Nettle ravioli with fondue

Name: Nettle ravioli with fondue
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 75 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: Type 00 flour 3 ¼ cups; Eggs (2 medium) 3.9 oz; Common nettles 3.5 oz; Water 3 ½ tbsp; Extra virgin olive oil 1 ¼ tbsp; Remilled durum wheat semolina to taste; Cow's milk ricotta cheese 1 ¼ cup; Parmigiano Reggiano PDO cheese grated ½ cup; Fine salt to taste; Black pepper to taste; Fontina cheese 0.73 lb; Fresh liquid cream 0.8 cup; Fine salt to taste; Black pepper to taste

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1044

Calories per serving

Vegetarian

Energy Kcal 1044
Carbohydrates g 93.5
of which sugars g 7.7
Protein g 49.8
Fats g 52.3
of which saturated fat g 27.2
Fiber g 4.1
Cholesterol mg 252
Sodium mg 1245

Difficulty: Difficult
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 15 min
Serving: 4
Cost: Average
Note + resting of the fresh pasta (about 30 minutes)

PRESENTATION

Ravioli with nettles is a delicious dish that screams springtime in Piedmont. I mean, the trick? Swapping out spinach for young, foraged nettles. Really fresh stuff. This gives the pasta a deep, vibrant green color and adds a slightly wild, earthy flavor you just don’t get from regular store greens. When you take a bite of these ravioli with nettles, the tender pasta and creamy ricotta come together in a way that’s both moist and super satisfying. Northern Italy really knows how to use local ingredients, so these ravioli always feel like they’re totally in season.

And look, the whole dish is finished with a cheese fondue sauce (fonduta)—which is super classic Piedmont, let me tell you—rich, silky, and packed with local cheese flavors. It’s not your everyday pasta with cheese; it's something a little more special. Seriously good. Thanks to those wild greens, everything just melts together on the plate. In Piedmont, homemade ravioli isn’t just a fancy treat; it’s what you make when nettles pop up in the fields.

This nettle ravioli recipe is a standout—not only because of its bright color but also for how it perfectly clings to that creamy sauce. Every bite is a really, really good mix of creamy cheese and just a hint of wild from the greens. Regional versions sometimes swap in different cheeses or maybe add a touch of nutmeg to the ricotta and nettle filling, so there’s always some variety—no question.

The kind of food that looks vivid and fresh, with a smell that’s rich and kinda grassy. When you’re in Piedmont during spring, dishes like this pop up on family tables and trattoria menus everywhere. For anyone who loves traditional Italian cuisine or wants to explore foraged greens recipes, this is worth trying. Really. It’s simple, a little bold, and tied to the flavors of Northern Italy. Using nettles adds an authentic touch—making it a dish that really comes from the region's unique culinary heritage.

INGREDIENTS

1044

Calories per serving

Ingredients for 35 ravioli: Type 00 flour 3 ¼ cups (400 g); Eggs 3.9 oz (110 g) - (2 medium); Common nettles 3.5 oz (100 g); Water 3 ½ tbsp (50 g); Extra virgin olive oil 1 ¼ tbsp (20 g); Remilled durum wheat semolina to taste

for the filling: Cow's milk ricotta cheese 1 ¼ cup (300 g); Parmigiano Reggiano PDO cheese ½ cup (50 g) - grated; Fine salt to taste; Black pepper to taste

for the fondue: Fontina cheese 0.73 lb (330 g); Fresh liquid cream 0.8 cup (200 g) -; Fine salt to taste; Black pepper to taste

Preparation

How to prepare Nettle ravioli with fondue

To prepare the nettle ravioli with fondue, first put on gloves to clean the nettles, protecting yourself from the stinging substance, and start removing the stems, keeping only the tips (you will obtain about 1.8 oz) 1; then wash them thoroughly by soaking them in fresh water multiple times 2, then drain them 3.

In a large pan, pour the oil, add the nettles 4, add the water 5 and cook for about 6 minutes, covering with the lid 6.

Once wilted, pour them into a tall mixer glass 7 and blend until you obtain a smooth puree 8; then let the puree drain 9

so the blended nettles lose excess liquid 10 and let them cool completely. Once cooled, weigh the flour 11 and pour it onto a work surface (you can hold back a bit on the recommended dose, to add as needed to achieve the ideal consistency for rolling), create a well and in the center pour the drained and completely cooled nettles 12

add the slightly beaten eggs and mix with a fork to start gathering the ingredients 13, then continue kneading by hand to obtain a smooth and elastic dough 14. Form a dough ball and wrap it in plastic wrap 15. Let rest for at least 30 minutes in a cool place.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Pour the ricotta into a small bowl and crumble it with a fork (if your ricotta has a lot of whey, you'll need to let it drain for at least 1 hour in the fridge placed in a sieve over a bowl), then add the grated cheese 16, salt and pepper to taste and mix all the ingredients 17. Keep the mixture aside in the fridge covered with plastic wrap, while you deal with the fresh pasta, which will have rested in the meantime. Divide the dough into 4 parts (those you are not working on immediately, keep covered with plastic wrap) and start rolling out the first piece, lightly floured with semolina flour, with the pasta machine 18: pass it through the rollers from the widest setting.

then fold the first strip obtained 19 and pass it through setting the machine to other measures up to the penultimate to obtain a sheet about 1/8 inch thick 20 which you will place on a surface lightly floured with semolina flour. Repeat the operation for another piece. Then take the filling from the fridge and with a teaspoon form small heaps of filling, placing them on one of the two rolled rectangles, spacing them about 1.5-2 inches apart 21

spray some water on the edges of the sheet, or if you prefer, brush around the heaps with a kitchen brush. This will help when you overlap the other sheet over the stuffed one 22, they will stick together. Match the edges and apply light pressure with your fingertips between the heaps of filling to eliminate air and prevent them from opening during cooking and the filling from spilling out 23. Now cut with a 2.5-inch diameter fluted pastry cutter 24. As you make them, place them on a tray lightly floured with semolina flour. You can also roll out the leftover dough again, form a ball and let it rest for at least 20 minutes before rolling it out again. With these amounts, you will get 35 ravioli of the indicated size. Gradually place them on a tray floured with semolina flour.

Set a pot with plenty of water on the stove to salt when boiling, which you will use to cook the ravioli later. Proceed to prepare the fondue: pour the cream 25 into a pot and bring to a boil, in the meantime cut the Fontina cheese into cubes 27 and stir to melt the Fontina over low heat.

salt and pepper 28, turn off the heat and transfer the fondue to a large pan (with the heat off) where you will then season the ravioli 29. Boil the ravioli in plenty of salted boiling water to taste, also cook the nettle ravioli in salted water for about 3-4 minutes 30,

once cooked, transfer them to the large pan where you poured the fondue 31, to toss them 32 turning them very gently with a slotted spoon to avoid breaking them. Serve the nettle ravioli with fondue hot 33!

Storage

It is recommended to cook the ravioli right after preparing them, alternatively, you can store them in the freezer for a few hours or up to 1 month maximum. To freeze them, proceed as follows: place the tray with the ravioli in the freezer for a couple of hours or until they are hardened. Then place them in freezer bags. When you want to use them, remove the freezer bag from the freezer and cook them in plenty of salted water still frozen. Once cooked and dressed with the fondue, they can be stored for up to one day.