Ravioli is a type of stuffed pasta that is commonly filled with cheese, meat, vegetables or seafood. The best flour to use for ravioli depends on the desired texture and flavor. When making fresh ravioli at home, the flour you choose can make all the difference.
Purpose of Flour in Ravioli
The main purpose of flour in ravioli dough is to bind the ingredients together and provide structure so that the pasta holds its shape when cooked. Flour gives ravioli dough its elasticity and strength. Without the gluten development that occurs when flour is hydrated and kneaded, ravioli would fall apart when boiled or baked.
The proteins in flour, mainly glutenin and gliadin, are responsible for the formation of gluten. When mixed with liquid, these proteins link together and create a stretchy network that can be shaped into pasta. The higher the protein and gluten content of the flour, the more structure it will provide.
In addition to structure, flour imparts flavor and affects the texture and appearance of the ravioli. The type of flour chosen can result in pasta that is tender or chewy, soft or firm, and light or dense. The mineral content of the flour also impacts the color of pasta dough and cooked ravioli.
Types of Flour for Ravioli
There are many options when it comes to selecting a flour for making fresh ravioli:
- All-Purpose Flour – Thiswheat flour contains a moderate amount of gluten, typically around 10-12%. All-purpose flour is readily available and versatile enough for most pasta dough recipes.
- Bread Flour – With a higher gluten content of 12-14%, bread flour makes a chewy, dense and elastic pasta dough. The extra gluten strength helps hand-rolled ravioli hold their shape.
- “00” Flour – This very finely milled Italian flour has a high gluten content of 12-13%. “00” flour makes tender pasta with a silky texture and is ideal for thin-crusted ravioli.
- Semolina Flour – Semolina is coarsely ground durum wheat flour. Its high gluten content makes it perfect for shaping ravioli that hold their ridges. Semolina gives ravioli a faint yellow hue and rich, wheaty flavor.
- Whole Wheat Flour – For a nutrient boost, you can substitute up to half of the white flour in a recipe with whole wheat flour. This adds a nutty, wheat flavor and extra fiber.
- Alternative Flours – Flours like almond, chickpea and buckwheat have no gluten, so must be combined with all-purpose or bread flour for structure.
Key Considerations for Choosing Ravioli Flour
With all the flour options for making homemade ravioli, how do you decide which one to use? Here are the key factors to consider:
- Protein content – Flours with a higher protein or gluten content will create firmer, denser ravioli that holds its shape better when boiled. Aim for 11% protein or higher.
- Texture – Do you prefer a tender, soft pasta or one with more chew? Softer flours like all-purpose or “00” produce more delicate ravioli.
- Flavor – Semolina and whole wheat flours add nuts, earthy flavors to ravioli, while “00” flour has a more neutral taste.
- Filling – Thicker fillings like ricotta or meat require a higher protein pasta dough that can encase and hold the filling.
- Cook time – Fresh ravioli cooks very quickly, usually just 1-3 minutes once the water is boiling. The flour needs to form a pasta that can hold its shape when boiled.
- Rolling method – Hand-rolled ravioli requires a very elastic and strong dough. Machine-rolled pasta can use softer flours since it isn’t stretched as much.
Recommended Flours for Ravioli
Based on the criteria above, here are my top recommendations for making flawless fresh ravioli:
All-Round Flour: All-Purpose
All-purpose flour is the best overall choice for most ravioli recipes. With its blend of softness and structure, all-purpose flour can accommodate a variety of fillings and rolling methods. For beginner pasta makers, all-purpose flour is reliable and helps create tender yet sturdy ravioli.
Best for Hand Rolling: Bread Flour or Semolina
To shape ravioli by hand, you need a very strong and pliable dough. Bread flour and semolina flour both provide enough gluten strength to stretch the dough thin without tearing. The high protein content allows hand-rolled ravioli to maintain their ridges and seals.
Best for Machine Rolling: “00” Flour
For sheeted or stamped ravioli made with a pasta machine, finely milled “00” flour is my top choice. Since the dough isn’t stretched as much, you can get away with a lower protein flour. The soft “00” flour makes ravioli with the perfect tender, silky bite.
Best for Beginners: All-Purpose or “00” Flour
If you’re new to homemade pasta, stick with familiar all-purpose flour or Italian “00” flour. These two flours combine user-friendliness with decent gluten structure. As you hone your ravioli skills, you can experiment with semolina or bread flour for even better texture.
