What does ravioli mean?
Ravioli is a form of Italian stuffed pasta made by enclosing cheese, meat, vegetables, herbs, or other fillings in thin dough and sealing the resulting parcels. Unlike ordinary pasta, ravioli usually has a distinct filling, giving it a richer texture and flavor. Common varieties include spinach-and-ricotta ravioli, meat-filled ravioli, and vegetable ravioli. It can be boiled and served with tomato or cream sauces, baked with cheese, or added to soups. In English, the word normally has the same form in the singular and plural and may also function as a mass noun, as in a reference to ravioli as a dish. Although firmly associated with Italian cuisine, prepared ravioli and related filled-pasta dishes are now common in restaurants and homes throughout Britain and the United States.
nounAn Italian pasta made from thin sheets of dough filled with ingredients such as cheese, meat, vegetables, or herbs, then shaped into small sealed packets. It may be served with sauce or baked in the oven.
- Small pieces of Italian stuffed pasta made from thin dough and filled with cheese, meat, vegetables, herbs, or similar ingredients.
"She served spinach and ricotta ravioli with a tomato sauce."
"We ordered ravioli filled with wild mushrooms and Parmesan."
"The baked ravioli was served with melted cheese and tomato sauce."
The standard English form is identical to the singular; raviolo is rare in English.
"There were two plates of ravioli on the table."
Ravioli has the same form in the singular and plural, reflecting its Italian origins.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does ravioli come from?
The word comes from Italian, where ravioli is the plural of raviolo, a diminutive form referring to a small stuffed pasta parcel. Italian has traditionally used ravioli both as a plural and as an invariant form for the food. The English word retained the Italian plural form and became established during the growth of Italian cuisine in Britain and the United States.
How ravioli is actually used
In English, ravioli is normally used as a plural noun, although it can also be treated as a mass noun when referring to the food generally. The singular form raviolo is uncommon and chiefly reflects Italian usage.