Basil Three-Cheese Ravioli with No-Cook Fresh Tomato Sauce

Mix it up with different herbs if you’d like, but be sure to use tender ones like other basil varieties or dill — woody, tough herbs such as rosemary can cause the delicate dough to tear.

Make ahead

You can make these ravioli ahead of time and keep in the freezer for a speedy weeknight dinner. To cook from frozen, add a minute or two to the cook time.

Suggested pairing

Crisp, light-bodied Italian white.

Cook Mode
(Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

Homemade Dough Sheets

• 2 cups all-purpose flour (about 8 1/2 ounces), plus more for work surface and dusting

• 2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

• 2/3 cup water

Ravioli

• 8 ounces whole-milk ricotta (about 1 cup), drained

• 3 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 3/4 cup)

• 1 1/2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated (about 1 cup), divided

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

• 1/2 teaspoon plus 1/4 cup kosher salt, divided

• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

• 1 1/2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves, divided

• 4 quarts water, plus more for brushing

• All-purpose flour, for work surface and dusting

Tomato Sauce

• 3 pounds red or yellow heirloom tomatoes (about 6 medium tomatoes)

• 2 tablespoons kosher salt

• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

• Balsamic glaze, for serving (optional)

1. Make the dough sheets

   Stir together flour and salt in a medium bowl. Add 2/3 cup water; stir until a shaggy dough forms. Knead dough in bowl until flour is fully incorporated. Turn dough out onto a floured work surface; knead until a smooth dough forms, about 4 minutes. Wrap dough in plastic wrap; let rest at room temperature for at least 1 hour or up to 8 hours or overnight.
   
   

2. Unwrap dough; turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into 4 equal portions. Cover 3 dough portions loosely with plastic wrap, and set aside.

3. Set rollers of a pasta machine on number 1 (widest setting). Using a rolling pin, roll uncovered dough portion to about 1/4-inch thickness, ensuring dough is narrower than the width of the pasta roller (about 5 inches) of pasta machine. Dust dough generously with flour, and feed through pasta machine. Reduce width to setting number 2 (second-widest setting), and feed through again. Continue re-feeding dough through pasta machine, reducing the roller width 1 notch each time, until dough has passed through number 8 (narrowest setting), dusting dough with more flour between each feed through the machine as needed to prevent sticking. Lay rolled dough sheet flat on a well-floured surface. Trim and discard any tapering end pieces; cover dough sheet loosely with plastic wrap.

4. Repeat step 3 (3 times) with remaining 3 dough portions.
   
   

5. Assemble the ravioli

   Stir together ricotta, mozzarella, 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, chopped basil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and black pepper in a medium bowl. Chill until ready to use.

6. Place 1 dough sheet on a well-floured surface with one long side facing you. Brush right half of dough lightly with water; arrange one-fourth of whole basil leaves on top in a single layer. Fold the dry dough half over the basil-topped dough half; press gently to adhere. Dust dough generously with flour, and cut in half crosswise.

7. Set rollers of a pasta machine to setting number 4. Working with 1 basil-filled dough piece at a time, feed dough through pasta machine. Transfer to a lightly floured surface with one long side facing you; brush off excess flour. Repeat process with the second basil-filled dough piece.

8. Leaving a 1-inch edge from the short side of the first dough sheet, place a teaspoon-size ball of ricotta filling 1/2 inch from the bottom of the long side. Continue placing spoonfuls of ricotta filling in 1 row, leaving 2 inches between them. Lightly brush dough around ricotta filling with water. Fold top half of dough over row of ricotta filling, and gently press dough around filling to seal. Using a fluted pasta wheel cutter or a sharp knife, cut filled dough into 2-inch square ravioli. Transfer to a lightly floured baking sheet; cover with plastic wrap, and chill until ready to use. Repeat process with second basil-filled dough piece and ricotta filling.

9. Repeat steps 2 through 4 with remaining 3 dough sheets, whole basil leaves, and ricotta filling. Ravioli can be refrigerated up to 8 hours or overnight, or frozen up to 1 month.

10. Make the tomato sauce

    Working over a large bowl, grate tomatoes on the large holes of a box grater, discarding skin and stem. (If mixture is very loose, pour through a fine wire-mesh strainer into a bowl; discard excess liquid.) Add salt, chopped basil, and black pepper. Let stand at room temperature 15 minutes. Gradually whisk in oil.

11. Cook the ravioli

    Bring 4 quarts water to a boil over high. Add remaining 1/4 cup salt and stir until dissolved. Working in batches, boil ravioli until tender, about 1 minute and 30 seconds. (If cooking from frozen, boil ravioli 2 to 3 minutes.) Serve ravioli over fresh tomato sauce and sprinkled with remaining 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano. Drizzle with balsamic glaze, if desired.