Pan-Seared Haddock Spinach Ravioli
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
Handmade spinach pasta stuffed with diced haddock and ricotta, brightened with lemon zest. Served with asparagus and blistered cherry tomatoes tossed in a sage butter sauce. Fresh, earthy, with subtle citrus notes. The dough is tender but resilient, holding the filling well. Blanching spinach right before pureeing preserves vibrant green hues and flavor. Using smoked ricotta adds depth; alternatively, goat cheese works if unavailable. Sage butter finish gives an herbaceous punch with nutty richness. Timing the pasta cook by sight and feel avoids mushy or raw centers.
Prep:
Cook:
10 min
Total:
Servings:
5 servings
#spinach pasta
#seafood ravioli
#sage butter sauce
#blistered tomatoes
#French-Italian fusion
#handmade pasta
#ricotta filling
Fresh pasta and seafood.. a classic, but with a twist, making ravioli with spinach dough to keep things green and silky. Haddock adds a delicate sweetness; substitute cod or pollock if needed. Blanching spinach just right—too long and it’s dull, too short and fibrous—learnt that the hard way. The ricotta softens fish’s firmness, lemon zest perks it up. Rolling pasta thinner each pass until translucent, the tactile sense is key—too thick and it overwhelms the filling. too thin and it tears. Sage butter sauce is simple but essential: watching the butter foam then settle signals when to add asparagus—too soon they stew, too late they’re raw. Cooking ravioli in salted water, timing by floating plus 1 minute, backs off on mushy risk. Never toss pasta with hot butter on heat or it breaks. Gentle folding and adding cool butter off heat creates that glossy, luscious coat. Cherry tomatoes burst, boisterous pops that add aroma.
Ingredients
- 1 packet 210 g frozen spinach
- 900 ml water
- 4 eggs
- 6 ml salt
- 500 ml all-purpose flour
- Water about 10 ml as needed
- 150 g diced fresh haddock fillets
- 100 ml smoked ricotta
- Zest from 1 small lemon
- Salt and cracked black pepper
- 8 asparagus stalks trimmed and blanched
- 45 ml unsalted butter
- 20 cherry tomatoes halved
- 4 fresh sage leaves finely chopped
About the ingredients
Spinach works best fresh frozen but don’t thaw. Blanching draws out bitterness and preserves green. Use a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth to remove excess moisture—pasta too wet means sticky mess. Flour varies: high-protein flours make tougher dough, all-purpose balances tenderness. Eggs size affects dough hydration; small eggs? Add slightly more water. Ricotta should be good quality; store-bought often watery, drain with kitchen towel if needed so the filling doesn’t become runny. If no smoked ricotta, stir ½ tsp smoked paprika into plain ricotta for that hint of smokiness. Lemon zest brightens filling but avoid pith bitterness; zest before juicing. Asparagus season matters—a woody stalk ruins sauce texture; use firm fresh stalks and gently blanch just to tenderize. Butter should be unsalted so you control salt levels. Sage leaves finely chopped; fresh is non-negotiable here—dried sage overwhelms and turns bitter.
Method
Pasta dough
- Blanch spinach in boiling water about 45 seconds until bright green. Drain and shock under cold water fast. Wring tightly in a clean towel to remove moisture; this step critical or dough too wet.
- Pulse spinach, eggs, salt in blender to a smooth puree. Strain puree through fine mesh; discard any fibrous bits. Smoother dough and tender pasta; no stringy tough bits.
- In mixer bowl, mound flour then pour puree on top. Mix until dough barely forms a ball. Adjust with a teaspoon water or more flour until soft but not sticky. Knead by hand on floured surface 8–10 min till elastic and pliable. Wrap tight; rest 35 min minimum to relax gluten.
Filling
- Combine diced haddock, smoked ricotta, lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper. Keep chilled.
Assembling ravioli
- Cut dough into 1.5 cm slices, one at a time roll through pasta machine — start thickest setting, multiple passes gradually thinner till pale translucency. Flour lightly to prevent sticking.
- Cut sheet lengthwise down middle. Brush edge with water. Dollop 4 ml filling every 3.8 cm (1½ in) apart on one strip. Cover with other strip, press down gently around filling to seal air out.
- Use fluted pastry wheel or sharp knife to cut squares, pressing edges around filling for tight seal. Transfer to well-floured tray. If not cooking immediately, freeze on parchment then bag to prevent sticking.
Cooking ravioli
- Boil salted water vigorously; drop ravioli. When they float add 1 min, total 3 ½ to 4 min cooking. Pasta should be tender but filling hot through. Lift gently with slotted spoon, drain well; reserve 15 ml pasta water.
