Frequently asked questions
Can you stuff ravioli with raw meat?
Because the pasta cooks quickly, meat fillings must be pre-cooked before you stuff them into ravioli. For ourmeat filling, ground pork, veal, turkey, or chicken (or a combination thereof) is first cooked with garlic, onion, and dry white wine, which adds some acidity, before it's pulsed to a fine chop in the food processor. Once cooled, the remaining ingredients go in: nutty Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, a bit of buttery mortadella and salty prosciutto, a pinch of nutmeg for warmth, and a beaten egg.
How do you boil ravioli without breaking it?
Homemade ravioli is more delicate than most store-bought versions, which are usually made with thicker pasta. Consequently, you'll want to cook your ravioli with extra care to keep them intact. After the salted cooking water has come to a full, rolling boil, reduce the heat to a steady simmer before adding the ravioli to ensure they don't get tossed around too violently. You'll want to cook them just to al dente; overcooked pasta is soft, mushy, and more prone to breakage. When they're ready, remove the ravioli from the water using a slotted spoon or strainer as opposed to dumping them into a colander.
Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen
You can choose your own adventure with this Meat Ravioli Filling, opting for ground pork, veal, turkey, or chicken to be the star — or even a combination of all four, if you're into it. This filling is one of three options that can be used to make theseEasy Ravioli. To save time day-of, make the filling the day before you make the pasta dough and assemble the ravioli, refrigerating it overnight. The finished, uncooked ravioli can be frozen for up to one month.
Suggested pairing
Try a berry-rich Sangiovese with these meat ravioli.
