Ravioles is a Cypriot specialty, similar to ravioli, probably having its roots from the Venetian times.  In Cyprus this pasta dish is filled with aged halloumi, eggs and mint and they are cooked in chicken broth.

This is the dish my mother would prepare during Tyrini Sunday, the last Sunday before Lent, which means cheese Sunday.

On Tyrini the tradition is to cook anything with cheese, such as (tyropita), pasta, bourekia (turnovers), biscuits, etc.

The traditional way of make the ravioles is to roll out the phyllo until thin, add a teaspoon of filling, leave a gap of about 3 – 4 cm and continue adding cheese.  Then  cover with the other phyllo and press the gaps with the finger to enclose the filling.  Finally cut the ravioles, using a drinking glass to form them into a semicircle and boil.

Alternatively, you can cut them in a ravioli press or using a ravioli cutter.

At this stage you can freeze them.  To cook them, do not thaw them as they will stick to each other.  Just put them in the boiling water and they will defrost in the water.

A few days ago my son came back from Crete and some friends from Crete, were kind enough to send me a lot of graviera cheese and fresh anthotyro cheese . So I had to think of something to do because it was a lot to store. I decided to make some ravioles with the graviera cheese and with the anthotyro I made another Cypriot recipe called “Anarotourta”.

Ravioles (Cypriot ravioli)

Preparation time: 1 hour and 30 minutes

Cooking time:  20 minutes

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

500 grams all-purpose flour (follow this recipe)

For the filling:

• 500 grams (1.10 lbs) halloumi cheese, grated
• 3 large eggs
• 3 tablespoons dried mint
• Extra halloumi and dried mint for sprinkling on top

For Chicken Stock:

• Chicken with skin and bones on
• 6 – 8 cups of water
• Salt

Directions:

1. Boil the chicken and reserve the broth.
2. Prepare the dough.
3. Grate the cheese and mix in the dried mint.  Add the, eggs one by one and mix until we have a nice mixture which holds together and cheese has been absorbed by the eggs.
4. Roll out a thin phyllo either with a pasta machine or manually.
5. Place 1 tsp of cheese mixture at the edge and leaving a gap of about 3cm (1 inch) in between continue adding cheese. Cover with remaining phyllo and press the gaps with your finger.
6. Cut the ravioles with a drinking water glass, to give a half a semicircle shape or cut them with a ravioli cutter.
7. Bring chicken broth or stock to a boil.  If your broth contains salt, do not add any extra salt as halloumi is salty. Place ravioli in the boiling water and cook as any other pasta, for about 10 – 15 minutes stirring occasionally, as they will float.
8. Remove with a slotted spoon into platter and sprinkle with grated halloumi mixed with dried mint.
9. Serve immediately.

Ravioles (Cypriot ravioli)

Yield: 6

Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ravioles is a Cypriot specialty, similar to ravioli, probably having its roots from the Venetian times.  In Cyprus this pasta dish is filled with aged halloumi, eggs and mint and they are cooked in chicken broth.

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Ingredients

• 500 grams all-purpose flour (follow this recipe)

For the filling:

• 500 grams (1.10 lbs) halloumi cheese, grated
• 3 large eggs
• 3 tablespoons dried mint
• Extra halloumi and dried mint for sprinkling on top

For Chicken Stock:

• Chicken with skin and bones on
• 6 - 8 cups of water
• Salt

Instructions

1. Boil the chicken and reserve the broth.
2. Prepare the dough.
3. Grate the cheese and mix in the dried mint.  Add the, eggs one by one and mix until we have a nice mixture which holds together and cheese has been absorbed by the eggs.
4. Roll out a thin phyllo either with a pasta machine or manually.
5. Place 1 tsp of cheese mixture at the edge and leaving a gap of about 3cm (1 inch) in between continue adding cheese. Cover with remaining phyllo and press the gaps with your finger.
6. Cut the ravioles with a drinking water glass, to give a half a semicircle shape or cut them with a ravioli cutter.
7. Bring chicken broth or stock to a boil.  If your broth contains salt, do not add any extra salt as halloumi is salty. Place ravioli in the boiling water and cook as any other pasta, for about 10 – 15 minutes stirring occasionally, as they will float.
8. Remove with a slotted spoon into platter and sprinkle with grated halloumi mixed with dried mint.
9. Serve immediately.

This and many more Cypriot recipes are included in my cookbook Mint, Cinnamon & Blossom Water, Flavours of Cyprus, Kopiaste as well as in Volume 1 of the e-cookbook.

Kopiaste and Kali Orexi,