September 29, 2020
When I lived in St. Louis, there were some classics that I fell in love with: Imo's pizza made with Provel cheese, Bogart's barbecue, gooey butter cake, Ted Drewes custard.... But one of my favorites was toasted ravioli. T-ravs, as my partner affectionately calls them, are crispy, crunchy, savory, and delicious. We were recently gifted an air fryer by parents, so it seemed as good a time as any to try my hand at making toasted ravioli at home. These could easily be baked in the oven or fried in oil the more traditional way, but I'll outline how I made them using the air fryer for a lighter variation on the classic.
Ingredients
The ingredients here are very simple (unless you're planning to make homemade pasta):
- Ravioli of choice (thaw and pat dry if frozen)
- Egg
- Panko breadcrumbs
- Garlic powder
- Italian seasoning
- Cayenne
- Black pepper
- Salt
Bread Your Ravs
Crack your egg into a bowl and whisk to create an egg wash. In a separate bowl, mix your panko breadcrumbs, garlic powder, italian seasoning, cayenne, pepper, and salt. Dip each ravioli in the egg wash followed by coating in the breadcrumb mixture.
Fry 'em Up
Pre-heat your air fryer to 350 F. Once heated, spray the inside grate with oil. Lay your ravioli in a single layer inside, making sure not to over-crowd so as to leave room for air circulation. Cook your ravioli for 8-9 minutes. This will result in golden brown and crispy ravioli exterior. Serve alongside warmed marinara or your preferred dipping sauce.
And that's it! T-ravs can be served as a warm appetizer or paired with a vegetable side dish for a complete dinner. This won't quite compare to toasted ravioli from the deli section of Schnuck's, but it will do in a pinch.