Italian cuisine is very popular among gourmets. The most famous and favorite foods are pizza, snacks, desserts and, of course, pasta. Variants of this dish has an incredible array, it's business card in Italy. Ravioli - a kind of paste, a product of the thin dough stuffed with various fillings - both savory and sweet.

History of

The debate about the origin of the ravioli did not subside for many years. There is a version that the ravioli were imported famous traveler Marco Polo from China, Sichuan. It tasted like dish traveler huntun. Already in Italy, it changed the name of the chef, and today it is known as ravioli.

At the same time, the first mention of ravioli refers to the XIII century. Initially, this was considered a kind of Italian pasta Sicilian dishes.

Features cooking

Despite the similarity with the usual dumplings Dumplings - the card of Russia   and dumplings Vareniki. Do the world something tasty? Ravioli have their own distinctive features. In the first place, their memorized shape they may be square, round, triangular or crescent-shaped.

Cook ravioli thin unleavened dough. In the sifted flour mound add the required number of eggs and olive oil, and then kneaded sufficiently dense and elastic dough. It requires a lot of physical strength, so often attracted to Italian men in the process of mixing. There is one very important detail, which is the mistress sometimes overlooked: the air in the room should be cool, but work with the dough should be cold hands. Before you begin rolling out the dough, it is necessary to give some time to "rest."

Ravioli can not be frozen as a result of the storage thin dough cracks. Serve the dish immediately after preparation is necessary, as disclosed most of its flavor.

Pasta is a traditional family Italian dishes, each family has its own proprietary recipe. In order to roll out the dough thinly, Italians tend to use a special machine-lapsherezku. With this kitchen appliances reached the required thickness, and a variety of nozzles allow to cook pasta and ravioli of different forms.

Ravioli must unroll two rectangular sheet of dough, the thickness of which does not exceed a millimeter. Then one of the boxes at the same distance expanded filling and covered with a second layer of dough. Then cut out the product the desired shape. The edges must be carefully zaschipnut. In Italy, very popular ravioli with scalloped edges, and if not available lapsherezki, they can make a special knife for pizza dough.

The variety of recipes

Classical stuffed ravioli is milk ricotta cheese and spinach, is a combination of the most popular. However, Italian cuisine is so universal and democratic, that the content of aromatic envelopes can be anything. Stuffing can be any vegetable, meat, fish and seafood, cheeses combined with herbs. Ravioli is not necessarily the main course, it can also be a wonderful dessert. Sweet filling of various fruits, berries, jams, cheese and chocolate are popular in Italy, no less than the salty and savory.

As a rule, the ravioli are boiled in salted water and served with different sauces. They can also be fried in butter and eat as a snack Low calorie snacks   soups and broths.

Dish with meat filling perfectly complement the hot sauce and parmesan cheese. Options sauces in Italy not less than the options of fillings. The most popular include the tomato and cream sauce, as well as the classic "pesto" on the basis of herbs and nuts. Vegetarian ravioli in Italy is traditionally served with butter and fresh herbs. Taste dessert ravioli perfectly complement various sweet sauces, chocolate, cream or a scoop of ice cream.

Benefits and harms

Ravioli are not only tasty but also extremely useful depending on the toppings. For example, it is difficult to overestimate the benefits of seafood and fish, because it is an excellent source of polyunsaturated fatty acids. They lower cholesterol and strengthen the walls of blood vessels. Seafood is rich in protein, which is easily absorbed by the body. They also saturate the body with iodine, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, vitamins of group B. Iodine is necessary for proper thyroid function, calcium is responsible for the musculoskeletal system, and magnesium contributes to the normalization of the nervous system. Seafood does not threaten the figure because they have a low calorie content.

The fillings of meat and poultry contains a lot of protein and iron, which the body needs. But do not forget that dishes out fatty meats may be poorly digested.

An excellent source of vitamins are ravioli with vegetable and fruit fillings. They are rich in fiber, which is essential for proper functioning of the intestines. Vegetables saturate the body with potassium, magnesium, phosphorus and other nutrients, promote proper digestion. In addition, the ravioli with such fillings are ideal for people who control their weight.

Classic ravioli filled with cheese will be an additional source of calcium. At the same time, a protein that is found in dairy products and is easily absorbed by the body does not produce the feeling of heaviness.

With all the variety of fillings and benefits that they can cause, ravioli still remain high-calorie dish. Pasta is made from flour, which makes it a prohibited product for people who are overweight. Spicy sauces and fillings can harm if a person suffering from diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

Ravioli is a very popular dish in Italy, in every corner of this sunny country has its own original recipe. Unchanged is perfectly thin crust, made with fresh and quality products.

Maria Bykov

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