Homemade Egg Yolk Ravioli (Raviolo al Uovo)

5 from 6 votes
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With a combination of fresh homemade pasta turned into ravioli bursting with egg yolk, this homemade egg yolk ravioli (aka raviolo al uovo) is a simple and decadent meal, ready to impress! Plus, it can be made gluten-free, too!

Egg ravioli cooking on a pan

If you take homemade pasta (in this case homemade spinach pasta) and combine it with egg yolks, what do you get?! Delicious, creamy, decadent egg yolk ravioli, of course! I recently shared a recipe for spinach and ricotta ravioli, followed shortly after by this vegan spinach pasta. I knew I wanted to combine the two with a new, ‘fun’ filling – which is when I remembered that one time I tried ‘raviolo al uovo’ in a local Italian restaurant in London and fell in love with the dish.

The homemade pasta is supple and flavorful. When filled with oozing egg yolk, the creamy content spill everywhere for what feels like a truly decadent dish. Best of all, the pasta you choose to use is entirely up to you. So, if spinach pasta isn’t your thing, keep reading for more suggestions on other options to use.

Egg ravioli cut in two in a plate

Best of all, this recipe might sound tricky, but it’s genuinely not; making homemade pasta is deceptively simple (wait, did I say that right?! Deceptively difficult?! Either way – it’s not as difficult as it looks!) and the hardest part to the yolk filling is just making sure they stay intact – which is easier than you’d think (I mean, as you’ll see, my yolks ended up being massive, and I still managed to fill the egg yolk ravioli with no ‘casualties.’

The Ingredients

Ingredients for spinach egg ravioli
  • Homemade Pasta: I used this vegan spinach pasta for this recipe. However, you could use your pasta of choice, including plain egg pasta, vegan pasta, oat pasta, chickpea pasta, etc.
  • Egg Yolks: Choose your eggs based on how big you want the ravioli to be. I use large eggs, which have large, vibrant yolks which pop against the green pasta.

For The Sauce

Ingredients for egg ravioli spinach pasta

I made a simple butter sage sauce for the ravioli using:

  • Butter: I use homemade butter for this.
  • Garlic: Feel free to increase, decrease, or even omit this based on personal preference.
  • Sage: Just a few sage leaves are all that’s needed.
  • Salt & pepper: Added to season

Optional Add-ins

Another extremely popular (and traditional) addition to egg yolk ravioli is ricotta. Combine the ricotta with herbs (basil, rosemary, sage, and/or even chili flakes could work) and pipe it around the egg yolk like a ‘nest’ for even more flavor and richness in the dish. I like to use this ricotta spinach mixture – blending it into a smoother pipable consistency. 

How to Make Raviolo al Uovo

Step 1: Prepare the pasta

The first thing you’ll need to do is prepare the spinach pasta (or pasta of your choice – options listed above) and roll it out into thin sheets 1-2mm thick. You can make this from scratch just before serving the dish or prepare the dough the night before and store it covered in the refrigerator overnight.

Steps for rolling spinach pasta

Step 2: Prepare the eggs

To prepare the eggs, you need to separate the egg yolks from the whites. There are several methods to do this (and gadgets you can use) – so use your preferred method. I cracked mine into a small sieve; the white drops through but the yolk won’t.

Separating egg yolks

You can use the leftover egg whites to make Omelettes, meringue, etc. If any of the yolks break, then you can, of course, use them for other reasons too!

Step 3: Shape the egg yolk ravioli

Once the pasta sheets are rolled out, use a round cutter (or ravioli ‘stamp) around 8cm (3.15-inches) in diameter to cut out circles from the dough- making sure the pasta is well-floured so it doesn’t stick.

Spinach pasta cut into circles

If you use small egg yolks, then you may be able to use a ravioli tray or smaller cutter. Likewise, if you use a larger yolk (mine ended up larger than I thought, so I could’ve gotten away with using a larger cutter), then use a larger cutter around 4.5 inches (11.4cm)

Alternatively, you can roll two layers of pasta out into long thin sheets. Space the egg yolks over the sheet, brush the surrounding area with water, add the second layer of pasta, and THEN use the cutter to cut out the ravioli to size with the perfect top and bottom layer sized. Press the sides further if needed to seal fully.

