Greek Salad Ravioli -- The Recipe That Carries Every Table Forward

The market continues its steady climb. I had 5 showings this week and 1 offers. My reputation precedes me now — the Greek agent who tells the truth about roofs and brings food to open houses. Worse reputations exist.

Mama called at 9 PM to tell me she sold out of baklava. She reported this with the urgency of a woman who considers every piece of information critical and every phone call an opportunity to also critique my cooking from forty miles away.

Mama is 83 and still at the bakery at 4 AM. I do not know how much longer she will do this. I do not ask. You do not ask Voula Papadopoulos about endings. You stand next to her and roll phyllo and trust that the beginning continues as long as the hands are moving.

I made spanakopita pie — the big slab, not triangles — because fall demands hot pie and hot pie is what spanakopita was born to be. The kitchen smelled like oregano and summer and I thought: this is what survives. Not the money or the stress or the arguments about phyllo. The food survives. The recipes survive. The love baked into every dish survives.

The house was quiet this evening. I sat at the kitchen table with a glass of wine and the remains of dinner and I thought about all the tables I have sat at — Mama's table in Tarpon Springs, the table in the South Tampa house I lost, the table in the apartment where I started over, this table where I have fed my children for years. Every table is a different chapter. The food connects them all.

The spanakopita was for the soul, but this Greek Salad Ravioli is what I make when I want to bring the whole table — every table, every chapter — into one bowl. It carries the same flavors Mama taught me: briny olives, sharp feta, bright herbs that smell like a Greek summer. It is not phyllo, but it is still ours. After an evening spent thinking about all the kitchens I have cooked in, I needed something that felt like a love letter to the food that connects them.

Greek Salad Ravioli

Prep Time: 30 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes | Total Time: 45 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and finely chopped
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, seeded and finely diced
• 1/4 cup English cucumber, finely diced
• 2 tablespoons red onion, finely minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried)
• 1 tablespoon fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Black pepper to taste
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, for finishing
• Fresh basil or oregano, for garnish

Instructions

1. Make the pasta dough. Mound the flour on a clean work surface and make a well in the center. Crack the eggs into the well, add the olive oil and salt, and beat lightly with a fork. Gradually incorporate the flour from the inner walls of the well until a shaggy dough forms. Knead by hand for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Wrap in plastic and rest at room temperature for 20 minutes.
2. Make the filling. In a medium bowl, combine the feta, olives, tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, oregano, parsley, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Season with black pepper. Stir gently to combine — the feta will bind the mixture. Taste and adjust seasoning. Refrigerate until ready to use.
3. Roll and cut the dough. Divide the rested dough into two equal portions. Using a pasta machine or rolling pin, roll each portion to about 1/16-inch thickness (setting 5 or 6 on most machines). Lightly flour as needed to prevent sticking.
4. Assemble the ravioli. Lay one sheet of pasta flat. Drop heaping teaspoons of filling about 1 1/2 inches apart across the surface. Brush the pasta around each mound lightly with water. Lay the second pasta sheet on top and press firmly around each mound to seal, pushing out any air pockets. Cut into individual ravioli using a knife or pastry wheel. Press edges to seal completely.
5. Cook the ravioli. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook ravioli in batches for 3–4 minutes, until they float and the pasta is tender. Remove with a slotted spoon.
6. Finish and serve. Arrange cooked ravioli on plates or a platter. Drizzle generously with extra-virgin olive oil, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, and garnish with fresh herbs. Serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 420 | Protein: 15g | Fat: 18g | Carbs: 50g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 680mg