Here's an Augustine side meat ravioli filling recipe

Don Augustine saw my ravioli post and sent me the recipe for meat ravioli filling he got 40 years ago from his Aunt Anna Powell. Presumably this comes down from Don's grandmother, Louise Roncase Augustine, also known as Sia (Aunt) Gigette; so probably it was originally a Roncase recipe.

One day I'll do a geneology post to take this further but Sia Gigette was the wife of my grandfather's brother. She was my dad's favorite Aunt because he liked her, uh, direct and frank manner of speaking her mind on all issues. My mom often told a story about a lively conversation with Sia Gigette that went like. . . well. . . perhaps the content of that conversation is not entirely suitable for some of the tender eyes which may find their way to this blog.

At some point I will find the Grandmom Angelina Luzi recipe that mom and Aunt Mary Raimo made, or else Angela will find her way to this blog and provide it. And perhaps Charlotte or Ann or Anna will provide the Filomena Augustine recipe if they have it.

Don emailed that he makes ravioli with this filling every year with his grandchildren.

Augustine Chicken Ravioli Filling (From Don Augustine)

6 Cups of Chicken cooked and ground fine
3 Cups of pork cooked and ground fine
6 Large egg yolks (save the whites for the dough)
2 Cups of bread crumbs
2 Cups of locatelli cheese
2 Tsp of fresh nutmeg
3 Cups of chicken broth (make sure the broth is cool so it doesn’t cook the egg)
1 Tsp salt
½ Tsp black pepper
2 Tsp parsley

Refrigerate for 1 day and add seasoning if needed.

Makes enough for 10 doz. 4 inch shells, I use a one pound coffee can or a 16 oz tomato can and it’s just the right size for cutting the shells.

Note:
I usually make chicken soup and then use the chicken for the Raviolis, and when I say 6 cups it is 6 cups of ground chicken and the same for the pork it is measured after it is ground. Rule of thumb it will be about a ½ pound per cup

Note to self - arrange a ravioli making party

Last night at Sam's we had a great dinner with Delores and Samuel. After dinner I got talking with Samuel about the fact that excellent meat filled ravioli are available at Russo's market in Reading. That lead to remembrance of how great it was when Grandmom Luzi, mom and Aunt Mary Raimo made hundreds of ravioli with the meat and cooked them three ways.

Is there a food better than fried ravioli with powdered sugar, especially when topped off with a hearty plateful of ravioli with gravy and at least a few of the curly kind eaten white with grated cheese?

Angela surely has the recipe and the memory of how to make meat ravioli. Marianne has the rolling machine and perhaps she also has the grinder for the meat filling. Marianne probably also has mom's ravioli cutter and sealer, but if necessary we can cut them with a cup and seal them with a fork. It takes a long time to make ravioli for a big crowd but it's one of those meals which rewards almost as much by the camaraderie of the making as in the eating.

What holiday was reserved for meat ravioli? It wasn't Easter and it wasn't Christmas. It was probably New Years Day. Did they make the ravioli with leftover turkey from Christmas? Angela will know. How would one go about getting all the pieces of this project together?