Fried Ravioli

Active Time:

25 mins

Total Time:

45 mins

Servings:

4 to 6

Crunchy, buttery, and crispy, these seasoned cheese ravioli seem deep-fried despite just a quick trip into a hot oven. The cacio e pepe dip is the texture of a creamy dressing, with an umph and umami saltiness from the cheeses and a good dose of pepper. Make a double batch of the dip and serve it with fresh vegetables or fried chicken — you won’t be disappointed. We like cheese ravioli here, but feel free to try with mushroom, tomato, or spinach varieties as well.

Fried ravioli with cacio-pepe dip. — Food & Wine / Photo by Hannah Hufham / Food Styling by Marianne Williams / Prop Styling by Josh Hoggle

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you need to boil the ravioli before frying?

The ravioli needs to be cooked before frying, but you don’t have to boil it. You can also pan-fry the ravioli, though we prefer to boil it so the outside of the ravioli becomes stickier, allowing for the butter and breadcrumbs to adhere.
Can you deep fry instead of oven-fry?

You can deep fry these ravioli, but the result is so similar to the oven-frying and air-frying that we don’t find it necessary to heat up a big pot of fryer oil.

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

Air frying the ravioli results in even more deeply browned ravioli than baking.

Make ahead

The ravioli are best served immediately but the dip can be covered and refrigerated for up to one week.

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Ingredients

2 (9-ounce) packages refrigerated fresh three-cheese square ravioli
1/3 cup whole buttermilk
1/4 cup sour cream
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon onion powder
5 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
4 tablespoons grated Pecorino Romano cheese, divided
1 3/4 teaspoons freshly ground ground black pepper, divided, plus more for garnish
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1 1/2 cups Italian-style seasoned dried breadcrumbs
3/4 cup (6 ounces) unsalted butter
Cooking spray
Finely chopped parsley

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. Reduce heat of boiling water to a simmer over medium. Add ravioli; cook, stirring once gently, until just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to prepared baking sheet and spread into an even layer so that no ravioli stick together. Let cool for 10 minutes.
Preheat oven to 425°F. While ravioli cools, whisk together buttermilk, sour cream, garlic powder, onion powder, 3 tablespoons of the Parmigiano-Reggiano, 2 tablespoons of the Pecorino, 3/4 teaspoon of the black pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt in a medium bowl. Set aside until ready to serve.
Line another rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and place a wire rack on top; set aside. Stir together breadcrumbs, remaining 2 tablespoons Parmigiano-Reggiano, remaining 2 tablespoons Pecorino, remaining 1 teaspoon black pepper, and remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt in a shallow dish. Melt butter in a medium microwave safe bowl. Working in batches, dip ravioli into melted butter and transfer to breadcrumb mixture. Turn and gently pat to coat. Place onto wire rack, flat-side down, and continue with remaining ravioli. Spray generously with cooking spray. Flip raviolis and evenly spray again with cooking spray. Place in oven and bake until golden brown and crispy, turning once halfway through and coating again generously with cooking spray, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly on baking sheet, about 5 minutes. Place on plates or a large platter and garnish with parsley. Sprinkle black pepper over cacio e pepe dip and serve with hot ravioli.

Air Fryer Method

Prepare ravioli as directed through breading step. Preheat an air fryer to 390°F. Working in batches, spray ravioli evenly with cooking spray and place in an even layer in air fryer. Cook until golden brown and crispy on both sides, about 10 minutes, flipping once and spraying with more cooking spray halfway through.

Fried Ravioli with Cacio e Pepe Dip