We have two versions of this ravioli appetizer for you: the quick, “cheater” version and the entirely from scratch one.
If you have friends coming over and want a different appetizer to share over a glass of wine or beer, you’ll find this is a tasty, different dish to make.
Ingredients
- 1 regular pkg ravioli
- 1/2 c Italian bread crumbs
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp water
- 1/2 c marinara or zesty pasta sauce
- 2 oz soft cheese (as noted above)
Instructions
- You'll need to pick up a package of pre-prepared ravioli (in whatever filling will work best for you and your guests), a small container or bag of Italian bread crumbs, a marinara or zesty tomato sauce as well as a package of cream, goat, ricotta cheese or a seasoned soft cheese like Boursin.
- Once you're home with your ingredients or pulled them out of your fridge, preheat your oven to 400 F while you start your prep. While your ravioli are cooking (according to instructions), grease a baking sheet and set aside. Drain your ravioli, pat dry with a paper towel and set aside to cool so you can handle them.
- Place your bread crumbs in one bowl and your egg/water mix in another. Dip the raviolis in the egg mixture until well coated then toss into the bread crumbs until thoroughly coated in crumbs. Once they're well coated, transfer to your greased baking sheet and lightly mist with a cooking or olive oil spray. Bake your raviolis until lightly browned, about 6 to 8 minutes.
- While your raviolis are baking, mix together the marinara/sauce with the soft cheese and serve with them.
For the ambitious cook, here’s the scratch version of ravioli’s.
Scratch-made Spinach Ravioli Appetizers
Cooking time: 60 to 70 minutes
Basic pasta
- 1 c flour
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp water
- 1/2 tsp fine kosher salt
In a medium sized bowl, combine your flour and salt then make a well in the flour and add the egg. The mixture should form a stiff dough. If needed, stir in 1 or 2 tablespoons of the water.
On a lightly floured surface, knead dough for 3 to 4 minutes. By hand or with a pasta machine, roll the dough out to desired thinness. if you have a ravioli cutter/form, by all means, use that. If not, you can use the rim of a small drinking glass or round cookie cutter to cut out your shells. If you don’t want to use the spinach filling, absolutely use another recipe or filling for this.
Once you have all of your shells cut out, you’re ready to fill them.
Spinach & Cheese filling
- 16 oz Ricotta cheese, drained on a paper towel
- 12 oz Spinach, stemmed and steamed
- 8 oz Parmesan or Asiago cheese
- 1 Egg
- 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
You’ll need to drain the ricotta on some paper towels, hang in some cheese cloth or in a fine mesh strainer for a few minutes. While the ricotta is draining, grate your Parmesan or Asiago cheese (you could do a combination of them too).
You’ll need to steam the spinach at this point, so set up your steamer (or you can use a colander) over a large pot filled with a couple inches of water. Bring the water to a boil and let simmer. Place the spinach in your steamer/colander and steam until tender. Squeeze as much water out of the spinach as you can and pat dry with a paper towel.
Combine spinach, ricotta, grated cheese, Italian herb mix and egg in a bowl then mix until spinach is broken apart and mixed well. Using a teaspoon, measure out 1/2 teaspoon amount of filling on one half of each shell of pasta. Using your finger and a small bowl of water, wet dough lightly all around and right to the filling. Fold the dough in half and carefully push down to seal the dough around each dollop of filling. Repeat until each ravioli is completed.
Boil in a pot of salted water for a minute or two and when the raviolis float, they’re done.
Repeat the steps above from draining the raviolis to completion and serve!!
#FoodPorn