There are many different types of stuffed pastas, including baked dishes like stuffed shells and manicotti, as well as more recent inventions like stuffed rigatoni. But when you’re asked to imagine any type of pasta filled with cheese or meat, chances are two pastas in particular immediately come to mind: ravioli and tortellini. The main components of the Italian meal are sauce, cheese, and carbs (either pasta or bread). Somewhere along the way, saint-like minds of Italian cuisine decided that two of those components should be combined. Well, the person or people who came up with that ingeniously delicious idea deserve all the praise, and perhaps even a church built in their honor. Ravioli and tortellini are the most popular of the stuffed/filled pastas because those soft and tender pillow-like morsels represent all the comfort in the world, covered in sauce on a plate or floating in a loving bowl of broth. What’s in a name? Ravioli, the plural being “raviolo,” translates to “little turnip” whereas tortellini’s diminutive, “tortello,” translates to “stuffed cake.” Visually, the difference between ravioli and tortellini seems fairly obvious. Ravioli are usually square, with a flat underside and rounded top, with edges cut at a sharp angle and sometimes frilled with a fork. Tortellini are ring or navel-shaped, at times resembling a tiny croissant or even a wonton. The primary difference between the two is where they originate, what they’re filled with and the technique employed in the preparation. Essentially an Italian dumpling, ravioli features a filling that’s sealed between two thin layers of egg pasta. Ravioli are typically square, though other forms are also used, including circular or semi-circular (mezzelune). The filling varies depending on the region of origin, but here in the New World, we’ve grown accustomed to our ravioli being filled with ricotta cheese. But variations abound, with meat-stuffed ravioli making the rounds, as well as other ingredients like pumpkin and a runny egg yolk filling that delicate space in between pasta sheets. Ravioli dates back to the 14th century, with one of the first recipes for traditional ravioli featuring a stuffing of mixed herbs, fresh cheese, and beaten eggs, all simmered in a broth. One interesting theory about the origins of ravioli states the dish was first invented by Genovesi sailors who would wrap the leftover portions of their meals within a dough pocket in order to add some additional variety to the typical sailor’s diet. Ravioli and tortellini are the most popular of the stuffed/filled pastas... Hailing originally from the Italian region of Emilia, tortellini are also traditionally stuffed with ricotta cheese. But history has shown a willingness for Italian cooks to go well beyond cheese, with various meats like prosciutto, mortadella, and pork loin finding a home inside of the ring-shaped pasta. The origins of tortellini are a bit more of a mystery, with various folk tales purporting many fantastical origins of the pasta. One legend claims that a cook at an inn was struck by divine inspiration to create the pasta after catching a glimpse of the navel of Venus, the goddess of love. We’re not saying that’s completely fabricated, but it’s more likely that tortellini was created sometime during the middle ages to keep the savory filling from spilling out into the boiling pasta water. While the world has fallen in love with different variations of ravioli, from butternut squash ravioli in sage butter sauce to deep fried ravioli with a side of marinara, we believe the simplest preparation is still the best. Cooked until barely tender, we lovingly ladle our own Paesana Marinara Sauce over the pillowy, ricotta-filled pasta. It’s the purest expression of ravioli. For us, tortellini are all about comfort. Our favorite tortellini dish also happens to be one the greatest preparations in the history of Italian food, period. It’s tortellini en brodo and it’s exactly what it sounds like: tortellini cooked in (preferably) homemade chicken stock with salt and pepper. That’s it. Check out the glorious simplicity in this recipe.What Is Ravioli?
What is Tortellini?
Our Favorite Ravioli Dish
Our Favorite Tortellini Dish
FAQs
What’s The Difference Between Ravioli & Tortellini? ›
Ravioli are usually square, with a flat underside and rounded top, with edges cut at a sharp angle and sometimes frilled with a fork. Tortellini are ring or navel-shaped, at times resembling a tiny croissant or even a wonton.
What is the difference between tortellini and ravioli filling? ›Ravioli vs Tortellini: the fillings and sauces
Traditionally, ravioli generally featured a vegetable filling with meat, cheese and egg playing a secondary role. The result was more delicate than tortellini that were most often filled with meat, eggs and cheese.
You can use tortellini or ravioli or any other pasta you'd like. The advantage of tortellini and ravioli is you can buy them stuffed with butternut squash, spinach, or even meat or cheese if you prefer.
What's the difference between tortellini and tortelloni? ›Tortelloni is pasta in a similar shape, but larger, typically 5 g, vs. 2 g for tortellini. While tortellini has a meat-based filling, tortelloni is filled with ricotta and sometimes with parsley or spinach.
Is tortellini always stuffed with cheese? ›In general, tortellini is always made with an egg pasta, but what you fill it with varies from family to family. Some pack it with ricotta, others with Parmesan. Still others prefer prosciutto or beef, and sometimes it's a combination of meat and cheese. No matter what the filling, it's traditionally served in a broth.
Can I use ravioli instead of tortellini in soup? ›We use cheese ravioli in this soup recipe to keep it vegetarian, but you can also use a meat-filled ravioli. Or, swap the ravioli entirely and use fresh cheese- or meat-filled tortellini instead. Tortellini are more delicate than ravioli, so be sure to stir gently to avoid breaking them apart.
Do Italians eat tortellini with sauce? ›In Italy, meat tortellini are traditionally served in broth, but they are enjoyed with other toppings, too: cheese sauce, cream sauce, pesto or tomato sauce. There are also cheese versions of tortellini. Tortellini are also eaten for dessert!
What is a single ravioli called? ›Just one? Spaghetto. The Italian language rule also applies to ravioli. It's raviolo if you eat just one.
What do Italians call tortellini? ›The word tortellini is a double diminutive in Italian. The starting word is “torta,” meaning cake, which is lessened to “tortello”—a filled pasta similar to ravioli—and finally we get to “tortellini,” which basically makes it a small-small cake.
Is gnocchi and tortellini the same thing? ›Gnocchi are potato-based dumplings that are not stuffed. Gnocchi are typically boiled and tossed in a tomato-based sauce. Tortellini, ravioli, and agnolotti are all stuffed Italian pastas made with semolina flour. Tortellini is a stuffed pasta in the shape of a ring.
What is a large ravioli called? ›
A larger version of ravioli is called ravioloni, a smaller version, ravioletti. They are typically square, though they can be circular.
What defines a ravioli? ›: pasta in the form of little cases of dough containing a savory filling (as of meat or cheese)
What is the Italian name for ravioli? ›Ravioli (Italian: [raviˈɔli]; sg. : raviolo, Italian: [raviˈɔlo]) are a type of stuffed pasta comprising a filling enveloped in thin pasta dough. Usually served in broth or with a sauce, they originated as a traditional food in Italian cuisine.
What is tortellini traditionally filled with? ›The traditional filling for a tortellini contains the following: parmigiano reggiano cheese, egg, nutmeg, and some kind of pork meat like mortadella or prosciutto. The premade tortellini you can find in the store, however, is filled with all manner of things.
What is ravioli traditionally filled with? ›Traditionally, ravioli are made at home. The filling varies according to the area where they are prepared. In Rome and Latium the filling is made with ricotta cheese, spinach, nutmeg and black pepper.
What is similar to tortellini? ›Tortelloni is similar to tortellini, but is about two times larger.
What are the 3 cheeses in tortellini? ›Tortellini filled with ricotta, Parmesan, and romano cheese—all combined with an insanely tasty creamy garlic and rosemary tomato sauce topped with more Parmesan cheese.