Crisp Ravioli with Quick Roasted Tomato Sauce

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Eating something stuffed with cheese, breaded, then deep fried in a vat of oil is a treat for special occasions. I don’t think my body would like me very much if I ate food like that daily, but my taste buds might love me.  That’s where recipes like this one for crisp ravioli (from Cooking Light) come into play. It’s a perfect compromise of delicious indulgence and wholesome practicality. You get the rich taste and crispy texture of deep-fried luxury without using an entire bottle of oil (which stinks up your kitchen, clogs up your heart, and is just plain laborious). If you’ve read any of my previous posts here at Handle the Heat, you might have noticed that recipes like this one are my favorite to post because they feature my personal favorite trifecta: quick, delicious, fresh.

Ease: While this isn’t as easy as simply boiling ravioli, the lovely crisp texture is worth the extra time and effort.
Appearance: I’ll admit that when I was making this recipe I was a little skeptical because they didn’t have the uniform deep-golden appearance that deep-fried & breaded ravioli has. However, once I plated the ravioli for this recipe with the bright red tomatoes and green julienne of basil it started to look pretty tasty.
Pros: Just as tasty as deep-fried ravioli without the mess or grease. I also loved the pops of color and freshness from the tomato and basil.
Cons: A little bit more laborious than simply boiling ravioli.
Would I make this again? Probably!

Crisp Ravioli with Quick Roasted Tomato Sauce
Serves 4
From Cooking Light September 2010

• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 cup  panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
• 1/4 cup  (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 1 (9-ounce) package fresh ravioli
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 4 cups grape tomatoes, halved (about 2 pints)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

1. Combine 2 tablespoons water and egg in a shallow dish, mixing well. Using a fork, combine panko and cheese in a shallow dish. Dip each ravioli in egg mixture then coat in panko mixture.

2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons oil to pan to coat. Add half of ravioli to pan in a single layer; sauté 1 minute on each side or until golden. Remove ravioli from pan using a slotted spoon; drain on paper towels. Keep warm. Repeat procedure with remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil and ravioli. Wipe skillet with paper towels.

3. Add tomatoes, salt, and pepper to pan; sauté 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic to pan; sauté 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Divide ravioli evenly among 4 plates; top each serving with 1/2 cup tomato sauce. Serve with a leafy green side salad for a complete, wholesome meal.