Ravioli 101: Is It Healthy Pasta?

Ravioli is a delicious Italian dish consisting of small pockets of pasta filled with a variety of cheeses, meats, and vegetables, often served with tomato sauce. It is made from durum wheat flour, an excellent source of complex carbohydrates, essential vitamins, and minerals.

Eating ravioli can quickly put you on the high side of your daily calorie allowance, as it is high in saturated fat and cholesterol. Although you can order ravioli at Italian restaurants, you can also make it at home. 

Ravioli is irresistibly delicious, but is it healthy? How many calories are in ravioli? Read on for a nutritional analysis of the stuffed pasta delicacy and whether it fits into a healthy diet.

What Is Ravioli?

Ravioli is a dish made from thin layers of pasta dough with fillings such as meat, vegetables, and cheese. The pasta sheet is made of flour egg dough rolled out and flattened into thin sheets that make the pasta pockets.

The dish is a popular Italian cuisine and is often served with tomato sauce or cream sauce. It is often served as a side dish or main meal. Ravioli comes in square or rectangular shapes and looks like little pasta pockets where the filling is added.

Canned ravioli is often high in fat, calories, and sodium and is unsuitable if you try to eat fewer calories and lose weight. Make healthy ravioli at home with healthy stuffing such as mushrooms, butternut squash, or vegetables.

3 Health Benefits of Ravioli

#1 Beneficial for muscle growth and repair

Ravioli stuffed with beef is an excellent source of high-quality protein that the body requires for muscle regeneration. Protein provides essential amino acids that are vital for muscle growth and repair. 

Healthy muscle mass helps with weight loss because muscles burn calories at rest and increase the body’s metabolism. Protein is also essential for healthy skin, hair, and nails and helps the body make essential enzymes and hormones needed for bodily functions.

Ravioli is also a good source of vitamin B6, which is essential in energy production.

#2 Keeps the digestive system healthy

Ravioli is made from durum wheat flour, which contains a good amount of dietary fiber essential for digestive health. Fiber lowers the risk of constipation and helps you have regular bowel movements.

Regular consumption of dietary fiber is seen to be protective against colon cancer because it reduces the time the stool stays in the gut and reduces the body’s integration with toxins that can trigger cancer.

Moreover, it is often served with tomato sauce made from tomatoes which contain a powerful antioxidant known as lycopene that reduces cancer risk.

#3 Maintains healthy bones and teeth

Ravioli is healthy because it contains a variety of cheese fillings with an impressive calcium content. Calcium is a vital nutrient for the development of strong bones and teeth.

You can eat ravioli with a smile because it is delicious and good for your teeth. Plus, a diet consisting of foods rich in calcium reduces the risk of osteoporosis.

3 Downsides of Ravioli

#1 Has too many calories

Ravioli can be healthy, but often, the cheese ravioli fillings contain too many calories that may lead to weight gain. Eating foods with many calories that may surpass the day’s allotted calories can make it difficult to lose weight since you need to be in a caloric deficit to lose weight.

#2 Unsuitable for heart health

Cheese ravioli is high in sodium and contains excess fat. Eating excess sodium in the diet interferes with the electrolyte balance and can cause bloating and high blood pressure. Ravioli with meat fillings are loaded with calories, saturated fat, and high cholesterol levels, which increases the risk of heart disease. Fat also increases inflammation which raises the risk of health issues.

#3 Contains too much sugar

Cheese ravioli is high in sugar. When you consume too much sugar, the body stores the excess in the body in the form of fat, which can lead to weight gain.

Consuming too much sugar can cause spikes in blood sugar levels and cause insulin resistance, leading to type 2 diabetes. Sugar also increases inflammation in the body, which is a precursor to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer.

Nutrition Facts of Ravioli

The table below breaks down the nutritional facts of canned cheese ravioli.

Nutritional value (per 100g)

Calories/Nutrient (per 100g)	Amount
Calories (kcal)	77
Net Carbs (g)	12.3
Fiber (g)	1.3
Sugar (g)	3.72
Fats (Total)	1.45
Protein (g)	2.48
Cholesterol (mg)	3

Source: https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/173328/nutrients 

Low in calories

Cheese ravioli is low in calories. It contains only 77kcal per 100g serving. However, the type of fillings and your portion size may also dictate how many calories you consume.

Low in fats

Cheese ravioli on its own without meat sauce or filling is low in fats. It contains only 1.45g per 100g serving.

High in carbs and sugars

Ravioli is rich in carbohydrates and sugars. A 100g serving of cheese ravioli contains 12.3g of carbs and 3.72g of sugars. Eating lots of carbs makes it harder for the body to burn fat.

Ravioli vs. Tortellini

	Ravioli	Tortellini
Origin	Italian	Italian
Shape	Square-shaped stuffed pasta	Ring-shaped stuffed pasta
Filling	Does not necessarily have a meat filling but often includes meat, cheese, seafood, and vegetables	Typically has a meat filling
Serving	Traditionally served in a rich meat broth with tomato sauce, butter, or cheese	Traditionally served in capon broth
Calories per 100g	77kcal	208kcal
Protein per 100g	2.48g	7.2g
Total fats per 100g	1.45g	3.6g
Net carbs per 100g	12.3g	35.2g
Sodium per 100g	306mg	312mg
Cholesterol per 100g	3mg	8mg

Source: https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/455855/nutrients

Healthy Ravioli Recipe

Ravioli makes a great base for marinated artichokes and a creamy lemon sauce.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Servings: 2

Ingredients

• 1 (14oz) jar artichoke, drained, reserving 1 tbsp oil
• 1 large leek, finely sliced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 3 tbsp cream cheese
• ½ cup fresh basil leaves
• Juice and zest of 1 lemon
• 1 (8.8oz) pack spinach and ricotta ravioli
• Parmesan cheese to serve (optional)

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, heat the artichoke oil. Add the garlic and leek, then fry for 5 minutes over medium heat or until the leek softens.
2. Add the artichokes, cream cheese, basil, and lemon zest and stir.  Season with salt and pepper to taste, and finish with a squeeze of lemon juice.
3. Meanwhile, cook the ravioli according to the package directions. Drain, then toss with the artichokes and cream cheese in the pan.
4. Garnish with grated parmesan, if desired.

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FAQs

Conclusion

Ravioli is a diverse type of pasta that you can use with any type of fillings of your choice. Cheese ravioli is a popular dish rich in macronutrients and essential vitamins such as vitamin B and minerals such as calcium. It is often served with a rich sauce such as crème or tomato sauce.

Most people believe ravioli is unhealthy because it is high in fat, calories, sodium, and sugar. But it depends on the type of filling and whether it is canned or homemade ravioli.

Ravioli can be ridiculously healthy if you eat it with vegetable fillings such as butternut squash and use healthy oil such as canola or olive oil.