Becky’s Best Vol. XI: Our Flavorful Christmas Tradition

By Rebecca Parr on November 27, 2023

I get asked over and over about my family’s holiday traditions and none are more prominent than our annual ravioli making for Christmas dinner.

Each December, the heart of our home is filled with the aroma of spices and the sound of large pots gurgling with boiling water and sauce (And yes, its sauce, NOT gravy-that’s what goes on mashed potatoes!)

Making these cheese-stuffed beauties transcends the tradition of exchanging gifts, glittering lights, and festive decorations. The family recipe, passed down through the years, becomes our sacred guide, its pages stained with memories of Christmases past. It’s a day of sharing stories, lots of laughter and our ongoing debates over the correct thickness of pasta dough!

We typically make 100-150 of them the day after Thanksgiving with all hands-on deck and freeze them until Christmas day. It’s really about the joy of coming together to create something extraordinary and knowing that our parents and grandparents would appreciate us carrying on the tradition.

My brother Carmen, my sister-in-law, Kim and nephews Chase and Austin are always ready to roll up their sleeves on the day of preparation. They come armed with rolling pins, wearing aprons and dive into pounds of ricotta cheese, dozens of eggs, and chopped parsley; flour flying everywhere. It’s an intricate dance of dough and filling. The creations are laid on cookie sheets and are the size of an index card. I remember my parents using a floured flat sheet with ravioli spread all over their bed! We now place them in a freezer and put approximately 10 raviolis inside a gallon-sized plastic bag to remain frozen until the holiday.      

No one in our family has ever had anything else to eat on Christmas day. The competition is always heated to see who can eat the most. So far, my nephew Chase and grandfather are tied at seven! I ate two!  

Our sauce is tomato based made with either braciole, short ribs, neckbones and the occasional homemade meatball. Our ravioli tradition stands as a testament to the enduring power of shared experiences and lots of love. We carry with us the flavors of Christmas—flavors that linger not just on our taste buds but in our hearts, ensuring that the magic of this festive tradition endures for generations to come.

Happy holidays, from our kitchen to yours

The Parr’s

becky@hummermower.com