Did you know that today, March 20th, is National Ravioli Day?! To celebrate, friends and I recently gathered in the kitchen for a fun night making ravioli. We made the pasta from scratch and prepared a seafood ravioli made with a lump crabmeat stuffing, paired with a roasted red pepper cream sauce [recipe post to share coming soon!] It was such a great night full of laughs, stories and well, lots of delicious food we all prepared together...
Friends and I also feasted on a buffet of pasta, highlighting ravioli,generously provided by my friends at Giovanni Rana. Giovanni Rana has been making pasta for over 50 years. His philosophy is simple: be true to yourself and the things that make you happy. He learned that as a boy in the family kitchen in Veronella and he still believes that today. For him, perfect pasta comes from a passion for food and the joy of sharing that passion with the people you love.
We enjoyed a few kinds of ravioli along with Giovanni Rana sauces, making it such a quick and easy meal to prepare. Our pasta buffet included three sauces - bolognese, marinara and a pesto alfredo, in which I combined Giovanni Rana fresh basil pesto sauce with their alfredo sauce. To accompany our pastas and sauces, I also served up Italian sausage, Italian meatballs and Italian roasted chicken. There was certainly something for everyone to enjoy with our amazing spread...
If you haven't heard of Giovanni Rana pastas and sauces, I highly recommend you scope them out at your local grocery store. They have a complete product line of several fresh pastas and sauces, making dinner easy, quick and delicious to put together. With so many offerings, you'll want to try them all!
Ravioli and Sauces to Choose from:
Ravioli Cheese "Forte": A vibrant cheese blend, including Parmigiano Reggiano D.O.P wrapped in thin pasta
Ravioli Spinaci e Ricotta: Fresh baby spinach and ricotta cheese wrapped in thin pasta
Ravioli Chicken Rosemary: All white meat chicken breast and rosemary wrapped in thin pasta
Ravioli Artichoke: A hearty blend of artichoke hearts wrapped in thin, golden pasta
Ravioli Mushroom: Portobello and Porcini mushrooms and creamy cheese wrapped in thin pasta
Ravioli Caprese Duet: Ravioli with two different colors and fillings, tomato mozzarella and basil pesto
Basil Pesto: Made with 100% Genovese basil
Bolognese: Made with a hearty helping of beef, pork, and tomatoes
Alfredo: Made with Parmigiano Reggiano D.O.P.
Marinara: This sauce is both light and fresh, made with a zesty blend of spices and cherry tomato halves
Giovanni Rana, synonymous with authentic, Italian pasta, is also partnering with my local food bank to fight against hunger and encourage spending time with family and friends during the Rana Ravioli Challenge.
What is the Rana Ravioli Challenge?
We're encourage you to take photos of your experience cooking Giovanni Rana ravioli, sharing the moment with your friends and family on National Ravioli Day. Share a photo on a social media platform such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or others with the hash tag - #RanaRavioliChallenge.
Each time the hashtag used by a different account on National Ravioli Day (today only), Giovanni Rana will donate 1 pound of pasta to the Northern Illinois Food Bank!
How will your post count towards the Rana Ravioli Challenge?
You may post up to three times on National Ravioli Day (March 20) on the same or different social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or others) to increase the amount of pasta donated.
Are you up for the challenge?! If so, grabs yourself some Giovanni Ranna Ravioli & start posting your meals with the hash tag #RanaRavioliChallenge to fight against hunger!
Northern Illinois Food Bank
Northern Illinois Food Bank leads the northern Illinois community in solving hunger by providing nutritious meals to those in need through innovative programs and partnerships. Since 1983, food manufacturers, local grocers, corporations, foundations, and individuals have come together to donate food and funds, and evaluate and repack food for distribution to 800 community food pantries and feeding programs serving more than 71,000 hungry neighbors each week across 13 counties. That commitment provided 50 million meals to those in need in FY14. Find out how you can Volunteer, Donate and Get Involved at www.SolveHungerToday.org or follow us on Facebook or Twitter. Northern Illinois Food Bank is a member of Feeding America.
Giovanni Rana
Giovanni Rana has been a renowned pasta maker in Italy for over 50 years. In 2012, the Rana family launched its first state-of-the-art factory in the US (just outside of Chicago in Bartlett, IL), which produces the retail line of pasta and sauces now distributed all over the country. The factory is home to proprietary machinery designed by Giovanni that mimics the movements used to hand-roll dough to produce an exceptionally thin pasta with a delicate bite. The fillings are created from artisanal ingredients including D.O.P. Parmigiano Reggiano cheese imported by the wheel and D.O.P. Genovese basil.