Fourth-Generation Ravioli: Pineville Tavern’s Old Country Recipe
“Take me to flavor town, son.” That’s what Guy Fieri said when he watched the team at Pineville Tavern in Pineville, Pennsylvania prepare their signature Pork, Beef and Veal Ravioli—a dish with roots stretching back to the Abruzzi family’s great-grandmother Clara, who brought the recipes over from the old country.
This isn’t just any tavern serving pub grub. A whole section of Pineville Tavern’s menu comes straight from the family cookbook, and the ravioli has been passed down through four generations. As one satisfied diner put it during the segment: “Half ravioli, two meatballs—the meatballs and the raviolis are just to die for.”
The Triple Meat Filling
What sets these ravioli apart starts with the meat. The kitchen uses a precise one-third, one-third, one-third ratio of beef, veal, and pork. Guy watched as they cooked the meat nice and hot, breaking it apart thoroughly—”we don’t want any big chunks,” the chef explained. His response? “You know what, you just don’t see it at fairs anymore—meat pops.”
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The seasoning is straightforward but purposeful: minced shallot, minced garlic, salt, black pepper, and just a touch of granulated garlic. The key is restraint—”a little bit, not a lot at all”—since there’s also garlic in the marinara sauce. The meat mixture cools completely before combining with what Guy called “Mount Vesuvius of ricotta.”
Building the Cheese Filling
That mountain of ricotta gets enriched with about a dozen eggs, Parmesan, mozzarella cheese, grated locally-sourced Romano, chopped flat-leaf parsley, salt, and fresh ground black pepper. After mixing for two to three minutes, it combines with the cooled meat filling—measured with what the chef jokingly called “very precise” technique.
The pasta dough itself couldn’t be simpler. “It’s flour and eggs,” the chef said. “It’s like music to my ears,” Guy replied. Three minutes of mixing, a rest period, then through the pasta sheeter. They start at the thickest setting (seven), adding flour to prevent sticking, then progressively thin it down—doing what they call “the triple” to get it through settings three, two, and finally one.
The Fork That Seals the Deal
Watching the filling technique—piping bag straight up and down, rolling over, cupping with one hand while guiding with the other—Guy couldn’t resist: “What is this, Karate Kid?”
For sealing, they use a simple fork. “That without question is the ultimate ravioli tool,” Guy declared. The restaurant even had one made specially for him.
The marinara stays basic and authentic: olive oil, garlic, and San Marzano canned Italian plum tomatoes. Finished with fresh chopped parsley and grated locally-sourced Romano.
The Verdict
Guy’s reaction said it all: “That is all thriller, no filler. You got the balance, exact amount of creaminess, you taste the texture in the ricotta still, then you get the texture of the meat and the flavor’s right on point with it. The marinara adds that acid, a little bit of that sting from some of that cheese right on top of it.”
Another taster at the table summed up what makes handmade pasta special: “Homemade cheese ravioli is so nice and thin and fresh and delicious and light—that’s how you really tell this homemade ravioli.”
If you’re hunting for more Italian-American comfort food from Triple D, check out a Brisket Melt or explore something completely different like a Roasted CARROT Pizza. You can find Pineville Tavern and hundreds of other Guy-approved spots in our restaurant directory.