Italian tortellini dumplings with cheese: a simple, detailed recipe. Ravioli: what is it, the secrets of making Italian “dumplings” What do ravioli come with

Every Italian dish has its own flavor. Even ravioli recipes are so varied that you can surprise your loved ones with this dish almost every day! Unlike traditional dumplings, the dough of the product contains premium olive oil and eggs. Therefore, the finished dish has a golden color and rich taste.

Classic ravioli recipe with photo

Italian dumplings are made in square or triangular shapes. The dough is prepared according to the classic recipe! The filling can be anything: fish, meat, vegetable, cheese and even sweet! There are a lot of options for executing dishes. In original recipes, fresh spinach or herbs are added to the dough.

Ingredients:

Flour – 3.5 cups;
Eggs – 4 pieces;
Olive oil – ½ cup;
Salt to taste.

Method for preparing classic ravioli dough with step-by-step photos:

Sift flour into a bowl;
Make a hole in the middle, break eggs into it, add olive oil, a little salt;
Knead the dough well. It should be dense but elastic;
We form the dough into a ball, roll it up, wrap it in cling film and put it in the refrigerator to rest for a couple of hours;
Roll out the dough in the form of a loaf, cut off a layer and roll it out in a thin layer in the form of a square;
Arrange the filling in rows evenly spaced;
Cover with a second layer of dough;
Press the dough down from the sides and cut it into squares;
It is better to make the edge corrugated. To do this, you can use a special knife or simply press the dough with the tines of a fork.

The classic ravioli recipe is very simple. If you want to make the dish truly Italian, you should use cheese or salmon as a filling. The dough is kneaded according to the recipe indicated above.

How to cook ravioli with cheese

Ravioli is a type of pasta. Therefore, they pair perfectly with cheese. Better to use cheese durum varieties, but you can also work with curd varieties of the product. This dish will be more original if you add finely chopped spinach to the dough.

Ingredients:

Cheese – 200 grams;
Chicken yolks – 3 pieces;
Sweeped 20% fat - 1 tablespoon;
Cilantro - to taste.

Cooking method:

Grate the cheese on a coarse grater;
Mix cheese with sour cream, finely chopped herbs and egg yolks.

Original ravioli with salmon

Ravioli with red fish has a delicate taste. They are very filling, yet light. Therefore, they will be good for both lunch and dinner. The filling is very easy to prepare. It’s just important not to forget to add lemon juice, as it goes perfectly with fish.

Ingredients:

Salmon – 200 grams;
Lemon juice – 2 tablespoons;
Basil – 1 bunch;
Garlic – 1 clove;
Red onion – 1 medium head;
Olive oil – 1 tablespoon;
Salt to taste.

Cooking method:

Chop the salmon into small pieces with a knife. It is better not to turn the fillet through a meat grinder to make the dish more juicy;
Finely chop the basil and red onion;
In a bowl, mix salmon, basil, onion, add 2 tablespoons lemon juice, a spoonful of olive oil;
Squeeze a clove of garlic, add salt;
Knead the minced meat and leave for 15 minutes so that the ingredients can absorb each other’s aromas.

Sweet ravioli for dessert

Ravioli can also be a dessert dish if prepared with sweet filling. At the same time, they are not boiled, but fried in boiling olive oil. Before serving, sprinkle the dish with powdered sugar or grated chocolate.

Ingredients:

Ricotta cheese – 350 grams;
Sugar – 2 tablespoons;
Cinnamon – ¼ teaspoon;
Zest of half a lemon;
Black rum – 1 tablespoon. You can do without it if the dish is being prepared for children.

Cooking method:

Grate the lemon zest on a fine grater;
Mix all the components together;
The ravioli is dipped in boiling oil and fried until golden brown.

Ravioli is usually prepared in the oven, boiled, fried! There are many interesting fillings and cooking methods. Therefore, the dish will always be original and unusual!

You will need literally an hour of time to prepare amazing ravioli at home. Prepare the recipe with photos for dinner for two. If the company is larger, increase the proportions indicated below.

