Cacio e Pepe Ravioli

"Cacio e Pepe [say: kah-cheeoh eh peh-peh] is a deceptively simple Italian pasta dish that you may have seen on the menu the last time you visited a Rome-inspired restaurant. The name just means, “cheese and pepper,” and that pretty much sums it up. It is typically served on spaghetti, as it is in our frozen Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe. But now, we’ve delivered the flavor of this traditional sauce in an unexpected form: ravioli! Trader Joe’s Cacio e Pepe Ravioli is just what you’d imagine if you know the sauce. Our Italian supplier makes girasoli pasta (literally “sunflower” pasta) from durum wheat semolina and includes coarsely ground black pepper in the dough. They worked hard at finding the right grind—large enough to crunch, but not so coarse that it ripped through the rolled out dough. The sun-shaped pockets are filled with a creamy mixture that includes ricotta cheese, cream, and PDO Pecorino Romano. In fact, they whip these ingredients together to ensure a smooth and soft filling. The combination of the filling with the peppery pasta pillows creates a Cacio e Pepe experience, distinctly wrapped in ravioli."