Ravioli

Ravioli – little pillows of deliciousness – are a type of pasta consisting of two layers of thin pasta dough enveloping a filling. They’re often cut-square, but can be circular or semi-circular; served boiled, typically in pasta sauce or broth. Delizioso! 

Stemming back to the 14th century, the word itself – ravioli – is derived from the Italian word riavvolgere, meaning “to wrap”.

With traditional homemade ravioli, fillings are typically reflective of local areas. For example, in Rome this will often be a mix of ricotta cheese, spinach, nutmeg and black pepper; whereas in Sardinia, west of mainland Italy, expect a more likely combo of ricotta and grated lemon rind! 

While hard to beat homemade, their popularity sees them made on mass by machine, to be freshly packed or canned, and stocked extensively worldwide. One must get their pasta-fix in the modern world, after all.

We ate our ravioli in Rome, Italy; like expected, they were ricotta and spinach-filled.