You need:

4 glasses;
3 eggs;
4-6 tbsp. l. olive oil;
2 tbsp. l. water;
200 gr. ground beef;
200 gr. minced pork;
5 cloves of garlic;
21 tsp. nutmeg;
A pinch of ground pepper;
4 tbsp. l. spinach;
12 tbsp. l. grated Adyghe cheese;
12 tbsp. l. grated cheese;
50 gr. butter;
7-10 sprigs of parsley;
1 tbsp. l. chopped green onions.

How to cook:

Prepare a bowl in which it is convenient to knead the ravioli dough. Recipe with photo step-by-step preparation start with eggs. Break 2 eggs into a bowl, add salt, mix with a fork.
Add olive oil, stir.
Gradually add flour, knead the dough, adding a little water. Use cold water.
Form a homogeneous mass, knead it into a tight dough.
Wrap the ball in cling film and reserve the ravioli dough until you prepare the filling. The recipe includes ready-made minced pork and beef. Mix them, heat a frying pan with 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil.
Place the minced pork and beef in a frying pan and fry.
Peel the garlic, chop finely with a knife. Add chopped garlic to the minced meat. Lightly fry the contents of the pan.
Add salt, pepper, grated nutmeg, and mix the filling onto the ravioli. At home, the recipe with photos is prepared quite quickly. All processes are well known to any housewife.
Transfer the contents of the pan to a bowl and leave to cool slightly.
During this time, grate 2 types of cheese and measure the required amount.
Chop the spinach and add to the minced meat.
Add grated cheese, break 1 egg, mix the filling.
Divide the dough into 4 equal parts.
Using your hands, shape each ravioli piece into a rectangular shape. Recipe with photos step by step
then continue with shaping. Roll each part into a thin strip, about 10 cm wide.
Dust the surface with flour and lay out strips of dough. Place the filling on two of them in small portions. The distance between portions of the filling should be no more than 3-4 cm.
Cover the strips with fillings with other strips that are left without filling. Place the side of the ravioli dough that is not in contact with the flour sprinkled on the surface.
Press the dough around each portion of filling.
Divide the ravioli portions using a pastry cutter or whatever you are comfortable with. Cut so that the sides around the filling are 1 cm wide. Repeat the procedure with each strip.
Dust the ravioli with flour and leave to dry slightly.
Prepare the cooking water: place a saucepan with about 1.5 liters. water.
Salt the water and bring to a boil.
Add 2 tbsp to boiling water. l. olive oil, discard all the ravioli. The recipe with photos of cooking step by step is simple. Boil until portions float to the surface.
Then drain in a colander or carefully remove with a slotted spoon.
While the ravioli is cooking, prepare the dressing. Heat the oil in a saucepan (50 g), add 2 tbsp. l. olive oil, 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped. Season with salt and add a pinch of ground pepper. Keep on the fire for just a minute, add chopped parsley, then green onions and turn off.
Place the ravioli in a deep bowl, pour over the prepared dressing, stir and serve hot.

If you do not eat meat products, prepare ravioli with mushrooms. The recipe with photos is very easy to prepare step by step. Use any mushrooms you have. Cooking is faster with champignons. It is important to properly prepare wild mushrooms before use.

You need:

300 gr. durum wheat flour;
3 eggs;
1.5 tbsp. l. sunflower oil;
Salt pepper;
400 gr. mushrooms;
50 gr. butter;
100 gr. onions;
1 separate egg for brushing strips.

How to cook:

Knead the ravioli dough. The recipe is quick to prepare: sift the flour in a heap.
Make a hole and break the eggs into it. Season with salt and add sunflower oil.
Knead the dough. Knead on the counter for a few minutes or use a food machine.
Wrap the finished dough in film and leave it on the table.
For the filling, peel and wash the mushrooms. Boil (if wild) for 20 minutes or as long as required by the type of mushroom you are using.
Drain in a colander, then chop finely.
Peel the onion and cut into small cubes.
Fry the onions, add the mushrooms, fry the filling together on ravioli at home. The recipe with photos of mushrooms does not include spices. Add the ones you like. The best is salt, pepper, and a little ground bay leaf.
Transfer the filling to a plate and leave to cool.
Divide the ravioli dough into 2 equal parts. The recipe is prepared from thin dough, but the width of the strips should be about 8-10 cm.
In small mounds with even indentations, spread the filling along the entire length.
Break the egg into a bowl and beat it with a fork.
Using a pastry brush, brush the parts of the dough without the filling.
Place the second strip directly on top of the first.
Press the dough around the filling with your fingers and cut the ravioli into portions.

