Fried Ravioli with Marinara Sauce

Sometimes I go to a restaurant with my family and I only want items from the appetizers portion of the menu. Does this happen to you too? Whether it’s because I’m not in the mood for a big meal, or I’m just in the mood for some finger foods, sometimes a little appetizer is the way to go. After all, mozzarella sticks were one of my favorite indulgences as a child!

I actually decided to whip up these fried ravioli when I picked up this Mezzetta Napa Valley Homemade Marinara Sauce. It’s made in Napa Valley right here in Northern California. I love to support companies in my area, and this sauce smells like heaven right out of the jar. This sauce is made with 100% hand-selected plum tomatoes and contains no added sugar, no tomato paste, and no shortcuts. Just good old fashioned homemade sauce with the highest quality ingredients.

This jar caught my eye because it’s the same company that makes my husband and mother in laws favorite pepperoncinis that they love served alongside sandwiches and veggie trays.There’s just something to be said about a good, well-made tomato sauce. It invokes the most comforting recipes of comfort food in the fall and winter. Although the weather in my area is still in the triple digits, I’m longing for that cool fall breeze and all my favorite recipes and memories that come along with the change in seasons. Something that fall also brings along is shorter days and busy nights, which is why this is such a fun recipe whether it’s for an appetizer for dinner type of meal or a delicious appetizer to serve for those big family dinners on Sunday evenings with the whole family. These fried ravioli served with marinara sauce would also be a great addition to game day snacks, which is also something that comes along with the change in seasons. However it’s served, it’s a fun and simple dish that leaves more time for my favorite things, like family walks in the evening while the weather is cool and brisk, or more time for cuddles with the little ones before they drift off to sleep. We can always use some extra time, right?

For my fried ravioli I chose a combination package of ravioli that included tomato mozzarella and basil pesto. You might think some of my ravioli looks burnt, but it’s actually a darker color because of the pesto ravioli – they’re green! Both flavor ravioli tasted delicious fried, and since they were little ones they were so fun to dip in the delicious Mezzetta Napa Valley Homemade Marinara Sauce. A few days later I made them again with larger lobster stuffed ravioli flavor, and those were equally delicious. So play around with some of your own store bought or homemade ravioli flavors, as long as they are frozen beforehand, then dipped and fried, they’re sure to be delicious!

I chose to dip the ravioli in egg whites instead of milk and eggs or buttermilk, because I wanted a thinner layer of crunch. I love using Italian bread crumbs because they already have a bit of a seasoning to them and they’re easy to doctor up for whatever sort of meal you’re preparing.They also go perfectly with Mezzetta Napa Valley Homemade Sauces, which you can find in the pasta aisle at your local supermarket. There’s six different flavors for these amazing sauces, that you can use in such a wide variety of easy weeknight meals.

You can also enter to win your very own Perfect Pasta Night with a grand prize of all SIX Mezzetta Napa Valley Homemade Pasta Sauce flavors and plenty of other goodies to make it a fun night to eat in – like a fun chef hat and apron, recipe cards, a cheese grater and a $500 grocery gift card! There will also be ten (10) runners up that will receive six Mezzetta Napa Valley Homemade Pasta Sauces and recipe cards, so be sure to ENTER HERE!

Ingredients:

• 12 oz package ravioli in your choice of flavor
• 3 egg whites from large eggs
• 1 cup Italian bread crumbs
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• canola oil, for frying
• freshly shredded parmesan cheese
• fresh basil leaves, chopped
• Mezzetta Napa Valley Homemade Marinara Sauce, heated and placed in a bowl to dip

Directions:

Begin by preparing the breading. Combine the Italian bread crumbs, garlic salt, smoked paprika and black pepper in a dish deep enough to dip multiple ravioli in. Mix the seasoning until well combined.

In a separate dish, prepare the egg whites. Dip still frozen ravioli in the egg whites, being sure that both sides are dipped well into the whites.

Then drop the ravioli into the breading, being sure to coat both sides well.

Place on a platter or pan lined with parchment paper while you continue to coat the remaining ravioli.

Pour oil into a large frying pan, using enough oil to submerge the ravioli more than halfway in the oil. Fry ravioli on each side for about 2-3 minutes over medium heat. The ravioli will begin to puff in the middle when it’s ready to flip over.

Place fried ravioli on a baking sheet as you fry in small batches.

Spread the ravioli out on the baking sheet so that they’re evenly spaced apart. Sprinkle with shredded Parmesan cheese.

Then sprinkle with chopped basil leaves.

Place in oven under the broiler for just 30 seconds to one minutes – just until the cheese begins to melt.

Pop open your jar of Mezzetta Napa Valley Homemade Marinara Sauce, heating up enough sauce to serve with the fried ravioli. It smells amazing, so try to resist just eating the sauce from the jar with a spoon!

Once cheese has melted on the ravioli, place on a serving platter with a dipping bowl full of warmed up Mezzetta Napa Valley Homemade Marinara Sauce, adding a few basil leaves to the dipping sauce.

This is a delicious snack that looks like it was made with far more effort, but it’s so simple and tasty!

Enjoy!

What would you make with these amazing sauces?

Don’t forget to enter the contest to win your own assortment of sauces!