over the pasta with a vegetable peeler. Enjoy!
⭐️ Tips for the Best Pasta Dough
Roll your dough as thin as you feel comfortable….without the dough tearing. I think thinner pasta has a better taste and texture. When the pasta dough is too thick, it can taste gummy.
The standard is for your dough to be paper-thin if possible, and you should aim for 1/8″ thickness.
Remember you will have to handle the dough after you roll it, so don’t go too thin your first time! However, you can test your thinness boundaries and if it tears, just re-roll it. That’s the beauty of pasta…if you mess up, you can re-roll it and nobody ever has to know!
Do I need a ravioli stamp?
No. You can use a knife, pastry wheel, or cookie cutter instead! I prefer the ravioli stamp because it makes the ravioli look perfectly pretty. But I don’t always use one. I borrowed this one from a friend! Click here to shop this ravioli stamp.
🥦 More Ways to Use Broccoli Rabe (Rapini)
Broccoli Rabe Ravioli with Broccoli Rabe Pesto
Print Recipe SaveIngredients
- ½ broccoli rabe aka rapini, trimmed and blanched
- 5 tbsp avocado oil
- 2 cups flour
- 4 eggs
- 1 bunch basil stemmed (2.5-oz)
- ⅓ cup toasted pine nuts
- 3 cloves garlic cut in half
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- ½ cup parmesan grated
- 1 shallot finely diced
- 8 oz. Ricotta cheese
- salt & pepper
- Shaved parmesan for serving
Instructions
- Remove the leaves from the broccoli rabe and set them aside.
- Add half of your broccoli rabe leaves to a food processor with a pinch of salt. Process until smooth.
- Attach the flat beater to your stand mixer. Mix your flour, 3 eggs, and the processed broccoli rabe leaves on low speed. Once combined, remove the flat beater and attach the dough hook. Knead for 3-4 minutes on “stir” or speed 1 until the dough is incorporated and indents when you poke it. Cover the bowl and let the gluten strands relax for 30 minutes.
- In the meantime, add the other half of your broccoli rabe leaves, basil, pine nuts, and garlic to a food processor. With the motor running, slowly add your olive oil. Stir in the parmesan. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Set aside. This is your pesto.
- Finely dice your broccoli rabe stems & florets. Heat 3 tbsp avocado oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add your shallot, broccoli rabe stems, and florets. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until tender, 4-5 minutes.
- Mix your cooked broccoli rabe stems & florets with the ricotta cheese in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
- When your pasta has rested for 30 minutes, take it out of the bowl and knead it on a floured surface, adding more flour if it’s sticking. Cut the dough into 4 pieces. Roll out each piece to the thinnest setting you feel comfortable with, and set on a floured surface so it doesn’t stick.
- Bring a pot of water to boil. Beat your remaining egg with 1 tbsp of water.
- In the meantime, spoon 1 tablespoon of the rabe & ricotta mixture at a time onto two of the 4 sheets, leaving 1-2 inches between each ball of filling. Lightly brush the edges of the pasta sheet & between each dollop of filling with the egg wash.
- Lay your other two sheets of pasta over the tops and gently press down to cover the filling, making sure to press between each dollop of filling.
- Cut your ravioli squares with a ravioli stamp, pastry wheel, or knife. Make sure the edges are pressed and sealed.
- Add your ravioli to the water. Cook 4-5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, and toss to coat in the pesto.
- To serve shave parmesan over the pasta with a vegetable peeler. Enjoy!