With soft cheese and herbs you get very tasty ravioli. The recipe with step-by-step preparation photos is different from the previous ones. Here the portions will be fried in olive oil. You will definitely like the appetizing crust and tenderness of the cheese filling.

You will need:

Dough for ravioli according to the first or second recipe;
150 gr. soft cheese;
500 gr. spinach;
1 tbsp. l. butter;
150 gr. onions;
Nutmeg, pepper, salt to taste;
Olive oil for frying.

How to cook:

Mix the ravioli dough according to the recipe above. Wrap the ball in film and place it on the table.
Cut the onion into small cubes.
Heat a frying pan with butter.
Place the onion in the oil and simmer until half cooked.
Chop the spinach and add to the onion.
Turn off the heat, add spices and cheese.
Transfer the filling to a bowl and start cutting the dough.
Divide into 2 equal parts. Roll out each thinly to a width of 8-10 cm.
Place a teaspoon of filling at 4cm intervals.

No matter how attractive the classics are, for domestic tables it is more common to taste dumplings with meat. We bring to your attention a recipe for ravioli with mixed meat filling. However, you have the right to choose the type of content at your discretion.

Required ingredients:

for test

Wheat flour – 300 g;
Eggs – 3 pcs.;
Semolina for sprinkling.

For filling

Fried beef – 150 g;
Boiled beef – 70 g;
Ham – 30 g;
Boiled sausage – 30 g;
Egg – 1 pc.;
Grated hard cheese (Parmesan) – 40 g;
Nutmeg - a pinch;
Salt to taste.

for filing

Tomato sauce (ketchup) – 400 g.

The procedure for preparing dough for ravioli with meat does not differ from that described above. Therefore, let’s move straight to the stage of forming the filling. To do this, cut all the meat, ham and sausage into slices. Add ½ part of grated cheese, egg, nutmeg and salt. Mix well.

We form ravioli with meat in the same way as given in the classic recipe. Spread the filling with a spoon.

Cook in salted boiling water for about 10 minutes. To serve, season the hot dish with tomato sauce and the remaining hard cheese.

Calorie content and benefits

It is not surprising that it is very popular in Italy classic recipe ravioli. After all, 100 g of such a dish contains only 149 kcal, which consist of:

Proteins – 8.9 g;
Fats – 5.5 g;
Carbohydrates – 17.1 g.

Ricotta is an excellent source of calcium, which promotes healthy bones and teeth and is involved in important processes. human body. Spinach is a treasure trove dietary fiber, helping the proper functioning of the digestive system.

But, with all the advantages, do not forget about the cholesterol content in the food (58.2 mg per 100 g). Therefore, people who have problems with excess weight and excess cholesterol levels should consult a doctor before enjoying the Italian delicacy.

The total calorie content of other types of ravioli depends almost entirely on the type of filling. Large nutritional value carry meat variants, smaller ones – fish and vegetable ones.

The article about “foreign dumplings” smoothly came to an end. We hope you now dare to add a little bit of Italy to your kitchen. Live openly, love secretly, cook with joy and remember: “You can live on decoctions for a very long time if you boil ravioli!”

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Decided to tinker with the dough? All that remains is to choose what to make: dumplings or dumplings. But there is also a third option. We offer to diversify your menu and let the rays of the Italian sun into your kitchen. We bring to your attention a recipe for ravioli - a dish that all Italians idolize.

What is ravioli?

It is generally accepted that this creation belongs to Italian cooking. But in fact, their homeland is China. It’s just that over 8 centuries they have become so loved by all the inhabitants of Italy that they have become an indispensable delicacy at their family dinner. For Italians, this is pasta, which is prepared with a variety of fillings.

It is prepared so often that a ravioli maker is a must-have in every housewife’s kitchen. For these purposes, we use a ravioli noodle cutter, which necessarily includes an attachment that gives the product the desired shape. But believe me, it won’t be too difficult for you to sculpt them by hand without any fancy devices. And don’t let the masterpieces in the photos confuse you. In fact, everything is very simple. This article will tell you how to prepare ravioli at home.

