Ravioli, its filling for every palate: a tribute to the flavors of tradition

Square or round, vegetarian or not, ravioli conquer the gluttony of anyone, in Italy and abroad. Their simplicity proved successful centuries ago, considering that the first literary attestations of the word 'raviuolo' date back to 1100. Modernly, the drive for innovation and the search for difficulty has created numerous variations of the original recipe, both for the composition of the egg pasta used and for its content: tradition, however, always demonstrates its resilience and returns to the table with consistency, from generation to generation.

So let's see some recipes from our culinary scene, starting with the basics.

How do you prepare ravioli?

The first step is to choose the pasta to be used during the preparation: the most classic of choices, in this case, will fall on egg pasta, which will require 100g of 00 flour and one egg per person (with the addition of a pinch of salt). Once you have ascertained the quantities to be prepared, you will proceed to amass the flour in the shape of a small volcano, in the center of which the well-mixed eggs will be poured. We then proceed to knead everything evenly and evenly, working it with your hands until the desired consistency is obtained

By letting the dough rest, you can start preparing the filling, and then resume the interrupted work and roll out the dough with a rolling pin, in order to create a “sheet” of dough with an appropriate thickness (choose it carefully, according to your judgment). At this point, using a convenient mold or your manual skills, you can form squares, circles or even hearts out of filling dough, then closing them with a second layer of dough of the same geometric shape.

Time for filling: tastasal, parmesan

The tomato is a symbol of Italianness even though it comes from another continent, so much so we have been able to integrate it into almost every preparation, from tomato sauce for first courses to pizza, from second courses to side dishes. Combined with basil and other aromatic herbs, Italians' favorite red vegetable goes very well with a nice plate of ravioli stuffed with ricotta and cherry tomatoes, for a flavor with doubled goodness!

Parmigiano Reggiano is also a famous ingredient to be used as a juicy melted filling, to be combined with grated fresh cheese on top of the finished dish: preparing a cream of starch, salt and Parmigiano DOP is easy and you only have to refrain from tasting it with a spoon. To facilitate the use of the filling, simply refrigerate it and use it before it returns to room temperature, leaving at the time of final cooking the reveal of the true appearance of your very tasty

Finally, we offer you as a filling the so-called tastasale, a Veronese term that indicates the pasta of salami, sausages, suppresses and tartine and which in this case applies to the minced meat of Padano pork that Macelleria Fratton prepares with the addition of wild garlic — a real delight for a variant with a significant protein intake.

And you, which forms of dumpling do you prefer? And which fillings do you use most frequently? Let us know by tagging us on our social networks!

S&M