copycat-olive-garden-toasted-ravioli-recipe

Michelle Bottalico/Mashed

Copycat Olive Garden toasted ravioli brings one of the most popular Olive Garden menu items to your home without too much effort in the kitchen. Featuring seasoned beef ravioli that's breaded and deep fried and served with marinara dipping sauce, this appetizer has patrons coming back again and again. Since it's founding in 1982, Olive Garden has been serving Italian-American fare at its nearly 1,000 locations across the United States, but you don't have to visit a location near you (and pay restaurant prices) to enjoy toasted ravioli whenever you want it.

Recipe developer Michelle Bottalico has created a copycat Olive Garden toasted ravioli recipe that allows you to create this much-requested dish at home. The process starts with frozen store-bought ravioli. Olive Garden uses the seasoned beef variety, but the beauty of this recipe is that you can make it your own by using any variety you love, whether that's cheese, spinach, or specialty ravioli. The ravioli are breaded and fried and then sprinkled with grated Parmesan and minced parsley and served with marinara sauce.

The result is hot toasted ravioli with a rich interior and a substantial bite from the added thickness of the ravioli dough plus the flour dredge and breadcrumb coating, and the zesty dipping sauce perfectly complements each crispy bite. Reach for this recipe the next time you're looking for a decadent, restaurant-quality dish, whether you're serving a simple meal at home or need a crowd-pleasing addition to a party buffet.

Michelle Bottalico/Mashed

For this recipe, you will first need a package of frozen meat ravioli. Make sure to thaw the ravioli before you start the recipe. Thawing is recommended because if any of the frozen pieces are stuck together, they will tear and create holes in the ravioli when separated. If they are not stuck together, you can skip the thawing step if desired.

You will also need all-purpose flour, cornstarch, eggs, and plain breadcrumbs. As far as spices, gather garlic powder, dried oregano, dried thyme, salt, and pepper. Finally, you'll need a neutral, high-heat oil for frying, grated Parmesan, minced parsley, and marinara sauce for dipping.

Michelle Bottalico/Mashed

Place the flour and cornstarch in a bowl and mix with a fork to combine.

Michelle Bottalico/Mashed

Beat the eggs in a separate bowl.

Michelle Bottalico/Mashed

Place the breadcrumbs, garlic powder, dried oregano, dried thyme, salt, and pepper in a third bowl and mix well.

Michelle Bottalico/Mashed

Dip one piece of ravioli in the flour mixture until lightly and evenly coated.

Michelle Bottalico/Mashed

Then dip it in the egg until moistened on all sides.

Michelle Bottalico/Mashed

Roll it in the breadcrumb mixture until fully coated.

Michelle Bottalico/Mashed

Repeat the breading process with the remaining ravioli and set them aside.

Michelle Bottalico/Mashed

Heat enough oil to submerge the ravioli in a single layer in a large pot on medium until it reaches 350 F. This will take about 5-10 minutes and will give the breaded ravioli time to rest so the breading adheres better.

Michelle Bottalico/Mashed

When the oil is hot, lower a handful of ravioli into the pot with a spider strainer. Avoid overcrowding them.

Michelle Bottalico/Mashed

Fry for about 1-2 minutes until browned and crispy.

Michelle Bottalico/Mashed

Remove the ravioli from the oil with a spider strainer and set them aside on a paper towel-lined wire rack to drain.

Michelle Bottalico/Mashed

Fry the remaining ravioli in the same way.

Michelle Bottalico/Mashed

Transfer the ravioli to a serving dish or individual dishes and top with grated Parmesan and minced parsley.

Michelle Bottalico/Mashed

Serve hot with marinara dipping sauce.

Michelle Bottalico/Mashed

A simple way to customize this recipe is to switch up the kind of ravioli you use. Instead of seasoned beef ravioli, use cheese, spinach, vegetable, or any kind of ravioli you love. This recipe uses garlic powder, dried oregano, dried thyme, salt, and pepper to season the breadcrumbs, but feel free to mix up the spices according to your taste. Italian seasoning would add other complementary spices to the oregano and thyme, paprika would contribute a pleasant flavor, and chili powder would crank up the heat. You could mix grated Parmesan or pecorino cheese and minced fresh parsley into the spiced breadcrumbs for an extra rich and herby touch as well.

Switching up the dipping sauce is another way to make this recipe your own. This version is served with marinara sauce, which goes extremely well with pasta, and the tomato flavor and hint of sweetness of this classic choice complements toasted ravioli just as well. However, marinara sauce isn't your only option. Consider other dipping sauces like pesto, ranch, or cheese dip if desired.

You don't have to deep fry these ravioli if you'd prefer not to. You can shallow fry them in a skillet, flipping them halfway to brown both sides evenly. Or you can bake them in the oven, spraying them with cooking spray on both sides first. Finally, go even easier on the oil without sacrificing crunch by cooking them in an air fryer for the lightest result.

Not all oils are created equal. The type of oil you use will influence the flavor and the health benefits of your dish. When cooking at high temperatures, for example when deep frying, you'll want to choose an oil with a high smoke point. The smoke point refers to the temperature at which a particular oil will start to smoke. This happens before the oil gets hot enough to boil. The problem with heating an oil past its smoke point is that the practice is linked to the release of harmful compounds in the oil that may be carcinogenic, so it's best avoided.

The cooking oils with the highest smoke points include avocado oil, vegetable oil, peanut oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, and canola oil. Refined avocado oil has a very high smoke point at 520 F, but it's more expensive than the others on the list. Refined vegetable oil is much cheaper and clocks in at 468 F. Peanut, sunflower, and safflower oils are all equal with a smoke point of 450 F. Canola oil is another good choice. It has a smoke point of 400 F and is also relatively inexpensive.

There are some oils you should avoid using at high heat. Don't fry with unrefined oils, including any oils marked virgin, as they have a lower smoke point. Save these oils for drizzling raw over salads and other foods.