I LIKE stuffed pasta -- ravioli, agnollotti, tortellini, cappelletti, you name it -- as much as the next person. But there's a world of difference between eating stuffed pasta and making it. Eating it takes 10 minutes; making it takes hours, and real work, no matter how many shortcuts you take.

There are, of course, people who love to cook so much that every challenge -- like making fresh pasta, rolling it out, stuffing it and closing it -- is accepted eagerly. I was once one of them.

But for the most part, the history of stuffed pasta is a history of labor-intensive work by servants, housewives and even children. Convincing people today that this is a good use of their time is not an easy task.

Deconstructed, however, ravioli and the like are pretty easy. You make the filling and form it into shapes, like small meatballs. Serve it with pasta that you made yourself or that you bought, and top it with sauce.This may not be as pretty as ravioli or tortellini, but once in your mouth it's indistinguishable from them.

There is an Italian name for pasta stuffing that is served outside of the pasta: nudi, as in naked ravioli. Often, nudi are served without any pasta at all, as a starter. I like them, however, on pasta, either with a light tomato sauce or -- as in this recipe -- with butter, sage and Parmesan. It's fresh ravioli made realistic.

Naked Ravioli (Ravioli Nudi)
Time: 30 minutes

1/2 pound each veal and pork, or other ground meats
1 egg
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, more for garnish
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
1/4 cup minced onion
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound fresh or dried pasta, any kind
4 tablespoons butter
20 sage leaves.

1. In a bowl, combine meat with egg, cheese, parsley, onion, and salt and pepper. Mix well but do not knead. Form into balls 1/2 inch in diameter. Refrigerate until ready to cook. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it.
2. Cook meatballs in water for about 5 minutes; remove with a slotted spoon and keep warm. Cook pasta in same water until tender but not mushy. Meanwhile, in a medium pot cook butter and sage together until butter is light brown, about 5 minutes.

3. Before draining pasta, reserve a bit of its cooking water. Drain pasta, then toss it with butter-sage mixture and enough reserved water to make it saucy. Top with meatballs and serve, passing grated Parmesan at the table.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings.