Dishes · A classic of Lyonnais · Romans-sur-Isère, in the Dauphiné
Ravioles du Dauphiné
Also Ravioles de Romans, Ravioles
Tiny squares of pasta filled with cheese, fromage blanc and parsley, poached in stock for a minute or baked in cream.
What makes it ravioles du dauphiné
Very small — about the size of a fingertip.
A filling of hard cheese, fresh cheese and parsley, no meat.
Poached briefly in stock.
Where it comes from
They are usually traced to Italian workers who came to the Dauphiné, around Romans and the Isère valley, bringing ravioli with them; without meat to hand, the filling became cheese and herbs. That's the common telling rather than a settled fact.
They're made in sheets of dozens of small squares, and the name is now protected. They cook in moments, so they're often dropped into simmering stock or baked in a gratin with cream.
How it varies
Gratin de ravioles
Baked in a dish with cream and a little more cheese.