National Ravioli Day

National Ravioli Day, observed March 20th, celebrates the square or round stuffed pasta filled with ingredients like cheese, meat, or vegetables and sealed between two thin sheets of dough. Ravioli has a long history in Italian cuisine, with documented references dating back to at least the 14th century, appearing in early Italian cookbooks and letters, making it one of the older stuffed pasta formats still commonly eaten today, alongside relatives like tortellini and agnolotti that developed in other Italian regions with their own distinct shapes and fillings. The name "ravioli" is believed to derive from an old Italian dialect word related to "rifare," meaning to remake or wrap, referencing how the filling is wrapped and enclosed within the pasta dough. Traditional ravioli fillings vary significantly by region within Italy, ranging from ricotta and spinach to pumpkin, in Northern Italian regions like Lombardy, to meat-based fillings elsewhere, typically served with a complementary sauce such as a simple butter and sage, marinara, or cream sauce depending on the filling. Ravioli became popular in the United States alongside broader Italian-American cuisine in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and canned ravioli products became a widely available convenience food option starting in the mid-20th century. On National Ravioli Day, people celebrate by making fresh ravioli at home or ordering it at an Italian restaurant.