Meat squares “Nourishing hello”

Culinary historians believe that ravioli are the nephews of our dumplings. In principle, this is true. But if the filling is with meat, then it’s ravioli dumplings. To make hearty dumplings you need:

For the test:

2 cups whole grain flour;
3 domestic eggs;
4 tbsp. spoons of water;
20 g olive oil;
salt to taste.

For the hearty filling:

300 g beef;
100 g spinach;
1 pinch of ground nutmeg;
some green onion feathers;

For watering:

350 g peeled tomatoes;
2-3 cloves of garlic;
40 g olive oil;
40 g butter;
1 red salad onion;
a bunch of fresh basil;
salt, ground black pepper to taste.

Let's start cooking with a flour base:

Whisk the eggs with salt. Add olive oil and water there. Mix everything.
Pour the mixed liquid into the sifted flour, in which we first make a funnel. Wrap the kneaded plastic mass in film and leave for 30 minutes.
In the meantime, we can start making the filling. To do this, grind the meat and spinach using a blender or meat grinder.
Add a pinch of nutmeg powder and finely chopped green onions to this mass, mix with salt and pepper. We can start preparing the ravioli.
Punch down the dough and roll out thinly into two layers.
On the first one, we arrange the meat filling with an interval of 2 centimeters. We moisten the free space around the meat with water. Cover with a second layer and roll with a rolling pin.
Cut the stuffed layers into squares. You can decorate the edges using a fork (just press down the edges with it). Let them sit for a while.
Let's start preparing the sauce. Chop onion and garlic. In a deep bowl, mix butter and olive oil. Add the garlic and onion mixture here and fry it over low heat.
Rub the tomatoes through a sieve and add to the saucepan. Mix everything well, improve the taste with salt and pepper. Throw in the finely chopped basil and cook until thickened.
Cook the hearty dumplings in salted water for about 9-10 minutes.
Place them in a deep fireproof bowl, pour in tomato sauce and place in a preheated oven for 7-10 minutes. When serving, do not forget to decorate the dish with a sprig of aromatic herbs.

Pasta stuffed with ricotta “Simple Miracle”

The main reason for the popularity of this dish is the huge number of different fillings. A favorite among which is (which you can also cook yourself).

For ravioli with ricotta we will need the following set of products:

For the base:

1 thin cup of flour with a slide;
10 ml olive oil;
10 ml water;
5 grams of salt;
2 medium sized eggs.

For the filling you will need:

2 shallots;
450 grams of ricotta;
2 testicles;
5-6 sun-dried tomatoes;
100 grams of pine nuts;
a bunch of fresh basil;
salt and pepper on the tip of a knife.

To water and decorate the finished delicacy we take:

100 grams of butter;
some mint leaves;
a few sun-dried tomatoes.

Of course, the main part of the dish is the ravioli dough. Let's prepare it like this:

Sift the flour in a heap and make a funnel in the middle.
Pour the eggs, shaken with salt, into this cavity and add butter. We begin to knead this mixture, adding flour little by little.
When it becomes difficult to knead, add some water and continue kneading. It is considered ready when it does not stick to your hands. We make a ball out of it and wrap it in cling film, put it in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.

Step-by-step classic recipe for making ricotta filling:

Fry finely chopped shallots in butter until transparent. Add chopped pine nuts, mix and let cool.
Mix ricotta with finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes, beaten eggs and chopped basil.
Add the chilled onion with pine nuts. Season it all with salt and pepper.

Now we can form our dumplings. To do this, we need a round mold for cutting out flat cakes (a narrow glass will do). Divide the cooled ball into several parts, roll each one out thinly and use a mold to cut out identical circles. Place the filling in the middle, cover with a second circle and pinch the edges nicely. Boil our circles in boiling salted water for 6-8 minutes.

Before serving, thoroughly pour our miracle with melted butter. Decorate with mint leaves and sun-dried tomato slices. It turned out beautiful and tasty.

Assorted Color Extravaganza

This dish is suitable for those who cannot choose one type of filling. It perfectly combines ravioli with cheese and ravioli with mushrooms. In order to make this masterpiece you need:

For the dough for 4 servings:

4 cups flour;
2 large domestic eggs;
16 ml olive oil;
16 ml water;
150 grams of spinach;
1 heaped teaspoon of turmeric;
1 half teaspoon salt.

