Name: Spinach and Ricotta Ravioli Filling
Ingredients: 15 oz cooked spinach (fresh, frozen, or canned); 1 lb ricotta or cottage cheese; ¾ cup fresh bread crumbs; ¼ cup Parmesan cheese; 2 tbsp fresh parsley , finely chopped; ¼ tsp salt; ⅛ tsp black pepper; ½ tsp grated or minced garlic; 1 egg

Why it works: Cottage cheese and parmesan cheese match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 213 recipes. Both carry ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, which smells fruity, apple. The science ↓

Spinach and Ricotta Ravioli Filling

Ingredients

Directions

Squeeze the spinach to remove excess water and place it in a mixing bowl.
Add the other ingredients and mix well with a fork.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

557Calories

42 gProtein

28 gFat

30 gCarbs

What these numbers assume: 10 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Ricotta Cheese	1/2 cup (124g) part-skim	174
Parmesan Cheese	1 oz (28g)	110
Cottage Cheese	1/2 cup (113g) 2%	98
Bread	1 slice (30g) white	79
Egg	1 large egg (50g)	78
Spinach	1 cup raw (30g)	7
Black Pepper	1 tsp ground (2.3g)	6
Garlic	1 clove (3g)	4
Parsley	1 tbsp chopped fresh (3.8g)	1
Salt	1 tsp (6g)	0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Wikibooks Cookbook.

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

Cottage cheese + parmesan cheesetop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together213 recipes

Shared aroma: ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).
Spinach + garlictop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together2,435 recipes

Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).
Parsley + peppertop 2% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together34,122 recipes

Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
Parsley + garlictop 4% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together9,308 recipes

Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
Spinach + parsleytop 5% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together1,025 recipes

Shared aroma: trans-2-hexenal (green, leafy).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Spinach: Provides bulk and earthy flavour; squeezing out water keeps the filling from becoming soggy.
Ricotta or cottage cheese: Supplies creamy moisture and body that binds the filling.
Fresh bread crumbs: Absorb excess moisture and help the filling hold its shape.
Parmesan cheese: Adds savory, salty flavour and some firmness when mixed in.
Egg: Acts as a binder that helps the filling set when cooked.

The step that matters

Squeezing the spinach. Spinach holds a large amount of water. If it is not squeezed dry, that water leaks into the ricotta mixture, making the filling loose and likely to tear or weaken the pasta.

Swap the garlic

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (spinach, cottage cheese, bread, parmesan cheese, parsley, pepper, egg):

Dillfits about as well
Celeryfits about as well
Garlicthe original
Nutmegfits about as well

Fit is the average pairing score against spinach, cottage cheese, bread, parmesan cheese, parsley, pepper, egg. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

Brown Bread461 recipes

Macaroni and Cheese102 recipes

White Bread80 recipes

Bread Omelette60 recipes

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Spinach and Ricotta Ravioli Filling