main dishes sardinian

Sardinian Ravioli with Potato Filling

Handmade Sardinian ravioli filled with mashed potatoes, herbs, mint, and local cheese in tomato sauce. A rustic farmhouse primo.

Nut-Free
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Prep 40 min
Cook 25 min
Total 1h 5m
Servings 4
Difficulty Medium

Ingredients

Dough

Filling

Herbs

Seasoning

Serving

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Instructions

  1. Make the dough. Combine the flour, lard, egg, a pinch of salt, and enough warm water to form a smooth, firm dough. Knead for 5 minutes until elastic. Wrap in a cloth and let rest for at least 30 minutes.

  2. Prepare the filling. Melt the lard in a small pan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and the whole garlic clove. Cook until the onion is soft and translucent, then remove and discard the garlic clove.

    Tip: Discarding the garlic after it infuses the oil gives you a gentle garlic flavour without raw heat in the filling.

  3. Mash the boiled potatoes while still warm. Add the onion mixture, chopped mint, basil, parsley, grated cheese, salt, and pepper. Mix until the filling holds together when pressed.

  4. Roll and fill the ravioli. Roll the dough thin on a floured surface. Cut into rounds about 7 cm across using a glass or cutter. Place a spoonful of filling on one half of each round, fold over, and press the edges firmly to seal. Prick each raviolo once with a toothpick.

  5. Cook the ravioli. Bring a large pot of salted water to a gentle boil, not a rolling one. Drop the ravioli in and cook for about 10 minutes, until they float and the dough is tender.

    Tip: A gentle boil is important. Vigorous bubbling tears the seals open.

  6. Serve. Lift the ravioli out with a slotted spoon, transfer to warm plates, and spoon hot tomato sauce over the top. Pass more grated cheese at the table.

Storage & Meal Prep

Uncooked ravioli can be frozen on a floured tray, then transferred to a bag for up to 1 month. Cook from frozen, adding 2-3 minutes to the boiling time. Cooked ravioli keep for 1 day in the refrigerator.

Variations

  • With Ricotta Instead of Potato: Replace half the potato with fresh ricotta for a lighter, creamier filling. The herbs and mint stay the same.
  • Brown Butter and Sage: Skip the tomato sauce and dress the cooked ravioli with brown butter, crispy sage leaves, and a generous grating of pecorino.

FAQ

Can I use butter instead of lard?

Butter works in the filling but makes the dough less pliable. If you substitute butter for the lard in the dough, reduce the amount slightly and add a splash of olive oil to restore elasticity.

Why prick the ravioli with a toothpick?

A small hole lets steam escape during boiling so the filling does not push the seal open. One prick per raviolo is enough.

What cheese should I use?

Any dry, sharp grating cheese works. Pecorino sardo is the traditional choice, but pecorino romano or a young Parmigiano are practical alternatives outside Sardinia.

Interactive Nutrition Map

4 Servings

Customize Ingredients

Cheese
Pecorino Romano
84 g
Eggs
Egg (Large, Whole, Raw)
50 g
Vegetables
Potato (Yellow)
601 g
Onion (Yellow/White)
39 g
Garlic
3 g
Canned Whole Peeled Tomatoes
368 g
Grains & Bread
All-Purpose Flour
249 g
Oils & Fats
Lard (Strutto)
28 g
Lard (Strutto)
28 g
Herbs & Spices
Salt
1.5 g
Fresh Mint
5 g
Fresh Basil
1.5 g
Fresh Parsley
4 g
Salt
3 g
Black Pepper
0.5 g

Per Serving

493kcalCalories
19gProtein
82gCarbs
10gFat
7gFiber
Sodium
428mg19% DV
Potassium
1128mg24% DV
Calcium
319mg25% DV
Iron
5.7mg32% DV
Magnesium
77mg18% DV
Vitamin C
47.4mg53% DV
Vitamin A
88µg10% DV
Vitamin K
11.6µg10% DV
Folate
159µg40% DV
All-Purpose Flour
Lard (Strutto)
Egg (Large, Whole, Raw)
Salt
Potato (Yellow)
Lard (Strutto)
Pecorino Romano
Onion (Yellow/White)
Garlic
Fresh Mint
Fresh Basil
Fresh Parsley
Salt
Black Pepper
Canned Whole Peeled Tomatoes
* Nutrition is an estimate; actual values vary by ingredient brands and cooking methods. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

The Story Behind This Dish

Potato-filled ravioli are everyday food across inland Sardinia, where potatoes, herbs, and a bit of local cheese are always within reach and fresh pasta dough comes together in minutes. This is not a restaurant dish. It is farmhouse cooking, the kind of thing an inland family makes on a weekday when there is time to roll dough but not enough time for a slow braise.

The filling is straightforward: boiled potatoes mashed with sauteed onion, fresh mint, basil, parsley, and grated pecorino. The mint is what pushes this away from generic Italian ravioli and into Sardinian territory. It brightens the heavy potato and works with the tomato sauce in a way that basil alone does not.

The dough uses lard, not eggs alone. Lard in pasta dough is an older Sardinian habit that makes the dough more supple and easier to roll thin. The egg is still there, but the fat does the real work. If lard is hard to find, use a neutral cooking fat or olive oil.

Boil at a simmer, not a rolling boil. Handmade ravioli with soft dough seals are fragile. A vigorous boil pushes water into the seams and tears them open. A gentle simmer cooks the dough evenly and keeps the filling inside.

Serve the tomato sauce hot. Cold sauce on hot ravioli pulls the temperature down immediately. Warm the sauce in a separate pan while the water comes to temperature, so everything is ready at the same time.