Ravioli
Stuffed pasta of Italian origin, served in broth or sauce.
Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
Ravioli are a type of stuffed pasta comprising a filling enveloped in thin pasta dough. Usually served in broth or with a sauce, they originated as a traditional food in Italian cuisine. Ravioli are commonly square, though other forms are also used, including circular and semi-circular (mezzelune).
- type
- Stuffed pasta
- origin
- Italian cuisine
- earliest_mention
- 14th-century cookbook The Forme of Cury (as rauioles)
- common_shape
- Square, also circular and semi-circular
- typical_serving
- In broth or with a sauce
Lore & Background
Ravioli appear in the 14th-century cookbook The Forme of Cury under the name of rauioles. They are also mentioned in the personal letters of Francesco Datini, a merchant of Prato in the 14th century. In Venice, the mid-14th-century manuscript Libro per cuoco offers ravioli of green herbs blanched and minced, mixed with beaten egg and fresh cheese, simmered in broth and seasoned with 'sweet and strong spices'. In Rome, ravioli were already well known when Bartolomeo Scappi served them with boiled chicken to the papal conclave of 1549.
The etymology of the word ravioli is uncertain. It is sometimes connected to the northern Italian word rava, 'turnip', supposing that the filling was made of turnips, but the earliest recipes, even Lenten ones, do not include turnips. Another theory connects it to a kind of cheese (related to modern Italian robiola), but that also appears unlikely.
Traditionally, ravioli are made at home. The filling varies according to the area where they are prepared. In Rome and Latium, the filling is made with ricotta cheese, spinach, nutmeg and black pepper. In Sardinia, ravioli are filled with ricotta and grated lemon rind. In Campania, ravioli are generally round and filled with ricotta, and the pasta is usually made of water and flour, and sometimes eggs. Modern ravioli are also mass-produced by machine.
Reader's Guide
Ravioli are significant as a traditional Italian stuffed pasta that has spread worldwide, adapting to local ingredients and cuisines. In Europe and the United States, fresh-packed ravioli have several weeks of shelf life. Canned ravioli were pioneered by the Italian Army in the First World War and were popularized by Heinz and Buitoni in the UK and Europe, and Chef Boyardee in the United States. Canned ravioli may be filled with beef, processed cheese, chicken, or Italian sausage and served in a tomato, tomato-meat, or tomato-cheese sauce. Toasted ravioli (ravioli that have been breaded and deep-fried) was developed in St. Louis, Missouri, and is a popular appetizer and snack food.
Ravioli are commonly encountered in the cooking of Nice, the broader Côte d'Azur, and the surrounding regions in the south of France, where the contents vary greatly, including leftover daube meat. Miniaturized cheese-filled ravioli, locally called raviole du Dauphiné, are a specialty of the Drôme department in the Rhône-Alpes region. Ravioli filled with halloumi are a traditional pasta dish of Cypriot cuisine, boiled in chicken stock and served with grated halloumi and dried mint.
Similar dishes exist in other cultures: in Turkey, manti; in China, jiaozi or wonton; in India, gujhia (sweet, deep-fried); in Jewish cuisine, kreplach and calsones; in the Middle East, shishbarak; and in Argentina, sorrentinos. These variations demonstrate the global reach and adaptability of the ravioli concept.
Did You Know?
- Ravioli appear in the 14th-century cookbook The Forme of Cury under the name rauioles.
- The word ravioli may be connected to the northern Italian word rava, meaning 'turnip', but early recipes do not include turnips.
- Canned ravioli were pioneered by the Italian Army in the First World War.
- Toasted ravioli, breaded and deep-fried, was developed in St. Louis, Missouri.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Ravioli?
Ravioli is a stuffed pasta in which a filling is wrapped inside a thin sheet of pasta dough. It is a staple of Italian cooking and falls under the broader category of stuffed pastas.
Where did Ravioli originate and when were they first recorded?
Ravioli traces its roots to traditional Italian cuisine. The earliest known written reference appears in the 14th-century English cookbook The Forme of Cury, where the dish is listed under the name 'rauioles.'
What shapes can Ravioli be made in?
The classic and most common shape is square, but they are also produced in circular and semi-circular (mezzelune) forms.
How are Ravioli typically served?
They are most often cooked and then served in a broth or paired with a sauce, rather than eaten plain.
What sets Ravioli apart from other pasta types?
Unlike most pasta shapes that are simply extruded or rolled, Ravioli is defined by a filling sealed inside a thin pasta dough wrapper, making it a stuffed pasta rather than a plain one.
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