Ravioli

After a long week of work, in Italy Sundays are usually spent with the family starting from mid morning till late evening.

In the morning, it’s common for families to attend mass at their local churches. After that the day is about enjoying a nice lunch and being together.

Sunday meals are typically more elaborated than the ones during the week.

For example, in the north you would find risottos and polenta, meanwhile in the south it’s common to make “pasta fresca” – homemade fresh pasta, and one of the Italian favourite dishes is Ravioli.

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Ravioli are often served with different types of sauces such as tomato sauce, pesto or simply made with butter and sage. Some Italian do enjoy ravioli in broth for a comforting dish.

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The filling of the pasta can vary by region and personal taste. The common ravioli are filled with ricotta cheese and spinach, but you also find ravioli with meat filling, typically used in Tuscany and known as “tortelli”, mushrooms, as well as more traditional choices like pumpkin or lobster.

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The first step to make ravioli is preparing the pasta dough, which consists in flour and eggs, kneaded together until you have a smooth dough. This is then rolled out into very thin sheets. Choose the filling you like best and place it onto a sheet of pasta. A second sheet of pasta is then laid over the top. The edges are pressed together to seal the pasta, making sure that the filling will not escape during cooking. To cut the ravioli there is a special cutter which gives them a decorative touch.

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After the ravioli are done, they can be cooked in hot boiling water for just a few minutes until they float to the surface, indicating they are ready.

Serve them with your favourite sauce and some grated cheese if needed.

Why not try this traditional dish yourself and enjoy the taste of Italian cuisine in your home!

Buona Domenica a tutti!