This Italian delicacy, known commonly as ravioli, did not arrive in Spain until the 1960s and was only served in posh restaurants. In the last decade chefs have emerged who sold freshly made ravioli and even some who made them with homemade stuffing.

Later came canned ravioli, which were OK if you added a bit of curry, oregano, soy sauce thyme and mint. Now ravioli are sold vacuum-packed, although making them at home is still a culinary adventure worth watching.

Ravioli are made of two thin slices of fresh pasta with stuffing between them. The ingredients for the dough are half a kilo of flour, six medium-size eggs, a pinch of salt and a dash of olive oil. Knead the mix of wheat and eggs, and let it sit in the refrigerator under thin paper for at least two hours. Then spread it out on a board sprinkled with flour and stretch it very thin. To do this you can use a device designed specifically for this purpose or moulds that work quicker.

Once stretched out, cut the pasta with a pasta-cutter. This process is known in Spain as troquelar, or to stamp out. Then stuff the pieces with whatever ingredient you want so long as it is not too liquid. Seal the ravioli by pressing gently along the four edges. Again let these pieces sit in the refrigerator for an hour, and finally boil them in water with salt and a bit of oil for just four or five minutes at a low flame so they don't break open. And here is a tip: once they've cooled, you can fry the ravioli at 140 degrees until they are crunchy. You can also freeze them, and they will store for up to three months.

The stuffing is up to your imagination: cheese with onion and carrot, fish, shellfish, wild boar, partridge, venison, roe deer, and even stew or duck � l'orange. Ravioli can be stuffed with any ingredient or mix of ingredients that comes to mind. One example is white sausage seasoned with spices, served with a thick, homemade tomato sauce that Argentines call� tuco. It's delicious. The secret is to sprinkle them with freshly grated Parmesan cheese, although you can also use Gruyere, which is milder and creamier, always a hit with connoisseurs of cheese.

The sauces served with ravioli deserve a special mention because raviolis don't live on tomato alone. Their ally on the dinner table can be a consomm�, a sauce with herbs or vegetables, a saut� mix with vegetables or butter, and cheese on top. But the best sauce for this pasta is a mix of tomato, honey, red pepper, basil and oregano. Prepare it like a cream sauce and serve it chilled, like ketchup.