For the cheese part:

75-100 grams of grated cheese (preferably Parmesan);
a bunch of basil leaves.

For the mushroom part:

250-300 grams of champignons (can be replaced with oyster mushrooms);
3 tbsp. spoons of olive (or butter) butter;
a pinch of rosemary and thyme;
salt and ground black pepper to taste.

For watering:

150 grams of butter;
1 bunch of dill.

It’s best to start cooking with the mushroom part of our Varenets:

We carefully wash the mushrooms, dry them and cut them into medium-sized slices.
Heat the butter in a frying pan, add rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper. As soon as the subtle aroma of spices appears, add the prepared mushrooms to the pan.
Fry them until golden brown and let them cool.
Transfer the cooled mushrooms into a blender bowl and grind them. Pour the resulting mixture into a bowl and let it brew. Now we can start preparing our dough. Ours will be unusual: bright yellow and green. In order to get the green color, we will make the dough with spinach.
Pour boiling water over the spinach and puree it.
Mix half the products into a plastic mass, adding green puree to it. Mix thoroughly. We put the green “bun” in a bag and put it in the refrigerator for half an hour.
We get a bright yellow color thanks to the addition of turmeric. To do this, mix the remaining flour with bright spice. Add all the ingredients and knead the yellow “ball”, which we also put in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
Now you can prepare the cheese part of the filling. We take the cheese and simply grate it on a coarse grater, and wash and dry the green leaves. All our components are ready and we can start sculpting. Let's make them in the form of triangles and crescents.
For the cheese triangle, roll out two thin green bases. Place grated cheese and a leaf of aromatic herb on the first layer at a distance of 2.5 centimeters, cover with the second layer, having previously lubricated the free spaces with lightly salted water. Let's go over them with a rolling pin. Then we cut out the triangles and decorate the edges with a fork.
For the mushroom dumpling, roll out the yellow cone thinly and cut out circles using a mold. Place the mushroom stuffing in the middle and seal the edges nicely.
Now all that remains is to boil our figures in salted boiling water (about 10 minutes). Pour the finished ravioli with melted butter and sprinkle with chopped dill. The dish turns out very tasty and aromatic.

Having prepared at least one of the proposed recipes, you will understand that homemade ravioli is a worthy tasty replacement for traditional dumplings. The main thing is to choose a tasty sauce.

Video: Ravioli with ricotta from an Italian chef

Tortellini is Italian recipe delicious snack. To be more accurate, this dish is most often eaten at Christmas as an appetizer. But depending on the filling, tortellini can be called a full-fledged dish, an appetizer, or even a dessert. This is what is good about Italian cuisine. If we remember cannelloni, they can also be prepared with both meat and sweet fillings. Lasagna also doesn’t get by with just one meat variation of the recipe. In general, it is worth noting that tortellini are a kind of homemade dumplings. The only thing that distinguishes them from our Russian dumplings is the composition of the dough, the shape and, of course, the most varied filling. Usually some meat option is chosen, and the type of meat is not limited in any way. But we have prepared a completely different recipe for today.

Our recipe is tortellini with cheese. It uses cheese instead of any meat filling. We simply take several types of cheese, mix them together and add them inside the dough. As you can see, preparing this is quite simple. You need to take good, expensive cheeses that are associated with Italy. To diversify this dish, people also prepare some Italian sauces. But at this point you need to understand what goes with what. Although everyone's tastes are different, so if you want, you can prepare some of your favorite sauce. We will not describe it in the recipe; everyone will choose something they like for themselves. Well, the sauce is completely optional, you can enjoy the pure taste of the dish. What do you need to cook it deliciously?

Ingredients needed to make tortellini:

wheat flour - 500 grams;
chicken egg - 5 pieces;
ricotta cheese - 200 grams;
Parmesan cheese - 50 grams;
any cheese - 50 grams;
pepper;
salt.

