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National Ravioli Day

Food · March 20

A food day for ravioli, the filled pasta pillows sealed around cheese, meat or vegetables and served with sauce or butter.

National Ravioli Day falls on Saturday, March 20, 2027. That is 144 days away.

Ravioli are small pockets of pasta dough folded or pressed around a filling, then sealed at the edges and boiled. They are usually square or round, and the crimped or ruffled edge is what keeps the filling inside while they cook.

The fillings vary a lot. Ricotta and spinach is a classic, and so are seasoned meat, mushrooms, squash and plain cheese. Sauces range from tomato to brown butter with sage, and some cooks use nothing more than olive oil and grated cheese so the filling can carry the dish.

Making ravioli at home is slower than opening a box of dried noodles, but it is not difficult. You roll out two sheets of dough, dot one with spoonfuls of filling, lay the other on top, press out the air, and cut between the mounds. A fork or a fluted wheel seals the edges. Fresh ravioli cook quickly, often in just a few minutes, and they tend to float when they are close to done.

Plenty of people mark the day without rolling anything. A bag of frozen ravioli from the grocery store, a can heated on the stove, or a plate at a local Italian restaurant all count. Ravioli also turn up toasted or fried, crisp outside and soft within, served with marinara for dipping.

The pressed edge matters most. A pocket with trapped air or a gap in the seal tends to burst in the pot, so careful cooks press each one firmly before it goes into the water.

Ways to celebrate

• Try making a small batch of ravioli from scratch with a simple cheese filling.
• Toss store-bought ravioli in brown butter and sage for a quick dinner.
• Share a plate of toasted ravioli with marinara for dipping.
• Try a filling you have never had, like squash or mushroom.
• Look for ravioli on the menu at a local Italian restaurant.

Dates

All national days on March 20

Also on March 20

• National Corndog Day
• National Bock Beer Day
• First Day of Spring
• National Quilting Day
• Won't You Be My Neighbor Day
• Alien Abduction Day
• National Proposal Day
• Snowman Burning Day

Categories: Food days