Carefully use a spoon to add the egg yolks to the center of half the circles, and then use a pastry brush or your finger to brush a little water around the edges of the pasta circle before placing another sheet of the dough over it and using your fingers or a fork to seal the ravioli.

Egg yolks added onto spinach pasta cirlces

Since my yolks were super massive this time, I had to use a fork, and they weren’t as ‘even’ as I’d like, but they tasted just as delicious!

Steps for making egg ravioli

If any of the pasta sticks to the kitchen surface after you’ve sealed the ravioli, you can use a bench scraper or similar tool to lift it without damaging it.

Step 3: Cook the ravioli al uovo

Start by bringing a pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Gently drop the egg yolk ravioli into the water ad allow them to cook for around 2-3 minutes. This should produce slightly al-dente pasta with yolks that are still fairly runny.

If needed, increase it to between 3-4 minutes (I go slightly under as I further cook them in the pan).

Steps for cooking egg ravioli

To serve it with a sage butter sauce, meanwhile, melt the butter in a large pan and add the minced garlic and sage, stirring well to sauté. Once the ravioli are boiled, transfer it to the pan allowing it to sizzle and crisp up and lightly brown just for a minute or so, then spoon some of the butter over the top, serve, and enjoy!

You can optionally sprinkle over some parmesan and chili flakes, too.

How to Make-ahead and Store

Once the ravioli al uovo is formed, you either need to cook them immediately (within a few hours) or freeze them – otherwise, the pasta will become soggy from the yolk and can stick/tear. To freeze, lay the ravioli out on a baking sheet and freeze till solid, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 1 month.

The texture may change in the egg yolk slightly, but I’ve found it’s still delicious, personally! Plus, you can boil them from frozen (just add a minute or so onto the cooking time).

Egg raviolo served in a plate

How to Serve Raviolo al Uovo?

There are several ways to enjoy this decadent pasta dish. Most rely on a simple sauce and pasta combination that allows the yolk to shine. When using a sauce, I like to make a ‘bed’ of sauce in the bowl and lay the ravioli over it. You could use sauces like:

Serving this raviolo al uovo over a vegetable mixture – like the veg layer from this vegetable lasagna is also delicious – as the yolk oozes down over the veg for a decadent treat.

Recipe Notes & Variations

  • To add ricotta filling: Prepare the whipped ricotta mixture with the herbs (or spinach) of your choice and add to a piping bag. Pipe a circle around where the egg yolk will be (optionally with two layers) to create a kind of ‘nest’ for the yolk to sit within.
  • Keep the trimmings: Any pasta trimmings you have leftover after cutting the ravioli can be saved to chop up and throw into soups and stews.
  • Don’t crowd the pan: When boiling the ravioli, try to boil just 3 or so at a time; otherwise, it can impact the cooking time and how evenly they cook.

If you try this ravioli al uovo/ egg yolk ravioli recipe, I’d love to hear your thoughts/questions below. Also, I’d really appreciate a recipe card rating below, and feel free to tag me in your recipe recreations on Instagram @Alphafoodie!

Homemade Egg Yolk Ravioli (Raviolo al Uovo)

5 from 6 votes
By: Samira
With a combination of fresh homemade pasta turned into ravioli bursting with egg yolk, this homemade egg yolk ravioli (aka ravioli al uovo) is a simple and decadent meal impress! Plus, it can be made gluten-free, too!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 2 (or more if served as appetizer)

Ingredients 
 

  • 5 oz pasta dough I used spinach pasta (about 1/2 recipe)
  • 6 egg yolk
  • 1 Tbsp butter
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1 garlic clove
  • few sage leaves

Optionally also include a ricotta mixture (read recipe notes!)

    Instructions 

    Step 1: Prepare the pasta

    • The first thing you’ll need to do is prepare the spinach pasta (or pasta of your choice) and roll it out into thin sheets 1-2mm thick. You can make this from scratch just before serving the dish or prepare the dough the night before and store it covered in the refrigerator overnight.