As you may have noticed, there are few ingredients, only seven pieces. But minimalism is the key to everything good taste. Separately, it is worth mentioning the filling and its components. Well, absolutely everyone knows Parmesan cheese. His fame spread long ago beyond the borders of Italy. He has even become a kind of personification of her. Perhaps less well known is ricotta cheese. Or rather, it’s not even really cheese, because the technology for its preparation differs from ordinary cheese. It is not made from milk, but from mozzarella whey. But this is also a famous Italian product. The last ingredient in our filling is some nameless cheese. You can take it any way you like, give preference to what you like. The main thing is that it melts freely and does not remain in the filling in lumps. Okay, let's start cooking!

The first stage of preparation - preparing the dough

Great attention must be paid to its production. If you are not ready to tinker with the dough and knead it thoroughly, then don’t even try this recipe. Although the ingredients are not as complex as yeast, for example. But it’s really difficult to knead it well. Although thanks to the eggs it is still more pliable than regular water dough. Everything will work out much easier if you have a good food processor. They have several special dough attachments that will make your job much easier. Firstly, you won't put in any physical effort yourself. Secondly, the dough will knead much faster.

So, the dough contains only two ingredients - flour and eggs. You don’t even need to salt it, because tortellini is distinguished by its unleavened dough. Therefore, the recipe is the simplest you can imagine. You need to sift the flour. To do this, use any method convenient for you. Just shake it through a sieve or through a special device for sifting flour. If you do this in a food processor, then in the food processor bowl, if using your hands, then simply form a mound with a depression in the center on a clean table surface.

It's better to beat the eggs separately. Please note that we do not use all 5 eggs, but only 4. And then be careful. They may be too large, then you will need much less of them. In any case, beat them all just so that the yolk and white are mixed together. Pour in the egg a little at a time until the dough no longer consists of separate lumps, but merges together.

After this, you need to knead the dough well for about twenty minutes. If you do this using mechanization, it will take half as much time. As a result, the dough should become quite elastic. It is not appropriate for it to stick to your hands and crack. If it sticks to your hands, then add more flour. If it's cracking and you've already used all the beaten eggs, you can moisten it with a little olive oil. Afterwards, you should put it in a cool place for about an hour to let it brew.

The second stage of preparation - preparing the filling

In our recipe, by the way, it consists not only of three types of cheese, but also the link that connects them - eggs. There's not much to say here. You just need to grate all the cheeses on the smallest grater and mix together. To bind, add one egg, mix everything again. And season everything well to taste. This concludes the preparation of our simplest filling. Let's move on.

The third stage of preparation - forming the tortellini

Now comes the most critical stage of the entire preparation of the dish. It may even be the longest. And to reduce his time, call the whole family and let them help you sculpt the tortellini. But before you start making them, you need to finally prepare the dough. Namely, it needs to be rolled out well. The thinner the better. It is better to achieve a thickness of 2–3 millimeters.

The rolled out dough should be divided into small circles, about five centimeters in diameter. Use a mold or a suitable glass or glass to make the circles as quickly and evenly as possible. After all, we need tortellini of the same size. When absolutely all the dough is divided into circles, we begin modeling.

The manufacturing technology is simple. We put a little filling in the very middle. Then we fold everything in half and seal the edges to make a dumpling like this. Now we fasten the ends of our dumplings to make a kind of dumpling. Seal all the edges very well so that not a single hole remains. We have a cheese filling that will melt. And it is very undesirable for it to later spill into the water.

The fourth stage of preparation - we begin to prepare the dish

The recipe comes to its own logical conclusion, it’s time to finally cook the tortellini. This happens in the same way as with regular dumplings. Bring the water to a boil and place our Italian dumplings in it. You also need to cook, we just wait until they float to the surface. After this, you can catch them and immediately serve them to the table.

Don't forget that you can make any sauce for this dish. Although you can do without it. Tortellini is delicious in any form, like all Italian food.

This concludes the tortellini recipe. Now you know how to properly cook delicious Italian dumplings. Share this recipe with your friends, cook it yourself and enjoy. Bon appetit and good luck!

Italian ravioli is mistakenly considered a variant of dumplings or dumplings, but the Italians themselves call this dish a type of pasta, because it contains more dough than filling. If you haven’t tried cooking this dish yet, we recommend doing a little culinary experiment in the kitchen and surprising your loved ones with unusual Italian dumplings. Today we will learn how to cook ravioli at home. Maybe there are some secrets?

