We tend to think of pasta as the ultimate convenience food, but homemade, handmade pasta is another animal entirely. This is more of the ultimate weekend project, an opportunity to really roll up your sleeves and use your whole kitchen, whether it’s kneading dough for a lasagne, rolling delicate gnocchi, or the precise work of shaping tortellini.
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RecipeLemon Ricotta Gnocchi
Light and lemony, this pasta would make a great first course or a light supper served with a salad. If you’re very ambitious, serve the gnocchi as a side with roast chicken or lamb chops. -
RecipePasta Grattugiata
Originally from Lazio, pasta grattugiata is an ancient and rustic preparation. The name literally translates as “grated pasta,” and it is simple to make. The ingredients are inexpensive and, like many rustic Italian dishes, the dish was created by the poor to utilize old or stale bread. It is served in broth to make a very savory and deeply comforting dish.
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RecipeSpinach Spätzli with Sage and Speck
This simple preparation is a staple in the alpine region of Italy. The few basics of butter, Parmigiano- Reggiano, and speck (a smoked and cured ham) are widely available, even during the winter months when fresh produce is sparse.
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RecipeButternut Squash Ravioli with Butter Sauce and Toasted Hazelnuts
Roasting the squash brings out its sweetness in these ethereal made-from-scratch ravioli. A simple butter sauce lets the flavors of the filling shine, with a touch of nuttiness and crunch from toasted hazelnuts.
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RecipeRoasted Beet Gnocchi with Brown Butter-Sage Sauce
These gnocchi have a subtle beet flavor that’s a little earthy and a little sweet. The simple brown butter sage sauce shows off the gnocchi’s vibrant hue.
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RecipeFour Cheese and Tomato Lasagne
This classic combination is rich and flavorful, but thanks to thin sheets of homemade pasta, it’s also light and delicate. Good luck eating just one piece.
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RecipeRaviolo Bergese (Egg-Yolk Raviolo)
In these impressive oversized ravioli, spinach and ricotta cheese are combined to make a border for the jumbo-size egg yolk that takes center stage. The pasta is cooked very gently, so the yolk is soft and runny when cut into, blending harmoniously with the butter sauce. -
RecipeTortellini en Brodo
This comforting dish of stuffed pasta in a hearty broth is a holiday tradition in northern Italy. It’s often served as a first course, followed by a pork or veal roast and lots of winter vegetables. Both the tortellini and the broth can be made ahead. -
RecipeSwiss Chard and Ricotta Ravioli with Lemon Brown Butter
The classic combination of Swiss chard and mild ricotta filling these delicate ravioli is accented by a little nutmeg and lemon zest; a nutty brown-butter sauce is simple enough that it lets the filling flavors shine. See the How to Make Ravioli article for step-by-step photos of making the dough and shaping and filling the pasta.
