A ravioli mold is a quick, easy and very impressive way to make ravioli at home. It is so much easier than folding shapes by hand as the mold does all the work for you. I focus on individual wooden molds but this technique will work with any ravioli press. All you need is some fresh pasta dough and a filling and you can whip up some delicious ravioli for friends and family.
Hello! If you follow me on instagram then you know I am a HUGE fan of ravioli molds. I exclusively use molds from John Francis Designs(this is not sponsored!). John and I met through instagram and I quickly fell in love with his exquisite ravioli molds. They are all hand carved and in my eyes true pieces of art.
I love using them as it’s an easy way to produce ravioli quickly plus the designs make your pasta look absolutely incredible! You can use my easy homemade pasta dough (which is perfect, just saying!) and a filling of your choice. If you want to make ravioli without a mold then head over to my guide for easy homemade ravioli.
What you’ll need:
Fresh pasta dough – I do highly recommend using my easy homemade pasta dough recipe as it comes out perfectly every time. You need a perfectly hydrated dough for molds, not dry and not sticky.
A ravioli filling – If this is your first time then use my simple ricotta ravioli filling as it’s quick and easy. You could look through my other filled pasta recipes for other filling ideas.
Flour – You’ll need some extra ’00’ or all purpose flour for dusting the pasta sheets before using the mold.
Other equipment
Wooden cutting board – key for any kind of pasta making.
Pastry brush – This is quite important as it helps push the pasta sheet into the mold to make room for the filling.
Rolling pin – I like to roll the top of the pasta before flipping the mold over.
Baking sheet or tray – For the finished pasta. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and dust with some semolina so the pasta won’t stick.
Expert tips
- Use a piping bag for your filling. Yes, this seems a bit chefy (is that a word?!) but it’s so much cleaner and easier to get the filling into the mold. You can buy reusable ones. Pop the bag into a tall glass with the top of the bag rolled down over the sides if the glass. Spoon your filling in then twist the top of the bag forcing the filling down to the bottom. Hold the bag vertically over the pasta and squeeze gently from the top. Use a teaspoon if you want though!
- Don’t roll out too much dough at a time. For my pasta dough recipe I only use ⅙th at a time. To stop any sheets not being used drying out put them into a deep baking or roasting tray with parchment paper at the bottom and a damp tea towel over the top.
- Dusting the pasta not the mold. To prevent your pasta sticking to the mold you need to dust the sheet of pasta NOT the mold. Flour won’t stick to wood or metal.
How to use a ravioli mold
If you follow this step-by-step method you should have perfectly turned out ravioli! You’ll have a freshly rolled out pasta sheet and the filling of your choice ready. Check out the recipe card below for a short video tutorial.
How to store ravioli
Lucky for you I have a guide on how to store ravioli, this is if you aren’t cooking straight away.
If cooking straight away
They will happily sit out on your bench loosely covered with plastic wrap for up to an hour. Any longer than that the edges will start to dry out and harden and they won’t re-hydrate in the water. If cooking the day (or week or month) after I would highly recommend using my storage guide and freezing.
Storing ravioli in the fridge makes them go really sticky. If you need to store for only a couple of hours put them in the fridge on a very thick layer of course semolina, a pizza box if your best bet as it keeps them dry. Fridges are very moist environments.
Freezing ravioli
This is my preferred method of storing. It’s super easy and you can cook them straight from frozen. You will never be able to taste the difference, they taste completely fresh when using my method of blanching, drying and freezing. If you are cooking any kind of filled pasta for guests then I highly recommend pre-making and freezing. That way you wont be tired and overworked for your guests and can just boil some water and make a sauce!
What sauce is best for ravioli?
Ok so if you know me at all you’ll know a butter sauce is my favorite way to serve ravioli. Obviously I love butter a lot but I find it also lets the pasta and filling shine. I have a guide on the best butter sauce for pasta but also a very handy 10 minute brown butter for pasta which is my go-to!
Other Recipe FAQs
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