In Italy, Christmas means togetherness, especially at the table. This is when we make food that’s important to us, meals that remind us of our traditions and make family members and guests happy. When December 25 draws near, nothing is better than inhaling the warmth of kitchen fragrances and getting your hands full of flour as you cook for yourself and others. And at holiday meals, fresh stuffed pasta is a must.
You can start preparing it a couple of days ahead, especially when cooking for a lot of guests. Make sure that every individual piece of ravioli, tortellini or cappelletti has its filling sealed in carefully so there aren’t any disappointing surprises in the pot. If you’re serving the pasta in broth, then preparing the broth the day before and leaving it in the fridge overnight will let you skim the solidified fat from the surface.