Toasted Ravioli

Who knew there was a national ravioli day? Personally, I don’t need a special day to have St. Louis’ favorite-Toasted Ravioli! Here, we have them frozen, in restaurants and get them delivered from every pizza place in town. If you can’t get here, here’s a close approximation. Note: In St. Louis, ‘toasted’ means ‘fried’.

Ingredients:

3 quarts water

2 Tablespoons salt

1 (17 ounce) bag frozen ravioli (meat or cheese)

1 cup canola oil

1 cup liquid egg whites

1 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs

1 cup prepared marinara, warmed through

¼ cup grated parmesan

Directions: Bring the water to a boil in a large pot. Add the salt. Drop in the frozen ravioli and stir gently to separate. Boil for 4 minutes.

While the ravioli are boiling, heat the oil in a large skillet on medium heat until shimmering, but not smoking. Place the egg whites and the bread crumbs into two separate, wide, shallow bowls.

Gently drain the ravioli into a colander. Working in batches, place the ravioli in the egg whites and then into the bread crumbs and turn to coat. Place the ravioli in the hot oil and cook for 3-4 minutes per side or until golden. Drain on paper towels. Place the marinara in a bowl and add in some of the parmesan. Sprinkle the rest of the parmesan over the ravioli.