John Francis Designs

10/27/2026

I will never get tired of the subtle fade from heartwood to sap wood walnut can provide, especially when it happens on the Sunburst molds! Golden hour, setting sun vibes every time.

10/26/2026

Inspiration comes from all kinds of places, and I think it works best when you feed it and give it a little nudge now and then.

For years I've collected little odds and ends from antique shops and sellers, especially these little brass jewelry stampings. I hot-glue magnets to the back and have them up in my carving room, where I can look at them and let them percolate.

I loved the shape of this eccentric earring. The form reminded me of an eccentric torus I carved 8ish years ago, I was working through carving different solid forms on a lark.

Who know when the seed was planted, or how long it was quietly kicking around in the back of my mind? Eventually those little connections came together in a new, edible form.

Swipe through to see how a vintage earring and an old carving found their way into a new ravioli design!

You never quite know what might inspire the next thing.

10/25/2026

Fall is my favorite food season, mostly because of the soups and stews, but pumpkin ravioli is right there!

Whether you decide to go extra and top a pork & pumpkin lasagna with pumpkin ravioli, or more traditional served in a pumpkin butter sauce with pistachios and pepitas, you can't go wrong.

07/24/2026

Tomato season felt like the perfect excuse to finally make a tomato ravioli mold. 🍅 Honestly, I can't believe it took me this long!

I'm so happy with how it came out, and if you need ideas for what to fill these little tomatoes with, Pasta Social Club has already worked her magic. Go check out her recipe, it's a guaranteed hit!

The mold is live in my shop!

07/14/2026

I had a few leftover chili pepper ravioli in the freezer, and decided to try my hand at ravioli fritti!

After a quick thaw on a wire rack, I gave them a flour dredge, egg wash, and breadcrumb coating before dropping them into the fryer. Crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside, and way easier than I expected!

The hot sauce I worked into the pasta dough somehow became even more pronounced after frying, while the ricotta and bacon filling stayed warm, rich, and smoky.

If you have a few extra ravioli tucked away in the freezer, I can't recommend trying this enough.

07/03/2026

Hot take: ravioli might be even better cold. ☀️

One of my favorite ways to eat ravioli during the summer is tossed into a pasta salad, and these little Sunburst Ravioletti are pretty much made for it. They're bite-sized, so you can skip the knife and fork at the picnic table.

This version is one of my go-to's: tomatoes, basil, olives, fresh mozzarella, lemon zest, lemon juice, plenty of good olive oil and cracked black pepper.

Endlessly riffable, fill them with bacon and ricotta for a BLT-inspired pasta salad with crisp lettuce and tomatoes. Toss them with pesto and roasted vegetables. Add grilled chicken with a creamy green goddess dressing. Honestly, if it belongs in a pasta salad, it probably belongs with ravioli too.
Cook once, eat cold all week!

I'm accepting pasta salad combination recommendations in the comments! 🤤

06/29/2026

If it’s going to be this hot, your ravioli might as well match. 🌶️

New Chili Pepper mold is live in my shop!

03/30/2026