Ravioli soup

A 16th century Italian Recipe, translated into English by Shannon Wanty

From Rosselli, Giovanne: Epulario: qual tratta del modo di cucinare ogni carne, vccelli, pesci, & ultra qualita di viuande (Altobello Salicato, Vinegia, 1596)

p12r Per fare dieci menestre de rauioli in tempo di carne e come si fanno. (To make ten ravioli soups on meat days, and how they are made.)

Take one pound of old cheese, and a little of some other fatty cheese, and a pound of fatty pork breast, or you coule use the head of a calf boiled so it is good, and take well beaten good herbs, and pepper, and cloves, and ginger, and add the breast of a capon finely ground, and mix all these things together, then take fine pastry and bind them as you would with the pastry. And these ravioli are not greater than one half of a chestnut, and put them to cook in the fatty broth of a capon, or else of good meat, made yellow with saffron, when it boils for the space of three pater nosters. Then take the soup and put over it grated cheese and sweet spices mixed together. And it is possible to make similar ravioli with the breast of pheasants, and partridges, and other birds.