📍 Missouri

St. Louis toasted ravioli

· Street food

Breaded ravioli fried until golden, served with Parmesan cheese and marinara sauce for dipping.

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St. Louis toasted ravioli: Breaded ravioli fried until golden, served with Parmesan cheese and marinara sauce for dipping.
Photo: Timothy Boyd · CC BY 2.0 · via Wikimedia CommonsPhoto resized, converted to WebP and cropped for display.
⏱ 35 min🍽 4 servings📊 Easy🏷 Commonly associated
Preparation
20 min
Cooking
15 min
Waiting and resting
0 min

History

They are associated with The Hill neighborhood of St. Louis, with its strong Italian heritage. According to local legend, around the 1950s a restaurant cook accidentally dropped some ravioli into hot oil instead of water, and the accident was such a hit that it became a specialty. They are served as a crispy appetizer.

Ingredients

Adjust quantities

Only numeric quantities at the start of an ingredient are adjusted. Descriptive quantities, seasoning to taste and timings remain unchanged; check them when changing servings.

Preparation

  1. 1

    Coat each ravioli in flour, then egg, and finally breadcrumbs mixed with oregano.

  2. 2

    Heat the oil to 180°C.

  3. 3

    Fry the ravioli in batches until golden and crispy.

  4. 4

    Drain them on paper towels and sprinkle with Parmesan right away.

  5. 5

    Serve hot with marinara sauce for dipping.

Cooking tips

  • Use already cooked, cold and dry ravioli; meat-filled ravioli are not vegetarian.

Technique and preparation

What to check during preparation

For this version, ravioli should be precooked, cold and thoroughly drained before breading. Shake off excess flour so egg adheres, then gently press on crumbs without damaging seams. Fry small batches and never add ravioli carrying loose water. Brown the coating evenly and ensure the filling is hot. Drain on a rack and serve sauce separately to preserve crispness.

References to consult

References provide information about the dish, its context or a technique. Quantities in this version may differ from those in the source.

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