Is It Dangerous To Stuff Ravioli With Raw Meat?

Pasta in any form is one of the simplest yet decadent dishes to enjoy. And enjoy, we do. According to Share the Pasta, on average, Americans eat 20 pounds of pasta each year. One pasta in particular offers chefs a unique chance to experiment with flavors and textures in the dough and filling: ravioli.

Cucina Venti explains that ravioli has been an Italian staple since the 14th century. Even then they were a classic square shape, filled with herbs and cheeses, and often served during lent and other religious events. Tomato sauce with ravioli didn't enter the pasta world until the 16th century when Italy started producing tomatoes. 

Today, you can buy ravioli premade and frozen, which makes a fast dinner at home, or canned ravioli by the classic Chef Boyardee (just don't compare the canned stuff to grandma's). Likely, you have your favorite ravioli at a restaurant near you. You may not find little ladies rolling out square-shaped pasta in the church kitchen anymore, but thankfully, you can still find ravioli. 

Believe it or not, you can make your own ravioli at home. It's a bit time-consuming but it's not as difficult as you might think, and the reward is fulfilling as you bite into one of the freshest ravioli you've ever experienced. Just be careful how you fill each heavenly little dumpling. 

Raw meat is safe to use

How do you prefer your ravioli? Some like theirs filled with ricotta and herbs, like little pillows filled with cheese, while others prefer a modern twist, such as butternut squash ravioli. Meat is another option for ravioli and you'll most likely find Italian sausage, seasoned ground beef, or pork inside the ravioli. When making your own at home, you might stop and wonder, do I need to cook the meat before filling the ravioli? According to UPROXX, the answer is no. Although many people do cook it first, it seems the raw meat cooks just fine inside the boiled ravioli.

The outlet asked "Top Chef" alum and pasta expert Joe Sasto if he cooks meat before filling the ravioli, and his response was: "Definitely not. It depends on the desired shape, filling, texture, and result you're looking for." The CDC and the USDA recommend that consumers cook ground meat to 160 degrees, and it seems that boiling the meat-filled ravioli brings meat to that temperature. Of course, when making your own ravioli, be sure to check the temperature before consuming.