Malta, the tiny Mediterranean island nation, rarely intrudes onto the world stage. Yet, given its pivotal location nearer Africa than Europe, it’s been fought over by the world’s biggest empires for over 3,000 years. That history has left it with an eclectic legacy of everything from language to culture. And, of course, cuisine.
On the stage of world cuisine, that of the Maltese is also often overlooked – and it is unique and as eclectic as the island itself. It would be a mistake to think of Maltese food as basic Mediterranean stuff; it is to some extent, but it has not only its own earthy, peasant characteristics, but also its own twists on many familiar dishes.
Such as today’s recipe, ravjul, or ravioli. Forget those dainty little mouthfuls of pasta and cheese the Italians call ravioli: Maltese ravjul are big. If you can eat more than three or four at a sitting, well… get ready for Nanna* to ply you with more.
*The Maltese Nanna is pronounced NAhn-na, drawing out the ahh, then placing heavy emphasis on the second n.
Ingredients:
- 3 cups plain flour
- Small amount of water
- l kg ricotta
- ½ bunch parsley, chopped
- 4 beaten eggs
- Salt and pepper
- 80 g grated Parmesan cheese
For the sauce:
- 1 jar passata
Or:
- 1 tin tomatoes, whole or crushed
- 1 small red onion, sliced
- As much garlic as you want, sliced or crushed
- A few slices of salami (optional)
- Basil
- Oregano
- Cracked pepper
- Dollop of tomato paste
Extra parmesan to serve.
Method:
Place the flour in a large bowl and add enough water to make a soft dough. Wrap the dough in Glad wrap and put it in the fridge until you’re ready to use it. (Alternatively you can use packaged wonton wrappers as a cheat, although they’re a bit on the smallish size for ravjul.)
Preparing the sauce ahead of making the ravjul gives it time to simmer and really bring out the sweetness of the tomatoes. For the sauce, you can either heat a jar of passata, or make my go-to tomato pasta sauce recipe:
Fry the onions and garlic until soft. I often add a few slices of salami, cut into thin strips, which adds just a bit of smoke and spice. Add the tomatoes (chop if whole) and add the herbs and pepper to your taste. A good start is about a teaspoon of dried basil (or a couple of cm squeezed from a tube) and oregano each, and at least half a teaspoon of pepper. Personally, I like to be generous with the pepper. Throw in a good dollop of tomato paste to make it extra rich. Bring it all to a simmer, and leave it simmering while you prepare the ravjul – remember to give it a stir every now and then, to stop it sticking.
Break up the ricotta in a large bowl. Mix in the parsley, parmesan and beaten eggs. Add salt and pepper to taste. If the mix appears too dry, add an extra egg. Use a whisk to break the mix down.
Roll the dough into one long length and cut into 4 cm sections. Roll out these sections till they’re about the size of a saucer, making sure that it isn’t too thin. Spoon the filling into each round and seal them by brushing water around the edges and pressing them together with your fingers. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil and begin to drop the ravioli into the saucepan. Do not continue to boiling, just allow the water to simmer while cooking the ravjul in batches.
When the ravjul are cooked, they will float to the top of the water. Remove and set them aside in the oven to keep them warm, until all are cooked.
Serve the cooked ravjul with a generous helping of sauce and parmesan.
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