From Libellula's Kitchen & Land — pasta recipe

Ahh Ravioli. One of the most loved dishes of Italy!  Little pockets of fresh pasta filled with meat, cheese, or vegetables served in a variety of sweet, spicy, and savory sauces.  Ravioli have been enjoyed in Italy since the 14th century. At the court of the Gonzagues, stuffed pasta was offered to noble visitors as a royal treat!  But what about the Italian Christmas Eve classic, Ravioli di Zucca (Squash Ravioli)?  Well, it all started when farmers began growing squash in Northern Italy after it was brought back by explorers from South and Central America. The Italian nobility quickly became...

It was the summer of 1487. Lucrezia Borgia was about to get married. For the third time. You see, her dearest father,  Pope Alexander VI and mother (who happened to be one of his favorite mistresses), had decided that they would marry their daughter as many times as they could to advance their political standing.  As soon as one husband didn’t quite give them as many political or financial benefits as they had hoped, they moved onto a new conquest for their daughter. And they weren’t too subtle about it either. Her father ordered the execution of her first husband....

Hearty and filling, pasta e ceci is a traditional winter dish. It originates from the tradition of “cucina povera” cooking, literally meaning “poor cooking.” Cucina povera dishes were created by Italian peasants who could only afford simple ingredients to cook with. These dishes were also often meant to use up ingredients that had started to go bad so as not to let any food go to waste. Another cucina povera dish you’re probably familiar with is bruschetta. Italian peasants would take their several days-old bread, slice it up, and add fresh tomatoes and olive oil. The loaf of bread that...

Eggs are synonymous with spring and Easter in Italy. They are a symbol of new life and of the delicacy of the first warm days of the year. Each Italian region has anywhere between one to fifty traditional Easter recipes centered around eggs. This year, our Italian chef wanted to bring you a modern take on the classic ravioli ricotta e spinaci by adding a silky egg yolk to the pasta’s center. You can prepare the ravioli filling in advance and then gently fold the pasta into shape, just before eating. Enjoy finding the golden “Easter egg” bursting out of each ravioli...