Ina Garten ravioli in brodo is the make ahead soup you want on a cold night. The broth holds five days in the fridge, so it doubles as an easy lunch or a fast family dinner. Cook the ravioli fresh the night you serve, then ladle the hot broth over them.
The Parmesan rind is what gives the broth its depth, so drop it in with the stock and pull it out before serving. Cook the ravioli in separate water, or they turn the soup cloudy and starchy.
Source: Go-To Dinners (2022)
Ina Garten Ravioli In Brodo
Course: SoupCuisine: American, ItalianDifficulty: Easy4
servings20
minutes35
minutes600
kcalA clear Italian broth simmered with onions, carrots, celery, and fennel, then ladled over tender cheese ravioli and finished with grated Parmesan, dill, and lemon.
Ingredients
Good olive oil
2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)
2 cups (½-inch-thick) diagonally sliced carrots, scrubbed (3 to 5 carrots) (see note)
1½ cups (½-inch) diced celery (3 ribs)
1½ cups (½-inch) diced fennel, top and core removed
8 cups simmering chicken stock, preferably homemade
1 Italian Parmesan cheese rind (about 2 × 3 inches)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound cheese ravioli, fresh or frozen
Freshly grated Italian Parmesan cheese, for serving
Minced fresh dill or parsley, for serving
Freshly squeezed lemon juice, for serving
Directions
- Build the broth: Heat ¼ cup of olive oil in a medium (10 to 11-inch) pot or Dutch oven, such as Le Creuset, over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery, and fennel and sauté for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened. Add the chicken stock, 2 cups water, the Parmesan rind, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, partially covered, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the Parmesan rind and taste the soup for seasonings.
- Cook the ravioli: Meanwhile, cook the ravioli in a large pot of boiling water with 2 tablespoons salt for 4 to 6 minutes (or according to the directions on the package), stirring occasionally. Drain and spread out on a plate so they don’t stick together.
- Serve: For serving, place the warm ravioli in large soup bowls and ladle the hot soup over them. Sprinkle with Parmesan, dill, and a squeeze of lemon and serve hot.
FAQs
Can I use store bought chicken stock?
You can, and plenty of people do. The recipe calls for homemade because the broth is most of the dish, so a thin store bought stock tastes flat. If that is what you have, buy a low sodium one and let the Parmesan rind do the heavy lifting.
What if I cannot find a Parmesan cheese rind?
Ask at the cheese counter, since most shops save rinds and sell them cheap. Without one the soup still works, but the broth loses its savory backbone. A small chunk of real Parmesan dropped in during the simmer gets you partway there.
How long does it keep, and can I freeze it?
Make the soup without the ravioli and it holds about five days in the fridge or up to six months in the freezer. Boil fresh ravioli the day you serve it. Ravioli left sitting in broth overnight go soft and bloated.
Can I make ravioli in brodo ahead for a dinner party?
That is what this soup is built for. Cook the vegetable and stock base a day or two early, then reheat it while your guests arrive. The ravioli need only 4 to 6 minutes, so drop them in boiling water right before everyone sits down.
What pot works best, and what goes wrong most often?
A medium 10 to 11 inch pot or Dutch oven is right, since it holds the stock and water with room to simmer. The mistake most people make is boiling the ravioli straight in the broth. All that starch clouds it, and a clear broth is half the appeal.