    Step 2: Prepare the eggs

    • To prepare the eggs, you need to separate the egg yolks from the whites. There are several methods to do this (and gadgets you can use) – so use your preferred method. I cracked mine into a small sieve; the white drops through but the yolk won't.
      You can use the leftover egg whites to make Omelettes, meringue, etc. If any of the yolks break, then you can, of course, use them for other reasons too!

    Step 3: Shape the egg yolk ravioli

    • Once the pasta sheets are rolled out, use a round cutter (or ravioli ‘stamp) around 8cm (3.15-inches) in diameter to cut out circles from the dough- making sure the pasta is well-floured so it doesn’t stick.
    • If you use small egg yolks, then you may be able to use a ravioli tray or smaller cutter. Likewise, if you use a larger yolk (mine ended up larger than I thought, so I could’ve gotten away with using a larger cutter), then use a larger cutter around 41/2-inches (11.4cm)
      Alternatively, you can roll two layers of pasta out into long thin sheets. Space the egg yolks over the sheet, brush the surrounding area with water, add the second layer of pasta, and THEN use the cutter to cut out the ravioli to size with the perfect top and bottom layer sized. Press the sides further if needed to seal fully.
    • Carefully use a spoon to add the egg yolks to the center of half the circles, and then use a pastry brush or your finger to brush a little water around the edges of the pasta circle before placing another sheet of the dough over it and using your fingers or a fork to seal the ravioli.
    • If any of the pasta sticks to the kitchen surface after you’ve sealed the ravioli, you can use a bench scraper or similar tool to lift it without damaging it.

    Step 4: Cook the ravioli al uovo

    • Start by bringing a pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Gently drop the egg yolk ravioli into the water and allow them to cook for around 2-3 minutes. This should produce slightly al-dente pasta with yolks that are still fairly runny.
      If needed, increase it to between 3-4 minutes (I go slightly under as I further cook them in the pan).
    • To serve it with a sage butter sauce, meanwhile, melt the butter in a large pan and add the minced garlic and sage, stirring well to sauté. Once the ravioli are boiled, transfer it to the pan allowing it to sizzle and crisp up and lightly brown just for a minute or so, then spoon some of the butter over the top, serve, and enjoy!
      You can optionally sprinkle over some parmesan and chili flakes, too.

    How to Make-ahead and Store

    • Once the ravioli al uovo is formed, you either need to cook them immediately (within a few hours) or freeze them – otherwise, the pasta will become soggy from the yolk and can stick/tear. To freeze, lay the ravioli out on a baking sheet and freeze till solid, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 1 month.
      The texture may change in the egg yolk slightly, but I’ve found it’s still delicious, personally! Plus, you can boil them from frozen (just add a minute or so onto the cooking time).

    Video

    Notes

    • To add ricotta filling: Prepare the whipped ricotta mixture with the herbs (or spinach) of your choice and add to a piping bag. Pipe a circle around where the egg yolk will be (optionally with two layers) to create a kind of ‘nest’ for the yolk to sit within.
    • Keep the trimmings: Any pasta trimmings you have leftover after cutting the ravioli can be saved to chop up and throw into soups and stews.
    • Don’t crowd the pan: When boiling the ravioli, try to boil just 3 or so at a time; otherwise, it can impact the cooking time and how evenly they cook.

    Optional Add-ins:
    Another extremely popular (and traditional) addition to egg yolk ravioli is ricotta. Combine the ricotta with herbs (basil, rosemary, sage, and/or even chili flakes could work) and pipe it around the egg yolk like a ‘nest’ for even more flavor and richness in the dish. I like to use this ricotta spinach mixture – blending it into a smoother, pipable consistency. 
    Course: Appetizer, Main
    Cuisine: Italian
    Freezer friendly: 1 Month
    Shelf life: 1 Day

    Nutrition

    Calories: 551kcal, Carbohydrates: 37g, Protein: 13g, Fat: 39g, Saturated Fat: 15g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 601mg, Sodium: 657mg, Potassium: 139mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 956IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 89mg, Iron: 3mg

    Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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