Easter Ravioli

Ravioli is a tradition in our family carried through Eliss Island by our Grandma Desimone. Our Great Grandmother has passed but the tradition of Easter and Christmas Ravioli has been kept strong.  Each year our families come together a day or two prior to the holiday to keep the tradition alive. Everyone does there part but I would like to give most credit to our Aunt Lori 3rd generation keeping it strong.

Ingredients

The cheese “it is all about the cheese!!” Every year my Granda Betty goes to the Italian market to buy the finest fresh ground parmesan cheese money can buy.  other staple ingredients include

1. 8 lb Parmesan

2. 5 lb Fresh Italian Sausage

3. 12 oz box Milk Crackers

4.  1 dozen Eggs

5.  Flour

6. Garlic

7. Basil or Pesto

8. Tomato Sauce

9. Onion

10. Butter

Spice List

1. All Spice

2. Black Pepper

3. Salt

4. Nutmeg

 

Sauce

Brown 1 onion,  12 cloves fresh pressed garlic, 1 lb butter, 1 lb hamburger. Add 2 large 6 lb 9oz cans of tomato sauce and simmer for 24 hrs or more.

Filling

We mix our filling in a 1 gallon food processor. It takes 4 to 5 mixes to finish a normal batch.

Mix

1.

Rolling Pasta

Making the pasta is the most difficult process. Kneading the dough and rolling the pasta is an artful skill that takes many years to master.  In our family 4th generation Oliver Gregan takes gold at this event each holiday season. He may not be able to flip the dough around like our late Grandma Desimone but maybe someday.

Forming and Cutting

Unlike the rolling where everyone sits around praising or antagonizing the holy roller, forming and cutting is a group effort. Everyone gathers around the flattened dough to do there part. Each ravioli is tucked, sealed, cut and laid out to dry on a large bed sheet.

This is a Grading System for formed Ravioli

A. Left, This ravioli has a proportional amount of dough to filling, it is cut square and sealed nice and tight. This ravioli was most likely formed by my Aunt Lori 🙂 or a female in the family.

B. Center, This ravioli  has its slight imperfections in shape and proportion but it is sealed good and will still taste great. This ravioli was probably formed by a slightly wine buzzed female or a male who is really giving it his best effort.

C. Right, This ravioli is completely deformed it doesn’t really even resemble a ravioli it has thin spots and isn’t sealed great. It could potentially bust open in the boiling pan. This ravioli was probably formed by Ned, a male in the family or intoxicated female.

 

Cooking

After the Ravioli dry they are boiled then layered in a bowl with sauce and more parmesan cheese and served.