Ravioli alla Genovese
Classic Genoese pasta parcels filled with braised meats, sweetbreads, and wild borage, coated in a savoury tocco beef sauce.

- Prep
- 60 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 105 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Hard
- Calories
- 620 kcal
Equipment
- โขPasta machine or rolling pin
- โขLarge saucepan
- โขFrying pan
- โขFluted pastry wheel
- โขMixing bowl
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 620 kcal
- fat
- 26 g
- carbs
- 64 g
- fibre
- 4 g
- protein
- 32 g
- calories
- 620 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Mound the flour onto a board, make a well, add eggs, water, and salt, then knead into smooth pasta dough.
- 2
Wrap the dough in a damp cloth and rest at room temperature for thirty minutes.
- 3
Sautรฉ the veal, pork, sweetbreads, and blanched borage in a dry pan until all excess moisture evaporates.
- 4
Mince the cooked meats and borage finely, then transfer to a clean mixing bowl.
- 5
Beat in the prescinseua, grated Parmigiano Reggiano, marjoram, nutmeg, and salt until the filling is homogenous.
- 6
Roll the rested dough into thin, translucent sheets using a rolling pin or pasta machine.
- 7
Place small teaspoons of meat filling along one pasta sheet at two-centimetre intervals.
- 8
Lay a second pasta sheet over the top, press out air bubbles, and seal edges firmly with fingertips.
- 9
Cut into neat square parcels using a fluted pastry wheel and dust lightly with flour.
- 10
Cook the ravioli gently in boiling salted water for three to four minutes until they float.
- 11
Lift out with a slotted spoon, transfer directly into warm tocco meat sauce, and toss carefully.
Chef's tips
Ensure the borage and meats are thoroughly dry before mixing to prevent soggy pasta skins. Seal the dough firmly around the filling to prevent water entering during cooking. Fresh marjoram is the essential signature herb of Ligurian cooking and should not be omitted.
Ingredient substitutions
- prescinseua (Ligurian fresh curd cheese) โ ricotta mixed with a little plain whole-milk yoghurt
- borage leaves (borraggine) โ young Swiss chard leaves or tender spinach
- veal sweetbreads โ extra braised lean veal or pork mince
Storage
Freeze uncooked ravioli in a single layer on a floured baking sheet before bagging for up to one month.
Reheating
Cook frozen ravioli straight from the freezer in boiling salted water without defrosting, adding one extra minute.
Common mistakes to avoid
- โขLeaving excess moisture in the cooked greens, which makes the pasta soggy and fragile.
- โขTrapping air pockets inside the parcels, causing them to burst open in boiling water.
- โขBoiling the water too aggressively, which can tear delicate handmade ravioli.
Serving suggestions
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