ascoLi piceno
It would seem that the name comes from the medie-
val Latin CARNIVAL “carne levare”, meaning “to remove
the meat” from the daily diet, in compliance with the
ban in the Catholic religion to eat meat during the for-
ty days of Lent.
Even today, the Carnival period is an occasion to have
fun but it is also an opportunity to eat traditional foods
that vary from town to town.
It is not Carnival time in Ascoli Piceno if you do not eat
the chicken ravioli “incaciati” (sprinkled with cheese)
and the fried, sweet and sour ravioli.
This laborious recipe from ancient origins is exclusive
to Ascoli Piceno, in fact there are no records found
anywhere else in the country.
The ravioli, in both versions, boiled and fried, are the
main characteristics of the dishes served throughout
the carnival period, and are eaten at lunch, as snacks
and at dinner, from Thursday to Shrove Tuesday.
The main ingredient for the filling is boiled chicken
with added beef, pork and stale bread, the amount of
this last ingredient, in a sense, determined the social
status of the family, in fact the least well-to-do ones
used up such huge amounts of bread that the name
was changed to “ravioli di pane” (ravioli of bread) or
“papa”
In the recipe, precise quantities are not used, every fa-
mily has their own and, as with the more well-known
recipe of stuffed olives, everyone believes that their
preparation is the best. The main ingredients are: a
whole chicken, the same amount of pork and beef so
