Easy Pan Fried Ravioli Appetizer
This easy and delicious Pan Fried Ravioli appetizer is a lifesaver if unexpected guests stop by! Crispy ravioli on the outside with a warm cheesy center! Perfect for dipping and there’s no egg-coating or bread-coating or boiling required!
It’s also a perfect game day or the holiday appetizer and only takes minutes to make!
Just whip up pan seared ravioli and serve these crispy pasta bites with your favorite marinara or pesto dipping sauce!
Use fresh or frozen ravioli for this easy appetizer! Crispy pasta outside with a warm cheesy inside!
You’ll love this recipe!
No need to spend money on frozen pizza rolls when you can make a similar Italian snack at home!
- Quick and easy – this pan seared ravioli recipe is super simple
- Affordable – a pound of ravioli costs less than 5$
- Minimal prep – No breadcrumbs, no egg, no coating! Just thawed pasta
- Kids love these!
- Versatile – use whatever kind of stuffed pasta you like! And the shape of the ravioli doesn’t matter – use round ravioli or square – whatever you want!
If you’ve got a bag of fresh or frozen ravioli in your kitchen, you’ve got a quick and easy appetizer! These little “pesto poppers” (as I call them) are perfect for game day or holidays!
These are pretty quick and easy to make and are less expensive than Olive Garden’s™ Pan Fried Ravioli!
What you’ll need
This pan seared pasta appetizer doesn’t require a lot of ingredients: all you need is ravioli, oil and a skillet! Use fresh ravioli or frozen and any flavor and shape you like! I’ve made this easy Italian appetizer with cheese ravioli, mushroom ravioli and lobster ravioli (which I used an Alfredo dipping sauce!) and they are delicious and appreciated every time!
Use jarred or homemade pesto or marinara as a dipping sauce.
How to make it:
Pour a little oil in a medium size skillet and bring it to medium to medium-high heat. Note: the amount of oil you use is based on the size of the skillet and how many ravioli you are cooking. You want the bottom of the skillet to be lightly covered with oil about 1/4″inch. These are not “deep fried” ravioli, so you don’t need the cooking oil to cover the pasta.
You want the oil to be pretty hot, so use common sense here. If the oil is too hot and you notice the ravioli is cooking too fast, turn down the heat. Every stovetop is different, so start with the stove heat on medium and increase it if you need.
Place ravioli in a single layer and cook 2-3 minutes (put the puffy side down first); flip, and allow to cook another 2-3 minutes; if the top of the ravioli isn’t a light golden brown enough, flip ’em again!
Drain on paper towel; garnish with shredded Mozarella and/or Parmesan cheese, diced red peppers or tomatoes, and serve with your favorite pesto or marinara sauce.
Flip and continue to cook till brown on top
If you see the ravioli start to pop open and split, flip it over; repeat as needed until the pasta is light golden brown
Use fresh or frozen ravioli
You can use either fresh or frozen pasta to make this easy game day appetizer. If you use frozen, make sure it’s thawed and dried prior to placing it in the hot oil.
How to defrost frozen pasta quickly
Place frozen pasta in a colander and run cold water over it. Pat the pasta dry with a paper towel.
How to keep it warm
Preheat the oven to 275ºF. Cook and drain the ravioli on a paper towel, then place the crispy pasta bites on a baking sheet; place in the oven uncovered until ready to serve.
Serving suggestions
Serve with store bought or homemade pasta sauce, pesto sauce or an infused olive oil. Garnish with diced tomatoes, Parmesan cheese and fresh Italian parsley.
Storage and reheating
If you have any pan fried ravioli leftover, store in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container. To reheat, place on baking sheet in a single layer, uncovered and bake at 275ºF to 10-12 minutes.
If you microwave them, they get soggy.
Pan fried ravioli (or pan seared ravioli) is a perfect Italian appetizer for the holidays or any day! These pair beautifully with Eggplant Parmesan, os Spaghetti and Bolognese sauce! Sometimes, I make easy pan fried ravioli to serve with Pasta Carbonara and a crisp green salad.
Related recipes:
- Margherita Nachos
- Hickory Almond Stuffed Dates
- Cheddar Cheese Wafers
- Sausage Balls
- Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs
♥ If you make this recipe, please leave a comment or rating below!
Pan Fried Ravioli
Ingredients
- 1 lb ravioli fresh or frozen; round or flat
- oil (See Recipe Notes) , canola or vegetable (start with ½ cup; add more if you need it)
- salt to taste
Garnish
- 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese (shredded or grated; sprinkle over top)optional
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley (sprinkle over top)optional
- 1 cup arugula or rosemary (for plating)optional
- 1 medium tomato , seeded and diced
Dipping Sauce
- 1 cup homemade or jarred marinara or pesto sauce
Instructions
Frozen Ravioli
- Remove frozen pasta from packaging and place in a colander (skip this step if using fresh ravioli)1 lb ravioli
- Run cool water over the frozen pasta until it is no longer frozen (about two minutes)
- Place in a single layer on paper towels; pat each ravioli until it is completely dry
Cook the Ravioli
- Heat oil in a large skillet on medium to medium-high heatoil (See Recipe Notes)
- Place ravioli in a single layer (puffy side down) in skillet; cook for 2-3 minutes (if using flat ravioli, place the top-side down in the oil)
- Flip and cook an additional 2-3 minutes or until they begin to brown slightly See Recipe Notes
- Using a spatula, remove from hot oil and place on paper towel
- *If serving later, place on baking sheet and place in 275ºF oven
- If serving immediately, plate arugula, place ravioli on arugula, garnish with diced tomatoes, Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley; lightly salt to tastesalt to taste, 1 cup arugula or rosemary, 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese, 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, 1 medium tomato
- Serve with dipping sauce of choice1 cup homemade or jarred marinara or pesto sauce
Notes
- Place in a colander and run cold water of the pasta
- Once it's tender, pat dry with a paper towel
So easy and quick! We use butternut squash ravioli. Quick cook for 2-3 minutes preside in a small amount of olive oil and butter. Remove and top with fresh Parmesan. And serve with a small Caesar salad.
Great simple recipe! No extra breadcrumbs to soak up greasy oil. I used olive oil to sauté the ravioli and sprinkled garlic powder and grated Parmesan cheese on it. It was crispy and not soggy liked boiled ravioli! Highly recommend this!
Thank you, Alice! I appreciate your taking time to share!
Good tasty food..
Thanks Paul! It’s so easy, it’s hard to call it a “recipe” but it is a great snack!!
This is my “new” favorite appetizer . It tastes as delicious as it looks.
This looks delicious! Definitely trying this!
It’s super easy!!!