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Some midwestern friends of mine have taken it upon themselves to bread and deep-fry ravioli and slather them with parmesan and marinara. They call it “toasted ravioli.” Apparently, they arrived at the “toasted” adjective because “deep-fried” sounded less appealing. I don’t know what an Italian traditionalist might think of this, but it tastes too good to care.
So many of us look forward to the closing days of summer: the start of football season, an early snowfall interrupting hopes of an extended fall. Whether it’s Friday night high school games, Saturday college showdowns or professional contests come Sunday, good game-day munchables are a must.
These toasted ravioli are 100% guaranteed to be a hit at any watch party. The filling I use is a slightly spicy ragu that starts with my special Italian sausage recipe. Keep this recipe handy, because it’s great to mix with game meat for meatballs, pizza topping or Bolognese sauce. Our household goes through a lot of this sausage.
But these fried pasta pockets aren’t complete without an insane amount of parmesan cheese on top. Sadly, some Americans have grown up thinking that parmesan comes from a green cardboard canister in the fridge. That stuff can’t come close to genuine parmesan. Look for a dotted rind to confirm you’re working with the real deal.
Rather than grating the parmesan wedge with a microplane, I aim for a crumbly texture that’s close to the consistency of sesame seeds. To get that, I pulse small chunks of parmesan in my food processor and let the results rain down on the “toasted” ravioli. Salty. Cheesy. Delicious.
Who’s ready to toast some ravioli?
ITALIAN SAUSAGE RECIPE
1 lb. ground pork
2 tsp (about 10 grams) kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 tbsp paprika
2 tsp Calabrian chili powder
1 tsp crushed red pepper
2 tsp fennel seed
2 tsp granulated garlic
optional: 1/4 cup dry white wine
PASTA
3 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour (about 300 grams)
OTHER INGREDIENTS
15 oz. quality tomato sauce
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
neutral cooking oil
your favorite homemade or store-bought marinara
Make the pasta first. Combine the eggs and flour by hand or in a mixer and knead for 10 minutes. The dough should be smooth and not sticky. If it’s too sticky, add another 1/4 cup of flour and continue to knead. A good knead is key to making good fresh pasta. Place the dough in a plastic sandwich bag and let it rest for at least half an hour.
Credit: Jon Bennion/MTFP
While the dough rests, combine the sausage ingredients and mix well. Sauté in a large pan on medium heat. Use a potato masher to break up the large pieces into a finer texture. Once the sausage is cooked, add the tomato sauce and let it reduce and blend with the meat for about 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the ragu come to room temperature.
Roll out your pasta into strips using a pasta machine or a rolling pin. You may not want to set the pasta machine to the thinnest setting, as that may produce a shell too delicate to contain the filling. The easiest ravioli shape to make is a 3” by 6” rectangle. Fill (but don’t overfill!) one end of the rectangle with ragu, dampen your finger with a bit of water and wet the edges, bring the other end of the rectangle over the top of the filling, and seal the edges by pressing with a fork. Get as much of the air out as you can before sealing them.
Credit: Jon Bennion/MTFP
Now set up your breading station with the three beaten eggs in a shallow bowl and the panko breadcrumbs in another. Individually bread each ravioli with the egg wash and then breadcrumbs, then place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Once breaded, allow the ravioli to rest in the fridge for 15-20 minutes, which helps the breading adhere.
In a deep-sided frying pan or dutch oven, bring the oil up to 350°. Fry the ravioli in batches until they’re golden brown, about 2-3 minutes. Don’t fry too many at once, as that will lower the temperature of the oil. Periodically check to keep the oil close to 350°.
You’re done. Sprinkle the “toasted” ravioli with a heavy dose of pulsed parmesan, dip in your favorite marinara sauce, and enjoy the games.
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