Ravioli - medium-sized Italian dough pasta with various fillings in the form of a square, ellipse or crescent, with curved edges. Usually they are a bit smaller in size than well-known dumplings or vareniki. Fillings for ravioli (in Russian this word in all declensions in the same form) can be made from meat or fish minced meat, as well as from mushrooms, vegetables or even fruits.
Ravioli are cooked as dumplings, or fried in oil, served as an independent dish with sauces, as well as with broths or soups.
There is a version about the common origin of all such dishes (that is, from boiled dough with fillings) from China. However, there are other versions.
Initially, ravioli were considered a Sicilian dish in Italy. Perhaps, the recipe was borrowed from other peoples by the Sicilians. In Italian literature, references to this dish have been encountered since the 13th century, even before the return of Marco Polo from China, which makes it possible to build quite reliable assumptions about the Mediterranean origin of this dish.
How to make a dough for ravioli?
The traditional recipe for a real ravioli in Italian is simple as everything is brilliant, the main thing is to find quality wheat flour. We also need a little olive oil, water and a pinch of salt.
We will tell you how to prepare a fresh dough for ravioli from these products.
Ingredients:
- wheat flour from durum wheat - 2 cups or slightly more;
- water - 1 glass;
- olive oil - 3 tbsp. spoons;
- salt - 1 pinch.
Preparation
Flour sift through the work surface. Make a groove, add oil and a pinch of salt. Gradually adding water, mix the dough. It is better to do this with your hands, lightly oiled. Although, of course, you can first use a mixer with a spiral nozzle, and then bring your hands.
For the preparation of colored ravioli, you can use a mixture of water mixture with vegetable or fruit juices, which must first be filtered through a fine sieve. The ratio of juice and water in the mixture is 1: 1 or 2: 1. This additive, in a certain way, increases the usefulness of the final product due to the vitamins and other nutrients contained in the juices. And, in addition, colored ravioli have a more attractive appearance, this is especially important when we prepare for children.