Toasted Ravioli.

I served small plates of these to guests with little ramekins of marinara sauce as appetizers. It went over really well and many of the guests had never heard of toasted ravioli before, so everyone was interested to try it. I’ve managed to get the hang of frying, so I can quickly and easily keep a continuous stream of fried treats coming out of the pot. The trick is to be organized and to get a good staging area. It does take a little space to set everything up, but it makes everything move like clockwork.

You can either buy fresh ravioli or make your own. Fresh ravioli can be found in the refrigerated sections of many grocery stores. Don’t use the canned stuff though, it’s covered in sauce and not as good quality as the fresh versions. The homemade or fresh raviolis don’t need to be precooked. They are already soft and ready to use, frying will take care of any remaining cooking that needs to be done.

Ingredients
The ingredients can be scaled to make more.
Fresh ravioli
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 egg, beaten
1 cup panko bread crumbs
oil for deep frying

Directions
The first thing is to get all your hardware ready and in it’s place. Take out three shallow bowls, two large plates, and some paper towel. Mix the flour, salt, and pepper together in the first bowl, the beaten egg goes in the next, and the bread go in the last. Arrange the bowls so you can go from one to the next, with a final rest on one of the large plates before going into the fryer.
Your order should be 1)Flour -> 2)Egg ->3)Breadcrumbs -> 4)Plate.
So coat each ravioli with flour, then transfer them to the egg mixture. Make sure the egg gets everywhere over the ravioli or the bread crumbs will not stick. Press the breadcrumbs into the ravioli and then transfer to the plate to rest.
Once the ravioli has rested for a few minutes (to allow the batter to set). Place them into the 350-375F oil until they become golden brown (about 1-3 minutes).
Remove the hot ravioli to your remaining plate lined with paper towels to cool slightly before serving.

It might not look like the most attractive dish in the world, but it was eaten pretty quickly.

Why add the vodka? It comes down to the solubility of different compounds in foods. Solubility just means that one thing is able to dissolve into another. Just because something dissolves in water doesn’t mean that it will dissolve in everything else (try adding salt to oil and stir as much as you want, it won’t dissolve like it does in water). This is not just true for solids, but liquids too; fats and oils will dissolve in alcohol, but not in water (think about what happens when you add olive oil to water). In short, both water and fats are soluble in alcohol so it helps spread more flavors more evenly throughout the dish. Wine can be used, but a neutral spirit, vodka, was chosen to avoid the additional flavors found in wine.

Penne with salmon vodka cream sauce.

Directions

1. Bring the tomato sauce just to a simmer over medium to med-high heat in a large skillet. Add the vodka and stir until it is absorbed. Let simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes or until the sauce has thickened slightly.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the penne and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes (check the pasta packet). It should still be firm, but cooked through. Drain.
3. About 6-7 minutes into the cooking time of the pasta, add the cream to the sauce and stir to combine. Then sprinkle evenly with parmesan and stir until it is melted and well incorporated. Add the drained salmon, trying not to break it into too many tiny peices.
4. Combine the drained pasta with the sauce and toss to coat.

This simple, straightforward sauce can be enjoyed on its own or adapted in any number of ways. Add some broth or water to make a thin sauce, add large amounts of vegtables to make a refreshing spring/summer pasta, add some meats, spices, herbs, whatever you have–don’t be afraid to experiment.

A pot of basic marinara sauce.

I typically use canned crushed tomatoes to cut down on the amount of processing I have to do. The small chunks that remain make the sauce appear more rustic and traditional than if it is blended smooth.

For a simpler sauce, omit the carrots and celery, use only one onion, and add a few tablespoons of some herbs like thyme, basil, and parsley. (I usually avoid oregano as it’s more Greek than Italian and quickly overpowers the other ingredients of the dish.)

This recipe makes plenty of sauce (about 6 cups, 48 ounces) but I sometimes double it if I am making a batch to freeze.

The sauce is also vegetarian/vegan friendly.

Basic Marinara Sauce:
You get extra points if you replace the crushed tomatoes with whole canned Italian tomatoes, remove the seeds, and crush them with the back of a spoon.
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 small onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
4 to 6 basil leaves
2 dried bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (optional)

Directions

1. In a large pot or dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat.
2. Add the onion and garlic and saute until the onion softens (2-4 minutes).
3. Add the carrot, celery, salt, and pepper to the party. Stir occasionally and saute until everything softens (5-7 minutes).
4. Next add the tomatoes, basil and bay leaves. Cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for about an hour to thicken. (If it doesn’t thicken after an hour, continue simmering with the lid off.)
5. Fish out the bay leaf and taste. Some canned tomatoes are more acidic than others, so tasting is crucial. If the sauce is acidic, add 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter, mix in and taste again. Repeat if needed. (Alternatively, I’ve also seen other recipes call for a pinch of sugar–sugar will keep it vegetarian/vegan.)
6. I typically leave as is, but if a smoother sauces is needed, blend in batches in either a food processor or blender.

Sauce can be frozen in portions in plastic freezer bags. To thaw, place the bag if the fridge overnight, or if in a hurry, soak the bag in warm water.

Close up of sauce.