Chicken and Mushroom Ravioli (Print Version)
Delicate pasta parcels with chicken and mushrooms in a vibrant tomato sauce
# What You'll Need:
→ Pasta Dough
01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
02 - 3 large eggs
03 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
→ Ravioli Filling
04 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
05 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
06 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
07 - 1 cup cremini or button mushrooms, finely chopped
08 - 1 cup cooked chicken breast, finely shredded
09 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
10 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
11 - 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
12 - Salt, to taste
→ Tomato Sauce
13 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
14 - 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
15 - 1 can (14 oz) crushed tomatoes
16 - 1/2 teaspoon sugar
17 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
18 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
19 - 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
20 - 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
→ To Serve
21 - Grated Parmesan cheese
22 - Fresh basil leaves
# How-To Steps:
01 - Mound flour on a clean work surface and create a well in the center. Crack eggs into the well and add salt. Gradually incorporate flour into eggs using a fork, then knead by hand for 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Wrap in plastic and let rest for 30 minutes.
02 - Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté onion until soft, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and mushrooms; cook until mushrooms release moisture and become golden, approximately 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in chicken, Parmesan, parsley, pepper, and salt. Allow filling to cool completely.
03 - Divide rested dough into two equal portions. Roll each piece into a thin sheet, about 1/16 inch thick, using a pasta machine or rolling pin. Maintain even thickness throughout for consistent cooking.
04 - Place small mounds of filling, approximately 1 teaspoon each, 1 inch apart on one pasta sheet. Lightly brush edges with water, cover with second sheet, and press firmly around filling to seal. Cut into individual squares and crimp edges with a fork to ensure closure.
05 - Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add sliced garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Pour in crushed tomatoes and add sugar, salt, pepper, and oregano. Simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes until slightly thickened. Stir in fresh basil just before serving.
06 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Gently add ravioli in batches to prevent sticking. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until pasta floats to the surface. Remove carefully with a slotted spoon.
07 - Transfer cooked ravioli to serving plates. Spoon warm tomato sauce generously over pasta. Garnish with additional grated Parmesan and fresh basil leaves. Serve immediately while hot.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The tender chicken and mushroom filling feels like a warm embrace in pasta form, the kind of comfort food that makes you pause between bites
- Making ravioli from scratch sounds intimidating but becomes a peaceful rhythm, and the payoff of eating something you crafted with your own hands is unmatched
- This tomato sauce is bright enough to cut through the rich filling but gentle enough to let the delicate pasta shine
02 -
- If your pasta dough feels too sticky or keeps springing back when you roll it, let it rest for another 10 minutes, the gluten needs time to relax
- Overfilling ravioli is the number one mistake that leads to bursting during cooking, keep filling portions modest and you will have much better success
- The water you cook pasta in should taste almost like soup, salted aggressively but not quite to ocean levels, which seasons the pasta from the inside out
03 -
- Save a ladleful of pasta water before draining, the starchy liquid can help thicken your sauce if it needs to cling more aggressively to the ravioli
- Work with one portion of dough at a time and keep the rest covered, pasta dries out quickly and becomes difficult to work with