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The dish
Sheep’s ricotta ravioli
The filled pasta of the shepherds’ valleys.
In the transhumance villages, such as Scanno and those of the Alto Sangro, fresh sheep’s ricotta was always in the house. Mixed with eggs and pecorino it becomes the filling for large, generous ravioli.
They are dressed with a simple tomato sauce and basil, or with the Sunday meat ragù, and plenty of grated pecorino. Some families scent the filling with nutmeg, others with parsley or a pinch of sugar.
What you need
Ingredients
Serves 4–6 (about 30 ravioli).
For the pasta
- 400 g plain flour (or half semolina)
- 4 eggs
- A pinch of salt
For the filling
- 500 g well-drained sheep’s ricotta
- 1 egg
- 60 g grated pecorino
- Chopped parsley or nutmeg
- Salt and pepper
For the sauce
- 700 g tomato passata
- 1 garlic clove, basil
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Grated pecorino
Step by step
Method
- Knead flour, eggs and salt into a smooth, elastic dough; wrap it in cling film and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- Make the filling: mix the ricotta with the egg, pecorino, parsley or nutmeg, salt and pepper.
- Make the sauce: warm the oil with the garlic, add the passata, salt and cook for 20 minutes; finish with basil.
- Roll the dough into thin sheets. Place spoonfuls of filling on one half, a few centimetres apart.
- Cover with the other half, press well around the filling to push out the air and cut the ravioli with a pastry wheel.
- Cook them in salted, gently boiling water for 4–5 minutes and lift them out carefully with a slotted spoon.
- Dress them in layers with the sauce and pecorino and serve at once.
From our home kitchen
Tips
- Let the ricotta drain in a sieve for a few hours, ideally in the fridge.
- Seal the edges well with wet fingers: the ravioli must not open while cooking.
- You can freeze them raw on a floured tray and then transfer them to a bag.
Note: fresh sheep’s ricotta must be used within a few days: buy it from the dairy on the day.
Gallery
Photos
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We do not have photos of this dish yet: the image is an illustration made for this page.
Tradition
History and trivia
For centuries Scanno and the Alto Sangro were shepherds’ land: flocks grazed in the mountains in summer and went down to Puglia along the drove roads in winter. Sheep’s milk gave cheeses and ricotta that went into many home dishes.
Ravioli were the festive first course, made by the women early in the morning on the pasta board.
Did you know? in some villages ravioli are also made sweet, with ricotta, sugar and cinnamon, and are still dressed with tomato sauce.