The main difference between ravioli and tortellini is their shape; ravioli has a square shape, with a flat underside and round top, whereas tortellini has a ring or navel shape.
Ravioli and tortellini are two popular Italian dishes we all love. They share many similarities. These are stuffed pasta containing cheese, meat, and vegetables. Both pasta types are usually served in a broth or with a sauce.
Key Areas Covered
1. What is Ravioli
– Definition, Features
2. What is Tortellini
– Definition, Features
3. Similarities Between Ravioli and Tortellini
– Outline of Common Features
4. Difference Between Ravioli and Tortellini
– Comparison of Key Differences
Key Terms
Pasta, Ravioli, Tortellini
What is Ravioli
Ravioli is a type of pasta with a filling in thin pasta dough. This filling can contain various ingredients like meat, seafood, ricotta cheese, and vegetables like spinach, squash, and mushrooms. We can therefore describe it as a type of stuffed pasta. Ravioli typically has a square shape, but some also make them in circular and semi-circular shapes. In traditional Italian cuisine, we usually serve ravioli in a rich meat broth or with a sauce with butter, tomato, cheese, or cream. Each Italian region has its own recipe; these recipes mainly differ in their filling. For example, in Sardinia, ravioli filling typically has ricotta and grated lemon rind, whereas, in Rome, the filling has ricotta, spinach, nutmeg, and black pepper.
Furthermore, ravioli can be commercially mass-produced or made at home. Making fresh ravioli at home involves rolling out a very thin, almost transparent sheet of pasta by hand with the help of a rolling pin (or with the help of a pasta machine) and then stuffing it. Fresh ravioli can only last for a few days in the refrigerator as the filling can turn stale. Commercially made ravioli, on the other hand, can last longer in the refrigerator.
What is Tortellini
Tortellini is a type of pasta that comes in the form of little ring-shaped cases containing a filling. Traditionally, this filling included a mix of meat (pork loin, raw prosciutto, mortadella), egg, nutmeg, and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. It was also traditionally served in capon broth. But it also tastes good with tomato cream sauce or cream and butter.
Tortellini pasta originates from the region of Emilia, Italy. Some say that the shape of the tortellini pasta looks like women’s navel. Moreover, the larger version of tortellini is tortelloni. Tortellini is also quite similar to cappelletti; the difference is that we make cappelletti from squares of pasta, and tortellini from circles. In addition, both have different meat stuffing.
Like ravioli, tortellini can be made at home or bought from stores. Making tortellini at home involves kneading flour and eggs to make a dough, flattening the dough and cutting it into pieces, stuffing each piece of dough with a meat and cheese mixture, and then shaping each piece into a ring shape.
Similarities Between Ravioli and Tortellini
- Both ravioli and tortellini are stuffed/filled pasta.
- The fillings can contain different ingredients like cheese, meat, and vegetables.
- We generally serve both pasta types in a broth or with a sauce.
Difference Between Ravioli and Tortellini
Definition
Ravioli is a type of square-shaped pasta with a filling, while tortellini is a type of ring-shaped pasta that contains a filling.
Shape
Ravioli has a square shape with a flat underside and round top while tortellini has a ring shape, which is like a small croissant or wonton.
Cheese
While ravioli mainly uses ricotta, tortellini typically uses parmesan.
Filling
Ravioli fillings can have ingredients like meat, seafood, ricotta cheese, and vegetables like spinach, squash, and mushrooms. Tortellini, on the other hand, traditionally has a meat filling with prosciutto, mortadella, and pork loin. It’s interesting to note that tortellini typically has a meat filling, whereas ravioli fillings do not necessarily contain meat.
Serving
Ravioli is generally served in a rich meat broth or with a sauce based on butter, tomato, cheese, or cream, whereas tortellini is traditionally served in capon broth.
Conclusion
The main difference between ravioli and tortellini is their shape; ravioli has a square shape, with a flat underside and round top, whereas tortellini has a ring or navel shape. In addition, tortellini typically has a meat filling while ravioli fillings do not necessarily contain meat.
Reference:
1. “Ravioli.” La Cucina Italiana.
2. “Tortellini.” Share the Pasta.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Dish, cuisine, food, ingredient, yellow curry, breakfast, produce, la carte food, Maultasche, vegetarian food, ravioli, meal, thai food, recipe” (CC0) via Pxhere
2. “Tortellini-pasta-filling-dish-food” (CC0) via Pixabay
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