Lucia was born in the rolling hills of Parma, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy – a place famous not just for its Parmigiano Reggiano and prosciutto, but also for its rich, slow-cooked beef ravioli di carne.

Her mother, Nonna Caterina, was known throughout their village for making the most delicate pasta dough – she could feel when it was ready with her eyes closed. Her father, Giovanni, a butcher by trade, taught her how to choose the best beef mince and cook it until tender enough to make angels weep. It was a marriage of skills – Caterina’s pasta, Giovanni’s meat – and from that union, Lucia inherited a legacy in dough and flavour.

As a girl, Lucia would stand on a wooden stool beside her mother, tiny fingers pinching the ravioli shut while the aromas of fresh herbs and spices and simmering beef drifted through the kitchen. Every Sunday, the extended family would gather – dozens of ravioli, a pot of brodo, and laughter that echoed through generations.

Lucia eventually took over the Sunday feasts. But while others tried to modernise their recipes, she never strayed from the old ways: semolina, hand-rolled sheets, and beef that simmered low and slow for hours. Her ravioli aren’t just food – they’re a story passed from one strong woman to another, wrapped in dough and sealed with love.

Today, Lucia says:

“A good ravioli must have a story inside – you should taste where it came from.”