Ingredients:
16 to 20 oz fresh ravioli
for the breading:
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon chervil
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons water or milk
for the sauce:
14 oz canned diced tomato
1 clove garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon chervil
1 teaspoon oregano
Directions:
In a shallow bowl mix together the bread crumbs, oregano and chervil. Beat the egg yolk and water together in a small bowl. Dip each ravioli in the egg then toss it in the bread crumbs. Set aside.
In skillet, heat 1/2 inch oil. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat the olive oil and then saute the shallot and garlic until fragrant. Add the tomatoes and spices. Simmer until it thickens slightly, stirring occasionally. Fry the ravioli in batches, flipping once, until golden. Drain on paper towel lined plates. Serve hot or at room temperature with warm tomato dipping sauce.
My thoughts:
Toasted ravioli is a fun appetizer with St. Louis roots. There are a lot of stories surrounding their creation. Some think it was based on a sweet ravioli dish that was popular in Italy and adapted into a savory version by Italian immigrants in the US. Other reports date back to the 1940s when any one of a number of St. Louis chefs may have accidentally dropped ravioli into boiling oil rather than water. How that explains the breading is beyond me but it is a cute story. Regardless of the origin, toasted (sounds so much better than fried, right?) ravioli is an extremely satisfying appetizer or snack. They are crisp and especially delicious when dipped into a tomato sauce.
I had never heard of toasted ravioli before but they sound like a great snack!
One of my favorite appetizers. Yum.
Sounds like a perfect snack for the superbowl this weekend!
I absolutely LOVE toasted ravioli but have never made them. I know you are not a big football fan but these will be great when watching the Super Bowl this Sunday. Thanks!!
I’m a St. Louis girl myself and I’m looking forward to trying out this recipe myself! One little thought to pass on to everyone (especially those working this recipe for the Super Bowl Parties) is that right after they come out of the oil – give them a little sprinkle of a yummy Parmesan. So good!
Mmmm, looks fantastic! My husband blogged about our adventures w/grilled ravioli, inspired by toasted rav, a while back. Yours looks a whole lot better! wordstoeatby.blogspot.com/2005/08/broiled-or-grilled-ravioli.html
I LOVE toasted ravioli and those look awesome!!
beautiful!
What a fun appetizer!
Absolutely beautiful. Lovely dish!! Great for this weekend. I am so adding this to my ever growing list of Must trys!!!
As a lifelong St. Louisan I salute you for sharing this recipe with the world. Toasted ravioli is by far my favorite appetizer of all time. It’s so interesting how something so delicious can remain so local. You can get toasted ravs at just about any restaurant in St. Louis, but I have never seen them anywhere outside of the area. Anyway, thanks for the recipe. And out of curiosity Rachel, how did you become acquainted with this dish?
Ted- I don’t remember where I first learned about toasted ravioli. In a novel maybe? I am always interested in regional foods and tuck away that info for future posts.
This looks like a great little appetizer. Thanks for the inspiration!
Yum Yum Yum! I just made fresh ravioli a few days ago and I love this as an appy idea 🙂 Thanks!
Ted, I live in the same general area as Rachel, and I’ve had them as appetizers at restaurants for several years.
Can’t wait to try this – it looks yummy and certainly less messier than the recipe I’ve been following.
Anne,
Glad to hear that the toasted rav is expanding beyond St. Louis. Now we just need to share gooey butter cake and provel cheese with the rest of the country.
fabulous! i can finally use those ravioli lurking in the freezer! another great idea. launched my own food blog last week – pop over if you get a chance!
cheers,
*heather*
squirrelbread.wordpress.com
I worked in an Italian Restaurant about 10 years ago, and these were a regular item on our menu – SUPER DELICIOUS!
I had forgotten about this dish and am excited to try it again!
Fried pasta is a delicacy anyone can appreciated.