Talk about a recipe from "then"! I came across a 15th century Italian ravioli recipe, a very interesting and fairly easy to read one. It starts with 'Get a pound and a half of old cheese and a little new creamy cheese' and goes on to add several pounds of a variety of meats, 'fragrant' herbs and spices. Then we are instructed to mix all of this together. Next we are to make and roll out a thin dough and 'wrap nut-sized amounts of the mixture in it'. We should then cook the ravioli for half an hour in 'fat broth of a capon or of some other good meat'. To serve, garnish 'with a mixture of grated cheese and good spices'. Basic ingredients: meat, cheese and pasta, which make a meal welcome at our tables even today.

The recipe below is my own creation. As "now" as you can get. I created it just for this article. I knew what I wanted in it and went from there. I was limited only by what I had on hand. I think it turned out wonderfully.

Filling:

In a large bowl blend the cheeses and egg. Stir in the seasoning. Refrigerate till the pasta is ready. Use this to fill one batch of this pasta recipe.

Basic Pasta:

In a large mixing bowl stir together 2 cups of the flour and salt. Make a well in the center and add eggs, water, and oil. Stir together the liquid ingredients and slowly stir in all the flour-salt mixture. Mix till the dry and liquid ingredients are well combined. Sprinkle the kneading surface with the remaining ½ cup flour. Turn dough out onto the floured surface. Knead till the dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes. Cover and let rest 10 minutes. Divide dough into four pieces. On a lightly floured surface roll each piece of dough into a 12-inch square. That is a lot of work, so use a pasta machine if you have one, I certainly did. Dust with additional flour, as necessary, to prevent sticking. This recipe makes about 1 pound of fresh pasta.

To Make Ravioli:

I used a ravioli maker but you can make this without one. I think making these a bit larger and by hand would make things a little easier. Cut each of the 12 x 12 squares of pasta into nine 4-inch squares to make a total of 36. Place some of the filling, dividing it evenly, onto each piece. Wet the edges of the pasta and fold over. Be sure to squeeze out as much air as you can. Press well to seal. Drop into boiling water and cook for about 10 minutes. Drain and serve with a light tomato sauce.