A homemade ravioli recipe perfect for spring, stuffed with bright flavors of lemon and mint, and full of wild green abundance. Top this dish with wild mushrooms, fresh garden peas, and scallions.

When I started my homemade pasta adventures I was intimidated by the prospect of making ravioli. I’m not sure why. Maybe it was because ravioli is so delicious I thought its existence must be some minor miracle. Well, I can tell you now it is not hard. In fact, with a few tools it is quite fun, and pretty quick! There is a learning curve to making fresh pasta, but I’ve yet to make a bad batch.

This recipe plays on the vibrant, sunny flavors of spring. (I love this shape for the ravioli, as they end up looking like little suns.) You can use any mild flavored wild greens, edible weeds, or a cultivated green like spinach for the filling. For the wild mushrooms use fresh spring ones if you have them—oyster mushrooms, morels, or early chanterelles. You could certainly also use their frozen or dried and reconstituted versions.

I like the NY Times egg pasta dough recipe. Take the advice in the comments and let each sheet rest for 5 minutes halfway through the rolling. I recommend a pasta roller if, like me, you are not great at hand rolling dough to an even thickness. I have attachment for my Kitchen Aid and it makes quick, easy work of rolling out the dough just right.

In the third photo below you can see a plate passed down to me from my great-aunt Rosa Stefanos. (I forgot to pour olive oil over the ravioli before taking the picture. That last dose really pulls it all together.) These dishes were used in her and her husband John’s Greek restaurant and saloon somewhere in NYC in the 1920s and 30s. In the fourth photo you’ll see John behind the bar of that saloon.

Spring Ravioli with Wild Greens, Wild Mushrooms, & Peas Recipe

Ingredients

6 oz nettles, or other mild greens, tough stems removed
1 1/2 cups fresh ricotta
1/3 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish
salt and pepper
3/4 teaspoon lemon zest
3/4 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
fresh egg pasta dough
Semolina or rice flour, for dusting
3 tablespoons butter or extra-virgin olive oil
6 ounces sliced wild mushrooms
1 cup fresh, shucked sweet peas
½ cup finely chopped scallions

Directions

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Salt generously so that it tastes of the sea. Blanch the greens for about 15 seconds, then drain them and submerge in an ice bath. Drain them again, squeeze dry, and chop finely.
In a mixing bowl stir together the ricotta, Parmesan, chopped greens, lemon zest, mint, salt, and pepper. Taste, and adjust seasoning as desired.
Roll pasta dough into thin sheets, letting the dough rest covered for 5 minutes halfway through the rolling. I went down to setting 5 on my Kitchen Aid pasta roller attachment, which is thin but not paper thin. Dust each sheet with semolina and cover with a damp towel to keep them from drying. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and sprinkle with semolina.
Lay out a sheet of pasta, and drop a heaping teaspoon every few inches down one side of the sheet (distance between will depend on the size of your ravioli stamp.) Fold the other length of the sheet over the filling and stamp out your ravioli. Transfer ravioli to baking sheet, and continue until all your pasta is used. Dust the ravioli tops lightly with semolina and store, uncovered in the refrigerator, until ready to cook, up to 3 hours.
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil for the ravioli. Drop the ravioli into the boiling water and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until they float to the surface. Remove ravioli with a slotted spoon and transfer them to warm serving plates. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water aside.
Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the wild mushrooms, season with salt, and sauté until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Remove mushrooms from the pan and set aside. Add 2 more tablespoons butter to pan. Add the peas and scallions and a little salt and pepper. Add 1/2 cup reserved pasta water and cook uncovered for about 3 minutes. Return mushrooms to pan and turn off heat. Add more salt and pepper if needed.
Divide the mushroom and pea mixture over the ravioli plates. Garnish with more Parmesan and plenty of olive oil. Mangia e prospera!

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