Ravioli facts for kids
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Ravioli with creamy sauce
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| Type | Pasta |
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| Place of origin | Italy |
| Region or state | Central Italy, Northern Italy |
| Main ingredients | Flour, eggs, water, filling |
Ravioli is a popular type of Italian pasta. It is made from two layers of pasta dough with a tasty filling in between. Think of them like little pasta pockets! There are many different kinds of ravioli, each with its own special filling. Common fillings include meat, vegetables, or ricotta cheese. People often enjoy ravioli with a delicious sauce or melted butter.
Contents
The History of Ravioli
Ravioli has been around for a very long time! The first time we know of ravioli being mentioned was in the 1300s. A merchant named Francesco di Marco Datini wrote about them in his letters.
In the mid-1300s, a cookbook from Venice called Libro per cuoco shared a recipe for ravioli. It described them as green herbs mixed with egg and fresh cheese. These were cooked in broth and seasoned with spices. Ravioli were also well-known in Rome by the mid-1500s. A famous chef named Bartolomeo Scappi even served them at an important meeting of church leaders in 1549.
Ravioli also made their way to England in the 1300s. They appeared in an old English cookbook called Forme of Cury under the name rauioles. Some people believe that ravioli from Sicily and Malta might even be older than those from Northern Italy. In Malta, ravjul are often filled with irkotta, which is a local sheep's-milk ricotta, or with gbejna, another traditional sheep's-milk cheese.
How Ravioli Are Made
Traditionally, people make ravioli at home. The filling changes depending on where they are made. For example, in Rome and Latium, the filling is usually made with ricotta cheese, spinach, nutmeg, and black pepper. In Sardinia, ravioli are filled with ricotta and grated lemon rind.
Today, many ravioli are also made in large factories using machines. This makes them available to more people.
Ravioli Around the World
In Europe and the United States, you can buy fresh ravioli that lasts for several weeks. Canned ravioli became popular during the First World War. Companies like Heinz and Buitoni in the UK and Europe, and Chef Boyardee in the United States, helped make them famous. Canned ravioli can have fillings like beef, cheese, chicken, or sausage. They are usually served in a tomato or cheese sauce.
In St. Louis, Missouri, there's a special kind of ravioli called Toasted ravioli. These are breaded and deep-fried, making them a popular snack or appetizer.
Ravioli are also common in the cooking of Nice, which is in the south of France. The fillings there can be very different. A unique type uses leftover meat from a stew called daube. In the Drôme area of France, tiny cheese-filled ravioli called "ravioles" are a specialty. They are often served baked with cheese on top.
Similar Dishes in Other Cultures
Many cultures have dishes similar to ravioli:
- In Turkey, there is a popular dish called Mantı. It is like ravioli, filled with spiced meat and served with a paprika sauce and yogurt.
- In China, dishes like jiaozi or wonton are similar.
- In India, a sweet dish called gujiya is like ravioli. It is filled with dry fruits, sugar, and spices, then deep fried. It's a popular food during festivals.
- Jewish cuisine has a dish called kreplach. These are pasta pockets filled with meat or other ingredients, cooked in chicken soup.
- A Middle Eastern dish called shishbarak has pasta filled with minced beef and cooked in hot yogurt.
See also
In Spanish: Ravioli para niños
