Ravioli

The dough is the same as for egg noodles but, for ravioli, it must be supple and the rolled-out sheets should not be hung to dry.

The French usually cling to the classic square form of ravioli, but they do not distinguish the Italian tortelli or tortellini (filled rounds sealed into half-moon forms) by a different name. One rarely sees cappelletti in France (half moons, the tips forced gently backwards and pinched together), but the form, quite aside from its attractive and amusing aspect, is practical if the pasta is being served directly from the boiling water, simply sprinkled with cheese and brown butter. Its eccentricity prevents the cappelletti from sticking together both during the cooking and on the plates, but the same formal irregularity makes them impractical for saucing and gratinéing, for it takes up too much space, requiring an excess of sauce. Any of these ravioli-type preparations provides one of the more elegant means to disposing of leftovers.