This Asparagus Ricotta Ravioli with Herb Butter Sauce is easy to make using wonton wrappers. These ravioli’s are stuffed with a flavourful asparagus ricotta filling and dressed with a herby butter sauce.
Ravioli can seem pretty daunting to make but that doesn’t have to be the case! This recipe uses wonton wrappers to simplify the process quite a bit! No need to mess around with homemade pasta doughs. No need to buy any special pasta-making machines.
We are no strangers to using frozen store-bought raviolis and are actually big fans of them. This week, though, we wanted to make a more special meal for an at-home date night.
I knew I wanted to use asparagus as we have lots in the fridge (I bought it in bulk and am so obsessed with it). When I saw the wonton wrappers I knew exactly what I wanted to do!
Making these ravioli isn’t hard at all and can make for a nice activity to do with your partner or family.
I also think that it would be lovely to serve for special occasions like anniversaries, birthdays, or, like us, a date night.
Tips for simplifying the process
Although this recipe isn’t very hard, if you want to simplify the process for a special night, there are some things you can do to prep in advance.
The asparagus filling for this recipe can actually be made in advance and stored in the fridge until you are ready to use it the next day. Prepping this the day before will reduce the amount of time in the kitchen the next day and also help reduce the clean up.
Whether making the filling in advance or the same day, be sure to drain the ricotta cheese if it is wet. You do not want a loose filling that will leak everywhere when you are trying to seal the edges of the ravioli.
Making Asparagus Ricotta Ravioli with Herb Butter Sauce
To start, I like to begin by making the butter sauce. I start by browning the butter which adds a delicious, nutty flavour and is SO GOOD! Then I add the herbs to it and set it all aside while the rest of the dish is assembled.
I recommend browning the butter in a light coloured pan, that way you can see when it has browned. If you are using a black pan, it is difficult to detect the colour change.
While the butter is browning, I cook the asparagus in a large pot of water until they soften a bit. I then transfer half of the asparagus to a food processor. The other half gets set aside for plating later.
Making the Filling
Into the food processor with the asparagus I add ricotta cheese, Parmesan, pine nuts and seasoning. it all gets pulsed together and pureed into a delicious paste. Perfection. Taste the filling to ensure it is seasoned well and add more seasoning if needed. The wonton wrappers are rather flavourless and so you want a flavourful filling.
Assembling the ravioli
Once your filling is ready there is only 1 thing left to do: make your ravioli! I lay out a few wonton wrappers onto a clean surface. I keep a little bowl filled with water near by and dip my finger in. Then I run it along the edge of the wrapper, repeating this with all of them. Then I use a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop you can use a regular tablespoon too) to spoon the filling into the center of each.
After, I grab more wrappers to top them with. Being careful to not trap any air in the ravioli, I seal them by pressing down with my fingers along the edges of the wrapper.
I repeat this with the others, working with about 3 or 4 ravioli’s at a time. Then I drop them in batches into a pot of hot salted water. They boil until they float up to the top and then I remove them with a slotted spoon and plate them while I cook the next batch.
Plating
I serve about 5 ravioli as they are rather large and add some of the reserved asparagus. Everything gets a drizzle of the herb butter sauce. To finish, I add lots of Parmesan cheese and some crispy prosciutto. That’s it!
Bon appetit!
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Ravioli with Spinach, Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Artichokes
Asparagus Ricotta Ravioli with Herb Butter Sauce
Ingredients
Herb Butter Sauce
- 1/4 cup butter
- 2 tablespoons parsley finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- salt and pepper
Ravioli Filling
- 1 bunch asparagus woody ends trimmed
- 1 cup ricotta cheese strained
- 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 1 tablespoon parsley
- salt and pepper
Other Ingredients
- 1 package wonton wrappers (about 40 wrappers)
- Parmesan cheese
- 2 strips prosciutto cooked in a pan until crispy and crumbled (optional)
- red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
- Begin by making the Herb Butter Sauce. Heat a small silver saucepan over medium-high heat and add butter (you want a light coloured pan s that you can see the butter turn brown). Let butter cook until it becomes frothy and begins to brown. Add the basil and parsley. Let cook for about a minute. Taste and season with salt and pepper, as needed.Set aside.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the asparagus. Cook for about 3 minutes or until they begin to turn tender.
- Set half of the asparagus aside. Add half of the asparagus to a food processor with the other ingredients for the filling. Process until everything is smooth. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
- Fill a small bowl with a couple tablespoons of water. Remove a few wonton wrappers from the package and set them down on a clean, dry surface. Cover the remaining wrappers with a clean towel to prevent drying. Dip your finger in the water and run it along the edge of a wonton wrapper. Place a tablespoon of filling in the center of the wonton wrapper and top it with another wrapper. Press down on the edges to seal the ravioli, being careful to press out any air. Repeat with all of the ravioli.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and add ravioli in batches of about 5 to cook until they float to the top (about 2 minutes).
- Plate ravioli and top with sauce. Add some asparagus to each plate. Top with Parmesan cheese. Add red pepper flakes and crispy prosciutto if desired.