Sauce
- Slice asparagus tips lengthwise thin; cut stalks on bias into 5 mm slices.
- Melt half the butter in skillet until foam begins to subside, bubbles fine and shiny. Add asparagus and halved cherry tomatoes. Toss occasionally 3 to 4 min until tomatoes burst, asparagus tender but still crisp.
- Stir in sage and ravioli along with reserved cooking water. Off heat add remaining butter; coat pasta gently with sauce, glossy finish.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
Cooking tips
Blanch spinach precisely 40-50 seconds until vibrant green but still fresh-tasting; shock immediately to stop cooking. Wringing the spinach fully dry critical; skipping this causes soggy dough. When pureeing, get as smooth as possible - stringy leaves tear dough during rolling. Sifting puree through fine mesh smooths further but patience needed. Dough hydration key: slightly tacky but not sticky, like soft leather. Resting dough relaxes gluten, makes rolling thinner easier. Slice dough evenly for consistent sheets - uneven thickness ruins ravioli cooking balance. Roll pasta gradually from thick to very thin; less snap when thinner, indicating you’re near translucency. Don’t oversaturate dough with flour in process, just dusting to prevent sticking. Cut carefully, an uneven seal leads to bursting when boiled. Cook fresh ravioli in vigorously boiling salted water, gently swishing so they don’t stick bottom.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Blanch spinach exactly 40 to 50 seconds. Watch the color shift from dull to bright green — that’s the cue. Under or over blanching ruins taste. Shock in cold water immediately to halt cooking. Then wring fully dry; moisture spells soggy dough. Fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth helps squeeze out extra water; skip this and dough too wet leads to sticky mess. Got fibrous bits? Pulse puree more; stringy leaves tear pasta when rolling.
- 💡 Dough hydration tricky, varies by egg size and flour brand. Use all-purpose flour for balance; high-protein toughens the dough. Add small water increments as needed — just to make dough soft but not sticky. Knead 8 to 10 minutes for elasticity. Dough feels like soft leather, tacky but no sticking to hands or board. Rest minimum 30 minutes, longer better. Rest relaxes gluten, makes rolling easier and less spring-back. Woke dough bites back if rushed, learned that the hard way.
- 💡 Rolling spinach dough thinner takes patience. Start thickest setting on pasta machine. Multiple passes, slowly reduce thickness until pasta takes on pale translucency — tactile feel important here. Too thick overwhelms filling; too thin breaks and tears easily. Flour light dusting only; oversaturate and dough dries out. Slice dough evenly for consistent thickness; uneven sheets cook unevenly; no one wants raw pockets or mushy edges. Cut ravioli carefully; seal tightly or they burst during boiling.
- 💡 Cook ravioli in vigorously boiling salted water. Drop gently to avoid rupturing. When they float, start timer for additional one minute. Total 3½ to 4 minutes usually. Floating signals tender dough; extra minute cooks filling gently without mush. Lift ravioli carefully with slotted spoon or spatula to prevent tearing. Reserve some pasta water to add starch to sauce; helps coat pasta with glossy finish and binds butter better.
- 💡 Sage butter sauce delicate balance. Melt half the butter on medium-low until foam subsides, bubbles fine and shiny but not browned. Add asparagus and halved cherry tomatoes; toss occasionally; listen for gentle sizzle. Wait till tomatoes burst and asparagus just tender but still crisp. Off heat add remaining butter; fold gently to coat ravioli. Hot butter breaks sauce and dulls greens. Season last with salt and cracked pepper to balance acidity and richness. Serve immediately to keep textures bright and fresh.
Common questions
Can I substitute smoked ricotta?
Yes, goat cheese adds tartness. Also mix plain ricotta with smoked paprika (~½ tsp) for smoky hint. Texture changes, softer filling sometimes, so drain watery ricotta well beforehand. Stored chilled until assembly.
How to avoid soggy dough?
Spinach moisture main culprit. Blanch just right then wring tight. Strain puree through fine mesh to remove fibers and excess liquid. Dough tacky not sticky. Resting dough lets gluten relax; less sticky, easier rolling. Too wet means patchy dough tears and sticky sheets.
What if ravioli burst during boiling?
Usually poor sealing or dough too thin. Press edges firm; use water or egg wash for stronger seal. Slice carefully with fluted wheel or sharp knife, no jagged edges. Avoid overcrowding pot; drop ravioli gently and stir gently to prevent sticking or tearing.
Can I freeze ravioli?
Yes. Freeze individually on parchment to prevent sticking. Transfer to sealed bag or container for storage. Thaw briefly before boiling to prevent mushy texture. Freezing ok but separate pieces critical or cluster mess. Cook from frozen with extra cooking time if needed.