Best for Color: Semolina Flour
Semolina flour lends a lovely golden hue to fresh ravioli. The coarse grind of durum wheat makes pasta dough that looks as good as it tastes. Semolina also gives ravioli an authentic, rustic appearance.
Best for Flavor: Whole Wheat Flour
To enhance the flavor of your ravioli, substitute up to 30% of the white flour with whole wheat flour. The bran in whole wheat flour gives it an earthy, nutty taste. Just be sure to also use higher gluten flour to compensate for the lack of gluten in whole wheat.
Best Gluten-Free: Almond Flour or Chickpea Flour
For gluten-free ravioli, combine chickpea flour or almond flour with xanthan gum to mimic the strength of gluten development. The resulting pasta won’t be quite as firm, but these flours create a passable gluten-free ravioli.
Ravioli Flour Recommendations By Filling
The type of ravioli filling also factors into the best flour to use. Here are my recommendations based on typical ravioli fillings:
Filling | Recommended Flour |
---|---|
Cheese (ricotta, goat cheese) | Bread flour or All-purpose flour |
Meat (beef, pork, sausage) | Semolina flour or Bread flour |
Seafood (crab, shrimp, lobster) | Semolina flour or “00” flour |
Vegetables (spinach, butternut squash) | All-purpose flour |
Mushrooms | All-purpose flour or “00” flour |
As shown in the table, bread flour and semolina flour are great for bold fillings like cheese and meat that need more structure. All-purpose works well for vegetable fillings. Seafood and mushroom fillings pair nicely with soft “00” flour or semolina.
Tips for Making Ravioli with Recommended Flours
Once you’ve chosen the right flour for your ravioli, here are some tips for working with it:
- When using higher protein flours like semolina and bread flour, you may need to add an extra egg or oil to achieve the perfect pasta dough consistency.
- Allow dough made with semolina or whole wheat flour to rest longer before rolling it out, up to 1 hour, to fully hydrate the flour.
- Start with the middle range of flour called for in a recipe, then adjust up or down as needed based on dough texture.
- Knead dough thoroughly, for at least 10 minutes, when using high-gluten flours to develop the gluten.
- Don’t overwork lower protein doughs like “00” flour or dough made with alternative flours.
- Use a pasta machine when rolling out dough with all-purpose, “00”, whole wheat or gluten-free flours.
- Shape ravioli by hand if using bread or semolina flours which can withstand stretching.
- Handle ravioli gently when boiling if using soft or low-gluten flours so they don’t break apart.
Sample Ravioli Dough Recipes
To highlight the differences between flours, here are sample dough recipes for 3 varieties of homemade ravioli:
All-Purpose Ravioli Dough
Makes 1 lb pasta dough
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 large eggs
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- Combine flour and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center.
- Add eggs and oil to the well and lightly beat together using a fork.
- Gradually incorporate flour from the inner walls of the well until a shaggy dough forms.
- Turn out dough onto clean surface and knead for about 10 minutes until smooth, elastic dough forms.
- Wrap dough in plastic and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before rolling.
Semolina Ravioli Dough
Makes 1 lb pasta dough
- 1 cup semolina flour
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup warm water
- 3 large eggs
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- Whisk together the flours and salt in a mound on clean surface.
- Create a well in the center and add eggs, oil and water. Mix together with a fork until combined.
- Gradually mix in flour from the inside walls until a shaggy dough forms. Knead for 15 minutes.
- Form dough into a ball, coat with olive oil and let rest for 1 hour.
- Divide dough into 4 pieces before rolling out.
Gluten-Free Ravioli Dough
Makes 1 lb pasta dough
- 1 cup chickpea flour
- 1 cup tapioca flour
- 1/4 cup aquafaba (liquid from canned chickpeas)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
- 1 tsp salt
- In a bowl, whisk together the flours, xanthan gum and salt.
- Pour in aquafaba and olive oil and stir to form a shaggy dough.
- Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently for 2-3 minutes.
- Divide dough into 4 pieces. Use parchment paper when rolling out.
- Handle dough gently and boil ravioli for 1 minute only to avoid falling apart.
Conclusion
When making fresh ravioli, the flour you use is one of the most important ingredients. While all-purpose flour may work for most fillings, bread flour, semolina and “00” flour are better choices for certain types of ravioli. Consider the filling, desired texture, rolling method and your experience level when selecting a flour. With the right flour as the base, you can create flawless, homemade ravioli that rivals any gourmet restaurant.