Why not dumplings?

Ravioli can hardly be called dumplings - the difference between these products is very big! The ravioli dough must be mixed with eggs and vegetable oil, and dumplings can be prepared using regular unleavened dough. In addition, dumplings are molded by hand (at least we are advised to strive for this), and special molds are used to prepare ravioli. In good dumplings, the dough is rolled out thinly and more filling is added. With ravioli it's exactly the opposite! The thicker the dough and the less filling, the tastier it tastes for Italians. Oh, this mysterious Italian soul...

And by the way, it’s customary to boil dumplings, but they do everything with ravioli - bake, fry, boil! And most importantly, the variety of tastes is amazing. Traditional dumplings offer us only two tastes - meat and fish, everything else is dumplings. Fillings for ravioli can be different - meat, fish, seafood, vegetables, fruits, cheese and whatever you want. When you have the opportunity to show imagination and ingenuity in the process of preparing a dish, this is always a plus!

Historical reference

The most interesting thing is that ravioli came to Italy in the same way as dumplings came to Russia - from China. It is no longer a secret that many culinary novelties came to us along the Great Silk Road. As for Italian dumplings, this dish was first mentioned in the 13th century in the memoirs of traders visiting Italy. And if we take into account that tomatoes were brought into the country a little later, it becomes clear that the first ravioli were served without tomato sauce.

The Italians considered this dish to be Sicilian and did not associate its appearance with China. One of the reasons is that in southern Europe, wheat was grown in Sicily, so the appearance of dough products was attributed to Sicilian cooks. This dish once graced the festive tables of the richest Italians!

Even in the Middle Ages, ravioli was never made by hand. Archaeologists excavating Pompeii found a special rolling pin used for making pasta. Surprisingly, its operating principle is reminiscent of a modern ravioli making machine. After all, all modern discoveries have ancient roots...

Sun dough

The classic recipe for ravioli dough has been developed over centuries. Don't be surprised that finished goods They have such a bright yellow color - the fact is that the role of water in them is played by eggs, so they get a pleasant golden hue. The whites give the dough moisture and hold the flour together, while the rich yolks give the dough tenderness and softness. There are proven proportions when preparing ravioli - you should take 1 egg per 100 g of flour, although it all depends on the specific recipe. If you feel that the dough is a little dry, add more yolk to achieve the desired texture. If, on the contrary, it turns out too sticky, add a little flour. The yellow color also comes from whole wheat flour, which Italians most often use for ravioli. And some housewives additionally tint the dough with turmeric to make the ravioli look sunny and bright.

The dough preparation procedure is simple. The eggs are lightly beaten and mixed with vegetable oil and salt. The flour is sifted onto the table, and then a hole is made in it, into which the eggs and butter are poured. An elastic and soft dough is kneaded.

In some regions of Italy, water or milk is added to the dough, and sometimes they are prepared without eggs at all - well, all versions of this dish have the right to life. Sometimes water is added only at the very end, when you need to adjust the consistency of the dough without using additional yolks. How many housewives, so many dough recipes! After kneading, be sure to wrap it in cling film and leave it for half an hour to rest.

What to fill with?

As already mentioned, the filling for Italian ravioli can be very different, but there are also some classic traditions. For example, Tuscan chefs like to fill ravioli with ricotta and spinach, generously flavored with nutmeg; in Sardinia, ricotta is seasoned with lemon zest, and they also respect potato filling with mint. In the Abruzzo region, ricotta is mixed with sugar and cinnamon.

Often added to the filling hard cheese Parmesan or Grana Padana, onion, garlic and butter. The pinnacle of taste is the filling with ricotta and salmon or shrimp. The combination of pumpkin and potatoes, beef and Parmesan, chicken or rabbit with vegetables, eggs with cheese, cabbage with mushrooms and even beets is very interesting. Sometimes ravioli is filled with ricotta with nuts, chocolate, fruits or berries.

The meat for the filling is minced, then fried, stewed or baked in the oven, adding eggs, cheese and spices at the end. Fish and seafood are often cooked in wine with aromatic herbs and vegetables. But the traditional classic of Italian cuisine is ricotta with spinach, stewed until soft.

