National Ravioli Day -March 20

Northern Light

Lt. Colonel
Joined
Jul 21, 2014
The earliest known mention of ravioli appears in the writings of Francesco di Marco, a merchant of Prato in the 14th century.[1] 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".[2] In Tuscany, some of the earliest mentions of the dish come from the personal letters of Francesco di Marco Datini, a merchant of Prato in the 14th century. In Rome, ravioli were already well-known when Bartolomeo Scappi served them with boiled chicken to the papal conclave of 1549.[3]

Ravioli were already known in 14th century England, appearing in the Anglo-Norman vellum manuscript Forme of Cury under the name of rauioles.[1][4] Sicilian ravioli and Malta's ravjul may thus be older than North Italian ones. Maltese ravjul are stuffed with irkotta, the locally produced sheep's-milk ricotta, or with gbejna, the traditional fresh sheep's-milk cheese.
From Wikipedia

One of my favourite raviolis is Pumpkin with sauted pecans.

Pumpkin Ravioli with Sage and Toasted Hazelnuts
Recipe courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis
Yield: 4 servings

1/2 cup peeled hazelnuts (I prefer pecans)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 pound fresh pumpkin ravioli
1 stick unsalted butter
6 fresh sage leaves
Large pinch grated nutmeg
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
2 amaretti cookies

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spread hazelnuts onto a baking tray. Toast hazelnuts in oven until light golden brown and fragrant, about 5 to 7 minutes. Allow to cool completely. Coarsely chop the cooled hazelnuts and set aside.

In a 10 or 12-inch saute pan with high sides, bring 2 quarts of salted water to a boil. Add the vegetable oil to prevent the ravioli from sticking to one another. Add ravioli and cook for 4 minutes or until they float to the top. Using a spider strainer, carefully remove ravioli to a large platter and tent with foil to keep warm.

In a small saute pan, melt the butter. When butter is sizzling and starts to brown, tear sage leaves into the pan and fry for about 20 seconds. Remove from heat and stir in nutmeg. Pour butter sauce over ravioli and sprinkle with toasted hazelnuts. Grate amaretti cookies over the dish and serve immediately.
 
The Madrigallis used to get together every so often and make ravioli - fun times! The grandma was from Naples, and all the daughters and granddaughters would crowd into a little kitchen and spend hours on the sauce, the pasta, the stuffing. The men would hang out drinking wine and having a blast. It was good times - and all the Italian crooners were on the phonograph! Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin - all of them! :D
 
Toasted Ravioli

3 tablespoons cooked chicken, chopped
4 tablespoons cooked and drained spinach, chopped
2 tablespoons ricotta cheese
1 egg
2 tablespoons walnuts chopped
1 teaspoon fresh basil, finely chopped
salt and pepper
2 8 x 12 sheets of fresh pasta
1/4 cup flour
1 egg mixed with 2 tablespoons water
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
4 tablespoons olive oil for frying

Mix together the chicken, spinach, ricotta cheese, egg, walnuts, basil, and salt and pepper to taste.

Do not boil the pasta. Cut the pasta sheets into 2 to 2 1/2 inch squares. Place a teaspoon or so of the chicken mixture on each square. Cover and seal the edges with the tines of a fork. Dust the ravioli in the flour and dip into the eggs and water mixture. Mix together the bread crumbs, 1/4 cup Parmesan, parsley, and salt and pepper. Roll the filled ravioli in the mixture. Fry in olive oil until golden brown, about 5 to 7 minutes. Place fried ravioli in an oven proof baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

This makes 20 ravioli.
 
From this site - 14 facts to help you celebrate National Ravioli Day -

  1. The first mentions of Ravioli was in the 14th century.
  2. The word ravioli is from an old Italian word riavvolgere (“to wrap”)
  3. Canned ravioli was pioneered by Chef Boyardee in the 1930’s
  4. St. Louis, Missouri is where the toasted ravioli got its start.
  5. “Fresh” packed ravioli lasts up for several week while fresh made lasts for just a few days.
  6. Ravioli nudi, or “naked ravioli”, refers to simply the filling without the pasta shell.
  7. In Rome, ravioli were already well-known when Bartolomeo Scappi served them with boiled chicken to the papal conclave of 1549
  8. Canned ravioli was pioneered by the Italian Army in the First World War
  9. Italian tradition is to serve vegetarian ravioli, particularly on Fridays. Meats is served as a side or later in the meal.
  10. Ravioli appears in India, as a popular dish called Gujiya. Similar to ravioli, however it is prepared sweet, with a filing of dry fruits, sugar and a mixture of sweet spices, then deep fried in vegetable oil.
  11. Jewish cuisine has a similar dish called Kreplach, a pocket of meat or other filling covered by egg pasta.
  12. In Turkey, Mantı which is similar to ravioli is a popular dish. It is stuffed with spiced meat and served with paprika sauce and yoghurt
  13. A similar Middle Eastern dish called shishbarak contains pasta filled with minced beef meat and cooked in hot yogurt.
  14. Ravioli are commonly encountered in the cooking of Nice, the broader Côte d’Azur, and the surrounding regions in the south of France.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Back
Top