The mouth-watering Italian Raviolo (more commonly known by its plural form: ravioli) is a pasta that consists of ricotta, cheese, and vegetables enveloped and sealed within a pasta dough and paired with either a tomato-or cream-based sauce. Originating from Italy, this food was incorporated into Italian cuisine as a member of the stuffed pasta category.
Typically folded into squares of filling and dough, and served with sauces or a broth, ravioli, unlike regular pasta or spaghetti, is eaten using a spoon in a deep-dish bowl. A close substitute for this food item is the tortellini, stuffed with meat and parmesan cheese, egg, and nutmeg. Tortellini are served in capon broth and can be sold fresh or made at home.
The stark difference between these two types of pasta is their shape: tortellini is usually ring-shaped, while ravioli are square-shaped. Besides this, ravioli are pillowed by two layers of pasta dough, whereas tortellini is folded like a hat, much akin to dumplings.
The word ravioli originates from the word ‘riavvolgere’, which is ‘to wrap’ in Italian. It is commonly served in two sizes, more miniature ravioli called raviolettes and larger ones called raviolini. Usually, ravioli is presented with a side dish of Italian bread, cipollini onions, broccoli rabe, polenta, asparagus wrapped in prosciutto, oven-roasted vegetables, or even an ordinary garlic bread. This delectable dish pairs with almost any cuisine, but the delicacy comes not without its exuberance in calories and blazing flame for your pants, i.e. burning your pockets!
This food should only be consumed at intervals for those watching their diet, as even a mere serving can complete an entire day’s calorie allowance. Besides this, ravioli are also expensive, but it’s the sauces and seasoning that come expensive, and the time, effort, and precision in cooking highlight the staggering flavours of this dish.