Real art

Roll out the rested dough on the table into a rectangle about 1-2 mm thick. Divide it with a knife into rectangles measuring approximately 15 × 30 cm. Place the filling with a teaspoon or a pastry bag at a distance of 3-4 cm from each other, not making more than two rows. You will get 4 balls of filling in each row. Brush the egg white between the filling using a brush or your finger. This is necessary so that the products stick together well, because you don’t have to pinch them together like dumplings and dumplings.

Now cover the base with the second layer and glue the coated areas one by one, pressing the dough with your fingers around the filling. This is important so that they do not separate during cooking and the filling does not leak out. Once the pieces are formed, cut the ravioli layer with a pastry cutter with a disc blade. It turns out very beautifully if you use a figured knife, and the shape of the products can be different. Ravioli is made in the form of squares, rectangles, circles, semicircles, crescents, triangles, candies in a wrapper or collected in a bunch.

It's good if you have a pasta machine - it makes it easier to roll out the dough. In addition, ravioli stamps are now available in the form of molds with serrated edges on a long handle. Ravioli prepared in this way has perfect shape without flaws. There is a special ravioli mold with a rolling pin and an attachment for a pasta machine. Modern industry has made it as easy as possible to prepare one of the most popular dishes of Italian cuisine!

How to cook and serve

If you are going to cook the ravioli, do it in boiling salted water for 5 minutes. For those who are planning to fry ravioli, just put them in a frying pan with butter or olive oil and cook until golden brown.

A great option is to bake the ravioli in the oven. To do this, you should first boil them, and then put them in a mold and pour in a sauce, for example, tomato-onion or sour cream-garlic. Be sure to sprinkle grated cheese on top - mozzarella or parmesan. Bake the ravioli in the oven for 20 minutes at 160°C until the dish is golden brown.

Italians have no problem with what to serve ravioli with, since there are plenty of options. You can season them with melted butter and sprinkle with grated cheese or serve the dish in a hot, aromatic broth with herbs.

Most often, ravioli is prepared as an independent dish with depending on the filling, but often this dish is combined with a vegetable salad or fruit if the products are sweet. Some Italians eat fruit and nut ravioli with ice cream - they are definitely real gourmets!

Culinary delights

Shrimp ravioli is a delicious dish that can be served at festive table or pamper your family on Sunday.

You will need the following products for this:

1 egg
2 tbsp. l. cold pressed olive oil for dough, 1 tbsp. l. butter for filling and 2 tbsp. l. oils for sauce
150 ml cream
30 ml milk
200 g wheat flour
200 g peeled shrimp
1 onion
celery stalk 15 cm long
50 ml dry white wine
1 clove of garlic
salt, black pepper - a pinch
dry thyme - 0.5 tsp.
1 egg for gluing the dough layers

Knead the dough from eggs, olive oil, milk, salt and flour. Cover it with a bowl and let it stand for a while. room temperature, in the meantime, get on with the filling. Chop the onion and fry it in olive oil, then add the shrimp and fry a little more.

Roll out the dough using the tips from this article, lay out the filling, brush the free spaces with beaten egg and cover with another layer of dough. Form ravioli and cut them into squares with a knife. Place the semi-finished products in the refrigerator for 10 minutes and prepare the celery sauce.

Chop the stem into small pieces and fry it in olive oil with thyme and garlic. Pour in white wine and simmer until half the sauce has evaporated. Add cream, bring the mixture to a boil, add salt and black pepper. Strain the sauce until it is smooth.

Now cook the ravioli in boiling water for 5 minutes and mix them with the sauce. Sprinkle the dish with herbs and garnish with shrimp. Guests and household members will be amazed by the refined taste of this dish!

Summer is in full swing

Ravioli can be multi-colored, but it is best to tint the dough not with food coloring, but with natural products, for example. The dish turns out bright green and summery!

This original ravioli recipe will require you to:

1 egg
350 g flour
200 ml water
20 spinach leaves
5 potatoes
3 carrots
200 g green beans
1 tsp. olive oil
0.5 tsp. turmeric
a pinch of salt and black pepper

Boil the green green beans, potatoes and carrots, and then puree the vegetables using a blender. The filling is ready, now start preparing the dough.