Celebrated annually on March 20, National Ravioli Day is a food holiday for pasta lovers, paying tribute to the fun-filled and lip-smacking varieties of ravioli.
Ravioli are a traditional Italian filled pasta. The name itself comes from the Italian word “riavvolgere” meaning “to wrap,” which is exactly what ravioli is all about.
To make ravioli, you fill two layers of thin egg pasta dough with various ingredients. Imagine a small meatball tucked, snug inside two cozy layers of delicious dough. That’s what ravioli is. Some of the more popular fillings include cheese, meat, vegetables and seasonings. Ravioli is usually served in either a broth or with a pasta sauce.
Here are some Ravioli Fun Facts to honor this culinary delight:
- The longest ravioli measured so far was 96 ft 1 in, in St Petersburg, Russia, on August 3, 2013. The ravioli was 6 cm wide and the filling included chicken and onion.
- Ravioli nudi, or “naked ravioli”, refers to simply the filling without the pasta shell
- Canned ravioli were pioneered by the Italian Army in the First World War and were popularized by Heinz and Buitoni in the UK and Europe, and Chef Boyardee in the United States.
- Toasted ravioli was created as an appetizer and popularized in St. Louis, Missouri. The beginnings are sourced to the restaurants Mama Campisi’s and Charlie Gitto’s.
- The most ravioli made in two minutes is 33 and was accomplished by Gino D’Acampo (Italy) on the set of Let’s Do Lunch With Gino & Mel, ITV, London, UK, on 25 July 2013.
- “Fresh” packed ravioli lasts up to several weeks while freshly-made ravioli only lasts a few days.
- The fillings of ravioli differ depending on the region. Common fillings include ricotta, spinach, meat, and mushroom. Other choices becoming widely more popular are lobster, butternut squash and pumpkin ravioli.
National Ravioli Day is the perfect day to enjoy and appreciate an all-time crowd favorite. Buon appetito!
—
Photo Credit: Svetlana Foote / Shutterstock.com